San Carlos' Congresswoman Proposes Legislation to Crack Down on Pipeline Operators

By Bay City News Service:

SAN BRUNO, CA- U.S. Rep. Jackie Speier will appear in San Bruno on Friday to announce legislation that would make it easier to prosecute companies like PG&E for pipeline safety violations, Speier's office announced.

Speier and San Bruno Mayor Jim Ruane together will announce Speier's introduction of the Prosecuting Irresponsible Pipeline Explosions, or PIPE, Act. Ruane has been a vocal critic of PG&E since a San Bruno neighborhood was destroyed by a massive PG&E pipeline explosion in 2010. Eight people died, 66 were injured, and dozens of houses were destroyed and damaged in the explosion and ensuing fire.

Speier's legislation would make it easier for criminal prosecution of pipeline operators when investigators are unable to prove they had acted knowingly and willfully to in their disregard of pipeline safety. Under the proposed law, prosecutors would only need to prove that the operator's conduct was reckless, according to Speier's office.

"When a pipeline operator like PG&E has documented disregard of critical safety failures, there should be consequences," Speier said in a statement Thursday. "With current liability standards, we cannot hold pipeline operators personally accountable for death, destruction, and injury."

PG&E is facing a criminal prosecution for the San Bruno blast. The utility was charged with one count of obstructing justice in the National Transportation Safety Bureau investigation and 27 counts of violating record-keeping and management requirements of the U.S. Natural Gas Pipeline Safety Act.

Fifteen of those charges were dismissed in December and PG&E was set to go on trial on the remaining charges next week. But on Thursday, Judge Thelton Henderson granted a motion to continue the case. A status hearing will be held on April 28.

The criminal charges are one of several state and federal proceedings stemming from investigations into PG&E's pipeline practices for the San Bruno blast. In another, the California Public Utilities Commission levied a record $1.6 billion penalty and fine on PG&E for violations related to the explosion, record-keeping practices and pipeline operations in densely populated areas.

(Patch file photo of the San Bruno Pipeline Explosion)