CSST Manufacturers Cry Foul At Building Code Decision; Decision on Corrugated Stainless Steel Gas Piping Appears to Put Politics Ahead of Public Safety.

Business Editors

SACRAMENTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 16, 2001

In what amounts to a blow to public safety, California's Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) has chosen not to include flexible gas piping, also known as Corrugated Stainless Steel Tubing (CSST) in the 2001 edition of the California Plumbing Code, igniting a furious response from manufacturers and builders who say the product's safety and effectiveness has been clearly established.

"CSST is presently approved in California's building code," said Mark Albino, senior vice president with OmegaFlex, one of the manufacturers of CSST. "If this decision stands, they will actually be removing an approved product from the code, without any technical justification for doing so."

CSST is a light-weight, flexible stainless steel tubing with a polyethylene covering. Functionally, it does the same job as rigid black iron pipe in providing natural gas to residential or commercial structures. The product has been used in California -- with regulatory approval -- since 1993. Now, earthquake-prone California will be the only state not recognizing the technologically advanced material, which in addition to all other states, is also approved for use in Canada, Mexico, South America, several European countries, Australia and Japan.

HCD is proposing to adopt the 2000 Uniform Plumbing Code developed by the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO), which currently is the only code in the nation that does not include CSST. In a document announcing its decision and seeking public comments, HCD states, "The Department has determined that it does not have sufficient time to evaluate all the consequences of the use of the building material CSST, including environmental factors, due to time constraints imposed in this year's triennial adoption process."

Dan Roberts, senior applications engineer with the Titeflex Corporation, calls the determination ludicrous since CSST is currently approved in the present California building code and is being used throughout the state.

"We held several meetings with HCD, the Governor's office and several other regulators to answer questions about CSST and ensure it continued to be listed as an approved material," Roberts said. "We refuted every concern about the product's safety and reliability, and backed it up with statements from scientists, academics, builders and plumbers. Their so-called time constraint is a hollow excuse for what was a political decision."

The California Pipe Trades Council has been opposed to the use of CSST, claiming safety and environmental concerns. Roberts says the concerns are without merit and that the organization's true opposition stems from labor union politics.

"This group used its political connections to blackball a product that has demonstrable public safety advantages -- purely because it's easier and faster to install than traditional black iron gas piping, and they're worried that might mean less time on the job for union laborers." Roberts said. "That's not only wrong, it puts Californians at risk."

Because CSST is flexible, it eliminates expensive cutting and threading needed with standard black iron piping. As a result, CSST can be installed in about half the time. Roberts asserts that instead of a threat to jobs, CSST offers workers the opportunity to take on more projects while offering a state-of-the-art alternative that customers want.

"The risk of earthquakes in California is one we have all come to live with, but one in which everyone desires, and deserves, the best protections," said Stephen Gadomski, professor and chair of the Department of Civil Engineering and Applied Mechanics at California State University, Northridge, in written testimony provided to HCD in July of this year. "... the advantages of flexible piping, in that it can be bent to more than 360 degrees and can better withstand impacts from tipping appliances, make it a very attractive option for protecting lives and property in those parts of the state that are prone to earthquakes."

California's Earthquake Loss Reduction Plan calls for techniques that achieve higher levels of earthquake performance to reduce property loss, minimize environmental damage, and protect lives. Manufacturers point to documentation developed by the state of California regarding earthquake safety and preparedness, as well as independent lab tests, to illustrate CSST's public safety advantages.

The State of California's Guide to Strengthening and Repairing Your Home Before the Next Earthquake, developed by the Governor's Office of Emergency Services states "If your gas water heater has a rigid line only, call your utility company or a licensed plumber to install a flexible line." The California Seismic Safety Commissions' The Homeowners Guide to Earthquake Safety states, "Flexible pipes for gas and water lines are safer in an earthquake than rigid pipe." And Factory Mutual Research, a leading nonprofit product testing laboratory, went further in its May, 2001 approval guide, referring to CSST as "a viable and preferred alternative to rigid black iron piping, particularly in locations subject to considerable seismic activity."

"CSST answers California's call for better, safer more innovative materials to protect lives and property during earthquakes," said Jeff Soechting, product Manager with Ward Manufacturing, Inc. "CSST's advantages over black iron piping are proven and were even evidenced after the Northridge earthquake in 1994."

Soechting adds that beyond its advantages in an earthquake, several facts support the continued use of CSST in California, including:

-- CSST has been approved for use in California, and has been used without a single incident involving its safety, since 1993.

-- CSST lowers housing costs because it is faster and less expensive to install.

-- CSST is an American-made product subject to stricter manufacturing guidelines than rigid black iron pipe, which is made overseas.

-- In its 12-year history of installations throughout the U.S., no incidents involving the safety of the product have been reported to any certifying agency.

Soechting also says IAPMO's 2000 code which does not list CSST will soon be out of date. According to industry reports, IAPMO's Plumbing Technical Committee voted in April 2001 to add CSST as an acceptable fuel gas material, stating it found no technical justification for not approving the product.

The California Building Standards Commission, on behalf of HCD, will hold a public hearing at 10:00 a.m. on November 15, 2001 to receive statements related to HCD's decision. The Commission will also be accepting written comments until 5:00 p.m. on November 30, 2001.