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Lawmakers reject new earthquake safety measures Friday, Feb 22, 2008 By John Lyon Arkansas News Bureau LITTLE ROCK - A legislative panel voted Thursday to reject proposed revisions to the state's building code that would require new commercial buildings to be better able to withstand earthquakes. The House and Senate Committees on Agriculture, Forestry and Economic Development declined to give a favorable review to revisions proposed by the state fire marshal that would bring the code in line with the 2006 International Building Code. The code currently in place in Arkansas, which matches the 2003 International Building Code, requires new commercial buildings to be able to withstand earthquakes severe enough that they occur about once every 500 years. The 2006 International Building Code calls for buildings to be able to withstand more severe earthquakes that occur less frequently - about once every 2,500 years. The Administrative Rules and Regulations Committee of the Legislature considered the proposed revisions in January and decided to refer the matter to the panel that reviews economic development issues. Thursday's vote came after committee members heard testimony at a two-day meeting in West Memphis on Jan. 28 -29. Committee members said Thursday they were concerned that toughening seismic design standards could raise costs for developers and hinder economic development, particularly in economically depressed eastern Arkansas. "Our needs continue to be for economic development, and we don't need anything that will stifle that," said Rep. Robert Moore, D-Arkansas City. "I think a lot of the 2,500-year plan is just beyond what we need," said Rep. Bill Sample, R-Hot Springs. The state fire marshal proposed the revisions to prepare the state for the possibility of a massive earthquake in the area of the New Madrid Fault, which stretches through Missouri, Arkansas, Kentucky and Tennessee. An earthquake that struck the fault in 1812 destroyed the town of New Madrid, Mo. California has updated its code to match the 2006 International Building Code. Rep. Jerry Brown, D-Wynne, noted that according to previous testimony, California is three times more likely than Arkansas to have an earthquake. The committee decided in a voice vote to recommend that the revisions be sent back to the state fire marshal to be reworked. No "no" votes were heard. |
