6 Months Later, PG&E Frantically Digs For Pipeline Documents
SAN BRUNO (KCBS) - State regulators have threatened Pacific Gas and Electric with fines and sanctions if the utility does not produce records detailing what it knew about the natural gas pipeline that exploded in San Bruno last September.
KCBS' Holly Quan Reports:
As residents of the neighborhood prepare for a memorial Wednesday for the eight people who died during the blast that destroyed 37 homes, hundreds of PG&E workers at sites around the Bay Area searched through crate upon crate of documents.
The utility has until March 15 to comply with an order from the California Public Utilities Commission.
Missing that deadline could result in fines and PUC investigators taking over the search. That's why the utility has brought in auditors to help in the 24/7 review of over a million records dating back to the 1920s.
KCBS' Holly Quan Reports:
Federal prosecutors and the San Mateo County District Attorney's Office have begun investigating a seismic upgrade project in the mid-90s that could result in criminal charges stemming from the blast.
San Mateo District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said charges will hinge on whether the company's decision not to replace line 132 that runs through San Bruno contributed to the explosion.
"Was there any conduct by PG&E that would constitute criminal liability? Were they negligent in such a manner that it is what caused the deaths of our eight citizens of San Mateo County?" he said.
Wagstaffe said the final report from the National Transportation Safety Board would be a key factor in his decision about whether to prosecute. A civil suit seeking penalties for not conducting business safely and reasonably is also possible, he said.
On Wednesday night, survivors of the fire planned to gather in the Glenview neighborhood to mark the six-month anniversary of the blast.
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