State Hearing to Focus on Increasing Funding for CA Public Utilities Commission

The California Public Utilities Commission is seeking to add seven new positions to its gas safety division  A state assemblyman will be leading a hearing today to talk about possibly beefing up state regulators’ ability to oversee pipeline safety in the wake of the 2010 San Bruno pipeline explosion. Assemblyman Rich Gordon, D-Menlo Park, who [...]

Pipeline regulators propose broader public access

The California Public Utilities Commission on Monday proposed opening up public access to most records under the agency’s purview, a dramatic shift that would allow Californians to view documents detailing the safety records of natural-gas pipelines running under their neighborhoods. The move comes 18 months after the explosion of a Pacific Gas and Electric Co. [...]

Calif. may lower fines for utility in fatal blast

A state administrative judge is proposing to fine a utility under fire for the deadly San Bruno pipeline explosion only $3 million, rather than going with a prior plan to charge Pacific Gas & Electric Co. $1 million each day for shoddy record-keeping. A California Public Utilities Commission judge issued the proposal Wednesday, but it [...]

700 Southern Californian homes supported by jacks are corroding

A design flaw that could affect about 700 homes in Santee, CA has some residents on edge. Homes in the northwest end of Santee constructed in the 1970s were built to be supported on jacks, which are now starting to rust and wear. “If it’s dangerous, they need to know about it,” said contractor Art [...]

US Senate approves pipeline safety bill

The Senate unanimously approved a pipeline safety bill that stemmed from a spate of incidents, including last year’s deadly explosion in San Bruno, California. The measure had been held up by Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), who lifted his hold after reaching agreement with Democrats to add a key recommendation from the National Transportation Safety Board. Usually wary of regulatory oversight, Paul [...]

California Governor signs pipeline safety laws

Six state bills on gas pipeline safety written in response to the deadly Sept. 9, 2010, explosion in San Bruno were signed into law last Friday. Gov. Jerry Brown said the legislation would strengthen maintenance and oversight of natural gas transmission pipelines and improve coordination between gas line operators and first responders. “We learned very [...]

Pipeline corrosion issues at Crystal Springs Reservoir requires underwater work

Coastside County Water District officials could spend about $125,000 for a dive team to fix corrosion problems that have closed off a pipeline at Crystal Springs Reservoir in California. First discovered earlier this year, corrosion damage on the pipe equipment at Crystal Springs has caused a valve on the intake system to remain firmly shut, cutting [...]

GOP pipeline bill would block pipeline safety reforms

Professionals who work safely, diligently, and follow US government regulations  in the Natural Gas, Oil, Pipeline, Corrosion or Cathodic Protection area of expertise are reminded that Friday, Sept 9, 2011 is the one year anniversary when a catastrophic Natural Gas pipeline disaster occurred in San Bruno, California.   The accident destroyed 38 homes, damaged 70 [...]

PG&E Proposes Spending $769M To Test Gas Pipelines, $2.2B Overall

PG&E Corp. (PCG) on Friday proposed spending $769 million over three years to test its natural gas pipelines as part of a $2.2 billion pipeline safety program, following a deadly pipeline explosion last year. PG&E said it will pressure-test all of its untested pipe segments and expand use of automated pipeline shut-off valves. The utility [...]

PG&E says it is not to blame for San Bruno blast

Officials with PG&E have reached their conclusion about what caused a natural-gas pipeline to explode in San Bruno last September. And they have concluded the event was not the utility’s fault. Federal investigators asked PG&E, the agency that regulates it, the city of San Bruno and other parties to submit analyses about what caused and [...]