Tag Archives: Energy

PG&E fined nearly $20 million for safety lapses in Contra Costa County

State regulators Thursday upheld a $16.8 million fine against PG&E for failing to inspect East Bay pipelines for gas leaks. The fine, which PG&E had appealed to the Public Utilities Commission, represents the first time that the commission’s Consumer Protection … Continue reading

Posted in Inadequate Systems, Incomplete records | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

PG&E declared 2 lines safe despite missing records (US)

Pacific Gas and Electric Co. declared two high-pressure gas transmission pipes safe last year despite paper-trail gaps that left the utility ignorant of whether portions of the lines were running above legally allowed pressure levels, a Chronicle investigation shows. One … Continue reading

Posted in Incomplete records, Non-compliance | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Law puts pipeline records off-limits

Californians concerned about dangerous pipelines running underneath their neighborhoods are barred from obtaining government records about them by a 60-year-old state law backed by Pacific Gas and Electric Co. and other utilities, a Chronicle investigation shows….The commission’s confidentiality powers have … Continue reading

Posted in Catastrophes, Lack of transparency | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Ex-PG&E manager says key records possibly trashed (US)

A former Pacific Gas and Electric Co. record-keeping manager told federal investigators that a top PG&E official recently acknowledged to him that the utility had likely tossed some of its missing pipeline records, according to a transcript of his interview … Continue reading

Posted in Inadequate Systems, Inappropriate Disposal or Destruction, Systemic failure | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

PG&E faces new probe (US)

Pacific Gas & Electric Co. faces the start on Monday of another state probe into its record-keeping, one which could be far more serious as regulators examine whether the utility’s record-keeping practices contributed to the deadly pipeline blast in San … Continue reading

Posted in Catastrophes, Inadequate Systems, Operational Failures | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

PG&E agrees to $3 million fine over safety records (US)

Pacific Gas and Electric Co. agreed Thursday to pay an unusual gas-safety-related fine of $3 million for what state regulators called “willful non-compliance” with orders to provide key documents about transmission pipelines.

Posted in Catastrophes, Inadequate Systems, Incomplete records | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Audit finds subpar record-keeping at Energy Dept.’s loan guarantee program (US)

One way to improve the Department of Energy’s controversial $71-billion loan guarantee program? Auditors recommend better record-keeping.

Posted in Breakdowns in Accountability, Exposed through audit, Incomplete records | Tagged | Leave a comment

PG&E launches massive record search after San Bruno disaster

PG&E launches massive record search after San Bruno disaster Confirming worries about the disorganized state of its pipeline records, PG&E on Tuesday said it has launched a massive effort to find documents that can prove it has set safe gas-pressure … Continue reading

Posted in Catastrophes, Inadequate Systems, Incomplete records | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Recordkeeping and the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Rig (US)

Federal Inspections on Oil Rig Not as Claimed The federal agency responsible for ensuring that the Deepwater oil well in the Gulf of Mexico was operating safely before it exploded last month fell well short of its own policy that … Continue reading

Posted in Breakdowns in Accountability, Incomplete records, Operational Failures, Systemic failure | Tagged , , | Leave a comment