Pipeline Legislation Could Offer Piedmont Some Peace of Mind

While Piedmont is still waiting for PG&E to deliver promised information about where its gas pipelines are located within the city, several bills being considered by the state legislature could mandate increased communication between the utility and local officials in the interest of public safety. 

Though there are no large transmission lines in Piedmont like the one that erupted into a deadly inferno in San Bruno one year ago today, Piedmont officials have been concerned about the smaller distribution lines that do lie beneath the city.

In October of last year, Fire Chief Ed Tubbs and Public Works Director Chester Nakahara a map of the gas lines in town, only after the San Bruno explosion and seven months after Piedmont had submitted its request for location data. But though the utility has made maps of its transmission lines public, to date it has still not provided Piedmont with local distribution line information to keep on file, citing security concerns.

Lawmakers are scheduled to vote today on AB 56, introduced by Assemblyman Jerry Hill (D-San Mateo), which would require the owners and operators of natural gas lines to meet with each local fire department to review plans for handling emergencies involving the transmission and distribution lines within their jurisdictions. 

A similar senate bill, SB 44 brought by Majority Leader Ellen Corbett (D-San Leandro), would specifically compel utilities to let local officials know how and when they would be informed in the event of a gas line emergency and exchange information with those officials about their respective capacities to respond in such incidents.

Additionally, Sen. Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) introduced SB 705 to require gas corporations to develop plans for the safe and reliable operation of pipelines to be reviewed by the state Public Utilities Commission by the end of next year.