PG&E May Have Lost Pipeline Records
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- A newspaper is reporting that a move nearly two decades ago by Pacific Gas & Electric Co. to computerize its records may have led to the company losing crucial information about its pipeline system.
The San Francisco Chronicle reports in its Sunday print edition that since acquiring a new computer program in 1993, PG&E has struggled with its database.
After installing the system, information had to be entered into the system from paper documents.
According to a review of records and interviews with individuals, The Chronicle says some key information was sometimes unavailable or difficult to interpret, possibly explaining why PG&E officials were not aware the pipeline in San Bruno that exploded in September had been built with a seam.
Investigators have determined that the blast originated at a poorly installed weld on the seam.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
