CPUC Searches For New Safety Director Following Deadly San Bruno Explosion
SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) - The California State Public Utilities Commission on Friday launched a formal search for a new safety director.
The CPUC is trying to beef up its safety protocols in the wake of last September's fatal explosion in San Bruno which killed eight people and destroyed 38 homes.
KCBS' Barbara Taylor Reports:
A faulty Pacific Gas & Electric pipeline was to blame.
The Federal Transportation Safety Board recently released thousands of pages of documents that revealed a number of below-standard welds on the PG&E pipeline.
The new revelations in the documents follow a recent CPUC decision to add inspectors and create a new consumer protection and safety division.
"Probably the biggest lesson that we've learned from San Bruno is you can't just rely on checking boxes and making sure that PG&E or anyone else is just complying with the law," said CPUC Executive Director Paul Clanon.
"You can't have laws for every contingency that might happen. You've got to be much smarter about it," he said.
Clanon said the safety director will be responsible for ensuring that utilities like PG&E operate safely.
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