PG&E Charged by U.S. Over Pipeline Explosion That Killed 8

[Newsjock]

Source: Bloomberg

PG&E Corp., owner of California’s largest utility, was charged with 12 pipeline safety violations by the U.S. government for a 2010 natural gas explosion that killed eight people in San Bruno, California.

The criminal case comes three and half years after the explosion in San Bruno, a city with 42,000 residents about 12 miles (19.3 kilometers) south of San Francisco. A 54-year-old natural gas pipeline, 30 inches (76.2 centimeters) in diameter and located under a street intersection in a residential area, exploded just after 6 p.m. on Sept. 9, 2010. It sent a 28-foot section of pipe weighing 3,000 pounds flying through the air, fueled by blowing natural gas, according to a state report.

The explosion created a crater about 72 feet (21.9 meters) long by 26 feet wide, completely destroyed 38 homes and damaged another 70. Eight people were killed and 66 injured.

Federal and state regulators investigating the blast determined that inadequate quality controls, deficient management and a corporate culture that emphasized profits over safety caused the accident, which has cost PG&E’s shareholders $1.4 billion in mandated safety work and other expenses.

Read more: http://www.businessweek.com/news/2014-04-01/pg-and-e-charged-by-u-dot-s-dot-over-pipeline-explosion-that-killed-8-1

[Julian Englis]

1. Call for the death penalty because corporations are people!

Last edited Tue Apr 1, 2014, 09:31 PM - Edit history (1)

PG & E (the "E" is "evil&quot appears as to have acted like psychopath who deserves the death penalty so it won't kill again.

[Wilms]

2. "and a corporate culture that emphasized profits over safety caused the accident"

Good on the DoJ.

[PoliticAverse]

3. Has Holder arrested an actual person in this case? n/t

[Starry Messenger]

4. I'll never forget the DUer who insisted this would turn

out to all be the fault of a backhoe accident. Bless his heart. He's been quiet since.

[freshwest]

5. Well, maybe he should be. PG&E, BP and others have pulled a Bain on us for too long.

I say regulate them until they holler 'uncle' and then regulate them until they give up greed and sociopathy. A responsible model of running a business isn't going to blow up in someone's face.

Their model has killed too many, taking quick profits and not puttig money back in for safety. All while claiming they were doing the public good for subsidies on the basis of providing an essential resource and service. Hey, if they can't do the job, nationalize it.

They should be confronted with their own argument - it's essential for human life and progress. So at best, they are inept; at worst, and closer to their history, they don't care anything about human life and progress, only profit.

Safety for the workers and the public does not kill businesses, only windfall profits. The fossil fuel system business model kills people and ravages ecosystems.

It doesn't have to be that way. I grew up in an area near refineries, and when those whistles went off, it certainlu wasn't for lunch.

[Starry Messenger]

9. That's all very true freshwest.

Good post. I admit I wanted him to show up so I could make fun of him through. It was obvious to those of us eh live in the Bay Area that this would turn out to be massively the fault of the utility company.

[alp227]

6. K&R + local coverage

San Francisco Chronicle

Oakland Tribune

I remember seeing the blaze on live TV on every local station. It was NFL opening night that year, and the NBC station split screens between the New Orleans Saints vs. Minnesota Vikings game and the fire. Glad to see the charges filed. But what will the outcome actually be?

[Boreal]

11. But what will the outcome actually be?

Probably a very affordable fine like the banksters always get. Nobody ever goes to prison.

[Ernesto]

7. @ age 68, I've "enjoyed" about 10 years of their "service" in the past....

THEY DO SUCK!

[Dustlawyer]

8. In a survey of BP Texas City refinery workers taken months before the March 23, 2005 explosion

that killed 15 and injured thousands, the most common refrain was "Profits over people!" They feared for their lives everyday they went to work, turned out it was for a good reason!
These companies are all operating on a "squeeze every dime out of it" mentality so they can pay fat dividends and receive their own outrageous pay. They all figure to be CEO for 5 years or so and then it will be someone else's problem after they are gone.

[freshwest]

10. That's what I'm talking about. But then there was always DuPont, etc. When the OCAW was taken out

years ago, it all went to hell, and it was dangerous work to begin.

The saying was, if you wanna know what's gonna to kill the environement and everyone in it, check the workers out at these places.

They are the canaries in the coal mine. Rot in hell, union busting Reagan...

[jtuck004]

12. " They all figure to be CEO for 5 years or so and then it will be someone else's problem after they

are gone."

Could be President with that logic.