Pacific Gas & Electric Checking 1.25 Million Pipeline Records
Continuing fallout from the Sept. 9 pipeline rupture in San Bruno, Calif., that killed eight people, this six-week review will cover 1,800 miles of its gas transmission lines in populated areas. The utility began surveying all of its gas transmission pipelines after the incident.
Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) is now reviewing 1.25 million records about 1,800 miles of its gas transmission pipelines. The San Francisco-based utility on Feb. 1 released results of an accelerated leak survey of all of its gas transmission pipelines that began last September after the Sept. 9 rupture of a 30-inch pipeline in San Bruno, Calif., that killed eight people. The survey identified 59 potentially hazardous leaks.
PG&E also announced that a study by third-party consultants, ViaData LP and Oleksa and Associates, concluded its leak rates and reporting practices "compare favorably with the rest of the industry."
"These reports reflect our ongoing efforts to raise the bar on our performance and effectively address any and all public safety issues on our gas system," said Kirk Johnson, vice president, Gas Engineering and Operations. "We know that transparency is vital both to regaining public confidence and to ensuring that we and the industry learn the right lessons from the San Bruno tragedy and act on them appropriately."
The company said it will accelerate its leak repair schedules and may use helicopter-based laser leak detection systems. The records examination is being done by a team of PG&E employees, aided by outside partners including KPMG and PricewaterhouseCoopers.
NTSB is investigating the rupture and fire, which destroyed 37 homes and damaged 18 additional homes.