Earthquake Preparedness

With the images of the Kobe disaster fresh in our minds, HUD Secretary Henry G. Cisneros’ urging to quake-prone regions, like Los Angeles, to implement preventive measures that go beyond construction standards in place before the Northridge earthquake is compelling. The problems with the remedies suggested by The Times in its Jan. 19 editorial, “Prepare Now or Be Sorry Later,” are twofold.

First, The Times argues that every home, every school, every office building should be retrofitted to meet the toughest possible standard regardless of cost, and the state should do more to shoulder the cost. And, second, while Cisneros suggests local action be immediately taken to prevent earthquake damage, the federal government isn’t likely to pick up the tab.

California already has the toughest seismic protection laws in the world and these laws have paid off time and time again. Clearly, the laws adopted at the state and local levels since the Long Beach earthquake of 1933 have saved thousands of lives and billions of dollars.

Last year after the Northridge quake, Gov. Pete Wilson and the Legislature gave California residents the opportunity to approve additional funding for seismic repair of the state’s freeways and buildings by placing on the ballot for voter approval a $2 billion bond measure. At the time, The Times editorialized against the proposition. The measure was defeated.

Nevertheless, since the Northridge earthquake, much has already been done. A statewide program is well under way to retrofit the state’s freeway network. All 114 retrofitted bridges in the Los Angeles area came through the temblor in fine shape. And in the area of mobile home safety, the Legislature last year, with the governor’s strong support, enacted legislation to require earthquake tie-downs as part of all future installations. The state Department of Housing and Community Development, along with the governor’s Office of Emergency Services, coordinated a program last year to provide free earthquake bracing for mobile homes shaken from their moorings by the Northridge quake.

Nobody would disagree that more can be done. State government is committed to mitigating seismic risk by using available knowledge to the fullest extent possible and to propose common-sense changes that can be accomplished and that will work.

DEAN R. DUNPHY, Secretary

Business, Transportation and Housing

Agency, Sacramento