| THE LAW "The seismic gas valve would automatically shut off the gas .... We know that fires can and will start after a quake." Martinez News-Gazette. March 23, 2000. CONTRA COSTA COUNTY MARIN COUNTY ALAMEDA COUNTY WEST HOLLYWOOD It is only a matter of time until the Earthquake Automatic Gas Shut Off Valve will be mandatory statewide LOS ANGELES REGION An ordinance amending section 94.1219 of the Los Angeles Municipal Code relating to the installation of seismic gas shutoff valves in new construction and existing buildings. THE PEOPLE OF LOS ANGELES TO ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS: Section 1. Section 94.1219 of the Los Angeles Municipal Code is hereby amended to read as follows: SEC. 94.1219.D. Seismic Gas Shutoff Valves SEC. 94.1219. 1. Definitions. For purposes of this section, certain terms shall be defined as follows: Downstream of the Gas Utility Meter shall refer to all customers owned gas piping. Residential building shall mean any single-family dwelling, duplex, apartment building, condominium, townhouse, lodging house congregate residence, hotel, or motel. Seismic Gas Shutoff Valve shall mean a system consisting of a seismic sensing means and actuating means designed to automatically actuate a companion gas shutoff means installed in a gas piping system in order to shut off the gas downstream of the location of the gas shutoff means in the event of a severe seismic disturbance, The system may consist of separable components or may incorporate all functions in a single body. The terms "Seismically Activated Gas Shutoff Valve" and "Earthquake Sensitive Gas Shutoff Valves" are synonymous. Upstream of the Gas Utility Meter shall refer to all gas piping installed by the utility up to and including the meter and the utility's bypass tee at the connection to the customer owned piping. SEC. 94.1219.2. Scope an approved seismic has shutoff valve shall be installed downstream of the gas utility meter on each fuel gas line where the line serves the following buildings or structures: SEC. 94.1219.2.1. A building or structure containing fuel gas piping for which a building permit was first issued on or after September 1, 1995. SEC. 94.1219.2.2. An existing building or structure which is altered or added to; and SEC. 94.1219.2.2.1. That building or structure has fuel gas piping supplying the existing building or structure or the addition to the ALAMEDA COUNTY e building or structure; and SEC. 94.1219.2.2.2. The alteration or addition is valued at more than $10,000 and a building permit for the work in commercial buildings was first issued on or after September 1, 1995. Alterations to the individual units or tenant spaces shall require seismic gas shutoff valves to be installed for all gas piping serving that commercial building. SEC. 94.1219.2.2.3. The alteration or addition is valued at more than $10,000 and the building permit for the work in residential buildings including condominium units, is first issued on or after January 10, 1998. Alterations or additions to an individual unit shall require seismic gas shutoff valves to be installed for all gas piping serving that building. SEC. 94.1219.2.3. Building or structures which contain fuel gas piping, that are sold shall have seismic gas shutoff valves installed within 12 months of sale. The sale of an individual condominium unit in a building shall require the installation of seismic gas shutoff valves for all gas piping serving that building if the building has a single gas line. If the building in which the condominium unit is located has multiple gas lines then the valve only required on the line serving the condominium unit and any other condominium unit in the same building. EXCEPTIONS: (1) Seismic gas shutoff valves may be installed upstream of a gas utility meter provided they meet the requirements of this section. (2) Seismic gas shutoff valves installed on a building or structure prior to September 1, 1995, are exempt from the requirements of this section provided they remain installed on the building or structure and ar maintained for the life of the building or structure. (3) Notwithstanding Subsections 94.1219.2.1, 94.1219.2.2 AND 94.1219.2.3 above, these provisions shall not apply to a building or structure if the Department determines that the building or structure satisfies all three of the following criteria: (a) That the building or structure is owned, operated, and maintained by a governmental entity or public utility; or that the building or structure is owned by a private concern and provides a public benefit, such as a co-generation facility which shares its excess power with a public utility or with large industrial facility which has governmental contracts; (b) That the building or structure has available 24-hour, year-round, maintenance staffing; and (c) That the gas piping system contained in the building or structure is designed to withstand seismic effects of earthquakes. (4) A single seismic gas shutoff valve may be upstream of the gas utility meter at the discretion of the gas utility. SEC. 94.1219.3. General Requirements. Seismic shutoff valves installed either in compliance with Section 94.1219.2, et seq., or voluntarily with a permit issued on or after September 1, 1995, shall comply with the following requirements: SEC. 94.1219.3.1. Seismic gas shutoff valves shall be installed by a contractor licensed in the appropriate classification by the State of California. EXCEPTIONS: (1) A person who has been determined by the Department to meet the qualification of a Qualified Installer pursuant to the definition of a Qualified Installer set forth in Division 2 of this Code may install a seismic gas shutoff valve to a single family dwelling which is or is intended to be occupied by the Qualified Installer. (2) Seismic gas shutoff valves may be installed without a permit, by a gas utility or a contactor authorized by the gas utility when the valves are installed upstream of the gas utility meter and the valves are installed and approved in accordance to with this section. SEC. 94.1219.3.2. Seismic gas shutoff valves shall be mounted rigidly to the exterior, or another approved location, of the building or structure containing the fuel gas piping. EXCEPTION: If the Department determines that the seismic gas shutoff valve has been tested and listed for an alternate method of installation, then a seismic gas shutoff valve need not be mounted rigidly to the exterior of the building or structure containing the fuel piping. SEC. 94.1219.3.3. Be listed by an approved testing laboratory and certified by the Office of the State Architect. SEC. 94.1219.3.4. Be approved by the Department of Building and Safety, Mechanical testing Laboratory. SEC. 94.1219.3.5. Have a thirty-year warranty which warrants that the valve is free from defects and will continue to properly operate for thirty years from the date of operation. SEC. 94.1219.3.6. Where seismic gas shutoff valves are installed as required by this section, they shall be maintained for the life of the building or structure or be replaced with a valve complying with the requirements of this section. SEC. 94.1219.3.7. In addition to complying with all requirements of California Referenced Standard 12-16-1, the following requirements shall be met in lieu of those required in State Standard 12-16-125, b2, b3: The sensing means of a valve or system shall not actuate the shutoff means when subjected for five seconds to horizontal sinusoidal oscillations having: (a) A peak acceleration of 0.2g with a period of vibration of 0.4 second; and (b) A peak acceleration of 0.2g with a period of vibration of 1.0 second. Section 2. Section 96.303 of the Los Angeles Municipal Code is hereby amended to read as follows: SEC. 96.303. APPLICATION Upon written application by the owner or the owner's agent to the Department of Building and Safety on forms provided by the City an the payment of a fee specified herein to the Department of Building and Safety, the Superintendent of Building and the City Engineer shall review the appropriate City records. This application shall contain the name and address of the owner, the legal description, the county assessor's map book page and parcel number and, if available, the street address of the residential property for which the reports are sought. The application for the report regarding a sale or exchange of a residential property shall not be accepted by the Department of Building and Safety until such time as the applicant provides the Department of Building and Safety with one of the following: 1. A declaration under penalty of perjury by the owner certifying that in the residential property for which the report is sought: (a) Smoke detectors have been installed in accordance with the Los Angles Municipal Code Section 91.310.9; and (b) Impact hazard glazing has been installed in accordance with Los Angles Municipal Code, Division 24; (c) Water conservation devices have been installed in accordance with Los Angeles Municipal code Section 122.03; (d) Metal bars, grilles, grates, security roll-down shutters, and similar devices over emergency escape windows, in sleeping rooms have been installed in accordance with Los Angeles Municipal CodeSection 91.310.4; and (e) Lights and locks have been installed in accordance with Section 91.8607. Of the Los Angeles Municipal Code. (f) Seismic gas shutoff valves have been installed in accordance with Section 94.1219 2. A declaration under penalty of perjury by the owner certifying that in the residential property for which the report is sought: (a) Smoke detectors will be installed in accordance with the Los Angeles Municipal Code Section 91.310.9; and (b) Impact hazard glazing will be installed in accordance with Los Angeles Municipal Code, Division 24. The owner shall further certify that such smoke detectors and or impact hazard glazing will be installed prior to entering into an agreement of sale or contraction for an exchange of a residential property, or, where an escrow agreement has been executed in connection therewith, prior to close of escrow, and that within ten days after the smoke detectors and/or impact hazard glazing is/are installed he/she will so advise the Department of Building and Safety in writing; and (c) Water conservation devices will be installed in accordance with Los Angeles Municipal Code Section 122.03; (d) Metal bars, grilles, grates, security roll-down shutters, and similar devices over emergency escape windows in sleeping rooms will be installed in accordance with the Los Angeles Municipal Code Section 91.310.4; and (e) Lights and locks will be installed in accordance with Section 91.8607 of the Los Angeles Municipal Code (f) Seismic gas shutoff valves will be installed in accordance with Section 94.1219. 3. A declaration under penalty of perjury by the owner certifying that in the residential property for which the report is sought: (a) Smoke detectors will be installed in accordance with the Los Angeles Municipal Code Section 91.310.9.; and (b) Impact hazard glazing will be installed in accordance with the Los Angeles Municipal Code, Division 24. The buyer shall further certify that such smoke detectors and/or impact hazard glazing will be installed within 30 days after entering into an agreement of sale of contracting for the exchange of a residential property, or where an escrow agreement has been executed in connection therewith, within 30 days after close of escrow, and that within 10 days after the smoke detectors and/or impact hazard glazing is/are installed he/she will so advise the Department of Building and Safety in writing; and (c) Water conservation devices have been installed in accordance with Los Angeles Municipal Code Section 122.03; and (d) Metal bars, grilles, grates,, security roll-down shutters, and similar devices over emergency escape windows in sleeping rooms have been installed in accordance with Los Angeles Municipal Code, Section 91.310.4; and (e) Lights and locks have been installed in accordance with Section 02.8607 of the Los Angeles Municipal code; and (f) Seismic gas shutoff valves will be or have been installed in accordance with Section 94.1219. The buyer shall further certify that such seismic gas shutoff valves have been or will be installed within 12 months after entering an agreement of sale or contracting for an exchange of a residential property, or within 12 months after close of escrow where an escrow agreement has been executed therewith; and that within 10 days after the seismic gas shutoff valves are installed the buyer will also advise the Department of Building and Safety in writing. The buyer shall then be further advised that failure to comply with this requirement will subject the buyer to the payment of a noncompliance fee in addition to the other penalties provided by law. The Department of Building and Safety shall deliver to the applicant, either in person or by mail, the reports required herein within 15 calendar days after the date of the acceptance of the application. The owner must also provide a declaration under penalty of perjury that her of she has inspected the property for the existence of oak trees and the number of oak trees, if any located on the subject property. For the purposes of this section, the definition of "oak tree" set forth set forth in Section 46.01 of the Los Angeles Municipal Code shall apply. The declaration shall also authorize the Department to verify such information by entry upon the subject property. No declaration need be made if the subject property is one acre or less in size. A fee, as specified in Section 98.0412(a) of the Los Angeles Municipal Code shall be collected by the Department for any inspection required to verify the declaration. SEC. 3. The City Clerk shall certify to the passage of this ordinance and cause the same to be published in some daily newspaper printed and published in the City of Los Angeles. I hereby certify that the foregoing ordinance was introduced at the meeting of the Council of the City of Los Angeles on December 9, 1997 and was passed at its meeting of December 16, 1997. J. MICHAEL CARY, City Clerk |