Ageing gas pipes pose potential hazard
The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) has estimated that there approximately 80,000 gas pipes across the country in commercial and residential buildings that pose a risk of gas leaks due to the age of the pipes. An additional survey in 2014 found that there were 8,290 ageing pipes in public buildings, including schools and community centres.
Tokyo Gas, Osaka Gas and other gas companies are calling for old pipes to be upgraded to the newer ones which do not corrode as fast and are safer in earthquakes, but the high cost of replacement has been a significant obstacle.Read more