The San Francisco Chronicle had an interesting report about how even what should be a fundamental job of the California state government — protecting that state from the effects of earthquakes — is subverted by the political process.
In 1997, flexible gas pipes were approved for use in California. According to The Chronicle flexible gas pipeline is used in all 50 states as well as several other countries including earthquake-prone Japan. The idea is that during an earthquake, the flexible pipe will be less likely to fail than its more rigid counterpart. Since fire is a major hazard after earthquakes, this could potentially save lots of lives. California’s Seismic Safety Commission publishes a guide that says, “Flexible pipes for gas and water lines are safer in an earthquake than rigid pipes.”
Despite that, California is on the verge of making it illegal to use flexible pipes in new home construction. The California Building Standards Commission is currently in the process of choosing a new building code, and the current front runner is a code that does not permit the use of flexible pipes for gas lines.
Representatives of the California BUilding Industry Association believe that this is political payback from California governor Gray Davis to the California Pipe Trades Council — a labor group that donated more than $1.1 million to Davis. The Pipe Trades Council wants to eliminate flexible gas pipe. It argues that the pipes can puncture more easily than the rigid steel pipe, but another possible explanation is that unlike rigid steel pipe, the flexible pipe more quickly — potentially costing union jobs.
The union, of course, says that is nonsense and insists that the building industry is acting in a heavy handed manner by trying to keep flexible gas pipe legal (presumably the building industry also bought off the Seismic Safety Commission).
California residents must sleep well at night knowing their lives are in the hand of this kind of process.
Source:
State may ban flexible gas lines. Robert Salladay, The San Francisco Chronicle, December 3, 2001.