OTHER NEWS - Dec. 20, 1993

Class Action Lawsuits Filed Over Recycled Plastic Pipe: Two parallel civil suits, seeking as much as $250 million, were filed by California homeowners last week in Santa Clara County Superior Court against Centaur Mfg Inc., of Tracy, Calif., and more than 100 wholesalers and retail distributors in California, Oregon, Nevada and Washington state. The class action suits, brought on behalf of as many as 45,000 homeowners, allege that ABS plastic sewer pipe sold under the Centaur and Phoenix brands in 1985 and 1986 contained mixed recycled plastics, a violation of state plumbing codes. The pipes have developed cracks at joints and over time burst, according to David M. Birka-White, a San Ramon attorney representing the plaintiffs. Centaur went out of business in 1985.