Downpours shut down Bundy

An automobile accident outside of Santa Monica College's Bundy campus damaged the campus' main gas line Saturday, effectively cutting off hot water and heating to the entire building. A notice put out by Bruce Wyban, mechanical systems and energy management supervisor for Santa Monica College, alerted faculty that measures are being taken to repair the lines as quickly as possible.

Nothing yet is known about the specific circumstances surrounding the accident; Santa Monica and West Los Angeles Police Departments have been unable to comment or provide information. What is known is that the accident occurred on the northeast side of the campus where Bundy Drive becomes Centinela Avenue.

Speaking to Bruce Wyban, it became clear that the repairs could take an indefinite amount of time. Wyban hopes to get started by Monday the 21st, but stresses that because of a very large purchasing process which requires specificity due to tax dollars being spent, the gas lines will most likely not be up for some time.

Additionally, the job is too big for SMC to handle on an emergency basis by in-house staff; the Southern California Gas Company will have to do their own independent assessment to ascertain the extent of the damage. Wyban said that an underground excavation will most likely have to be completed before any formal repairs can be done, in order to establish if there has been any significant damage to the underground piping.

"We have to make sure that the safety and integrity of the gas feed system is intact," said Wyban. It is not yet known how this will affect SMC students in the interim, beyond a lack of hot water and heating.