Quake Watch: California Experienced More Than 500 Earthquakes Last Week; Building and gas experts hope California is ready for the next big one.

Business/News Editors

SACRAMENTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 2, 2001

The U.S. Geological Survey reported that California experienced nearly 500 earthquakes this past week, fueling concerns that the state may be at the end of a period of seismic slumber and prompting a group of manufacturers to urge the State of California to look past political pressures and put the safety and well-being of Californians on the forefront.

The group is calling on the state to continue the use of corrugated stainless steel tubing (CSST), a flexible material that does the same job as rigid black iron piping in providing natural gas to residential or commercial structures. Industry experts state that every earthquake, regardless of size, places stress on rigid gas piping and can result in gas leaks. Because CSST is flexible to more than 360 degrees, it is able to withstand the extensive bending, pulling, stretching, and crushing that come with earthquakes, and therefore it is less prone to leaks or ruptures compared to rigid piping.

Although (CSST) has been used in California - with regulatory approval - since 1993, the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) recently made a preliminary decision to not continue recognizing CSST in the proposed 2001 edition of the California Plumbing Code. That decision is now being challenged, and until the challenge is resolved the current code that does include CSST will continue to be in effect. If HCD's preliminary decision is not reversed, earthquake-prone California will be the only state not recognizing the technologically advanced material in its building code. CSST is also approved for use in Canada, Mexico, South America, several European countries, Australia, and Japan.

"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."

In addition, 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."

California's Earthquake Loss Reduction Plan, prepared by the California Seismic Safety Commission, 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."

Despite the recommendations of these earthquake-focused state agencies to use flexible gas piping, the HCD's preliminary decision will exclude flexible gas piping from the state's building code. Manufacturers say this appears to be a case where one state agency is doing just the opposite of what others believe to be the prudent and safe course of action, a classic example of the left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing.

HCD will hold a public hearing on November 15, 2001 to receive statements related to its preliminary decision and will also be accepting written comments until 5:00 p.m. November 30, 2001. HCD can be reached at 1800 Third Street, Sacramento, CA, 95814, or by phone at [phone].