Flashings

• Photo courtesy of CRS Inc., Monroe, N.C.
• Photo courtesy of CertainTeed Corp., Valley Forge, Pa.
• Nothing

NRCA’s Education Section and the Roofing Industry Educational Institute (RIEI) have been combined into NRCA’s Education Resource Group. The group currently is offering educational programs on a contract basis and will begin to offer them publicly this fall. The fall programs will feature updated versions of popular RIEI and NRCA courses, such as RIEI’s Roofing Technology course and NRCA’s For Foremen Only program.

The group’s vision is to be the world provider of expert, unbiased, relevant learning opportunities, and its mission is to identify, create and deliver educational offerings relevant to customers’ needs.

The group will be operated by NRCA’s Education Resource Committee, which is composed of contractors and three at-large members who represent various industry sectors, such as manufacturing, consulting and architecture.

Contact Phyllis Erdman, NRCA’s conference assistant, about the new course schedule at (800) 323-9545, Ext. 234; fax (847) 299-1183; or e-mail perdman@nrca.net.

In addition to scheduled programs, all courses are available on a contract basis. If you would like to have a course conducted to suit your company’s needs, contact John Schehl, NRCA’s director of training, at (800) 323-9545, Ext. 200, or jschehl@nrca.net.

BOCA hosts public code hearings

The Building Officials and Code Administrators (BOCA) International Inc. held the 2002 International Code Council (ICC) code development hearings April 8-19 in Pittsburgh. At the public meetings, proposed revisions were discussed for several codes, including the 2000 International Building, Residential and Property Maintenance codes, as well as the ICC Performance Code for Buildings and Facilities.

BOCA International, International Conference of Building Officials (ICBO) and Southern Building Code Congress International (SBCCI) Inc. members were allowed to vote. Committee and assembly actions will be reported through a public-comment process.

Final action deliberation and voting on code proposals will occur at the BOCA, ICBO, SBCCI Joint Conference Sept. 29-Oct. 4 in Fort Worth, Texas. This final action will be the basis for the 2003 editions of international codes.

For additional information or to receive hearing documents, contact BOCA at (708) 799-2300 or visit www.bocai.org.

Bush puts tariffs on steel

On March 5, President Bush put 8 percent to 30 percent tariffs on imported steel from Asia, Europe and South America; the tariffs exclude Mexico, Canada and 80 developing countries. The tariffs will be in effect for three years to help the U.S. steel industry recover and can be amended if the industry worsens or improves.

Although pleased with Bush’s efforts, the steel industry was hoping for tariffs as high as 40 percent, as well as a $10 billion bailout to cover pension and health-care costs for workers who retired from bankrupt steel companies—a recommendation Bush did not accept.

The U.S. International Trade Commission recommended that tariffs range from 20 percent to 40 percent, and Democrats backed the recommendation. Bush’s split-the-difference approach calls for tariffs after a certain amount of a product is imported or during specific time periods.

For example, slab steel would get a 30 percent tariff only after 5.4 million tons (4.8 million Mg) are imported and flat-rolled steel would have a 30 percent tariff imposed for the first year (which began in March), a 24 percent tariff during 2003 and an 18 percent tariff in 2004.

According to The New York Times, Bush’s national security aides are concerned the tariff will further worsen relations with Europe and Asia especially after Bush withdrew from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty; rejected the Kyoto protocol on global warming; and called Iran, Iraq and North Korea an “axis of evil.”

The European Union announced it will fight the tariffs at the World Trade Organization, which has international authority as a court for trade disputes.

South Korean steel producers responded by saying the tariffs arbitrarily discriminate against them, and Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov warned the tariffs will affect Russian and U.S. relations.

Pascal Lamy, the European Commission’s top trade official, told The New York Times: “The U.S. decision to go down the route of protectionism is a major setback for the world trading system. Imports are not the cause of U.S. difficulties, and the measures announced [March 5] will not only not provide a solution but aggravate matters.”