On Monday PG&E was mandated to begin inspection on all of its natural gas lines as a result of the explosion and subsequent fires that occurred in San Bruno on Sep. 9, 2010.
The mandate came from the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) who received a letter from Lt. Governor Abel Maldonado asking them to order PG&E to ensure that their natural gas pipeline system was intact and working properly and efficiently.
According to CPUC President Michael R. Peevey, an independent expert panel will be appointed to aid in the investigation. Peevey outlined the particulars of the mandate in a memo sent to CPUC Executive Director Paul Clanon.
The mandate consists of orders for PG&E to conduct leak surveys on its natural gas lines as well as keeping the gas line that erupted in San Bruno out of service until otherwise directed by the CPUC. PG&E must also outline all of its future procedures for responding to gas leak reports and its response in case of another emergency.
PG&E must also give the CPUC a full report on how much they have spent on pipeline safety and replacements beginning from 2005 up until the present.
PG&E is more than willing to adhere to the demands of the CPUC and expressed their commitment to ensuring the prevention of another event such as the one that occurred in San Bruno in a letter sent out by PG&E President Chris Johns.
“As the investigation begins”, says Johns, “we will be fully cooperating with government authorities. We will continue to gather the facts and share the information as soon as it can be confirmed.”
The CPUC is not the only organization working with PG&E to ensure the future safety of all areas near PG&E pipelines– the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will be leading a thorough investigation and will be the main source of information regarding any potential findings.
PG&E assures the public that it will work diligently with any and all organizations in order to find the cause of the pipeline rupture.
“PG&E will cooperate fully with the NTSB and all other federal, state and local agencies”, said PG&E on their website, “in the effort to identify the cause of this accident and will take all appropriate steps to assist those affected.”
And so far it has seemed that their statements have been sincere. PG&E has already committed $1 million from its shareholder to support all non-profit organizations helping those affected by the events in San Bruno.
Many San Bruno residents believe that the steps being taken now have come too late. While they appreciate that PG&E, the CPUC, and the NTSB are working diligently to ensure this does not occur again, they wish these precautions had been taken earlier.
One San Bruno resident, Ashley Morison, remains angry with PG&E’s lack of attention to the area beforehand.
“It shouldn’t take a huge tragedy to make them finally pay attention,” she said. “They should have paid attention earlier.”
Steven Kelly, a Skyline student whose great-grandmother lost her home entirely in the explosion, shares Morison’s point of view.
“Lives were lost, people were injured, and years of memories are now gone, never to be regained,” he said. “Somberness now looms over San Bruno, and it has ‘PG&E’ written all over it… in thick, grey ash.”
