PG&E Hit With $200,000 in Fines for Alleged Safety Violations

The following is a news release from The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC):

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) today issued Citations to Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) and West Coast Gas Company for natural gas-related violations found during the course of CPUC safety audits.

Two Citations were issued to PG&E and one to West Coast Gas Company as follows:

• $150,000 Citation to PG&E for lack of written quality control and quality assurance procedures to guide its personnel during normal operation and maintenance activities. Further, PG&E did not sufficiently address the federal requirements relating to abnormal operations in its emergency response procedures.
• $50,000 Citation to PG&E for failure to set a pipeline relief valve within the allowable pressure limit.
• $100,000 Citation to West Coast Gas Company for three violations for failure to perform annual maintenance of a regulation station; failure to administer a required drug and alcohol testing for one of its employees; and failure to provide necessary employee assistance training for a supervisor to recognize the physical, behavioral, speech, and performance indicators of probable drug use and/or probable alcohol misuse.

The utilities have 10 calendar days to pay or contest the Citations.

The Citations are available at www.cpuc.ca.gov/PUC/safety/Pipeline/citations.htm.

In September 2013, the CPUC finalized its internal procedures for its Gas Safety Citation Program, establishing the foundation for a program intended to make safety central to a utility company’s bottom line. The CPUC requires, first of all, the immediate correction of any unsafe condition. The CPUC’s Safety and Enforcement Division (SED) has staff-level authority to issue Citations to natural gas companies for violation of CPUC or Federal gas safety codes and regulations. The financial penalty can range up to $50,000 per day of violation.

Safety violations are identified through SED’s ongoing audits, inspections, and investigations, or by the utilities themselves through mandatory disclosure requirements. Further, the CPUC has a whistleblower program for anonymous and protected reporting of violations to 1-800-649-7570 or safetyhotline@cpuc.ca.gov. The CPUC also has an online whistleblower reporting form at https://ia.cpuc.ca.gov/whblow/ where complaints can be submitted anonymously.

For more information about the CPUC, please visit www.cpuc.ca.gov.

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