California Public Utilities Commission
505 Van Ness Ave., San Francisco

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PRESS RELEASE

Media Contact: Terrie Prosper, 415.703.1366, news@cpuc.ca.gov

CPUC COMMENTS ON NTSB FINDINGS REGARDING
PG&E PIPELINE RUPTURE IN SAN BRUNO

SAN FRANCISCO, August 30, 2011 - The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) today issued the following statement by Executive Director Paul Clanon regarding the National Transportation Safety Board's (NTSB) findings related to the September 2010 rupture of a Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) pipeline in San Bruno:

"The tragedy in San Bruno forever changed the way California and the nation view pipeline safety. We worked closely with the NTSB in its investigation of the pipeline rupture and we welcome the recommendations. We will conduct an audit of PG&E's Integrity Management Program and ensure that PG&E corrects any deficiencies that led to the rupture. We will also ensure that PG&E's emergency response plans and procedures are greatly improved. We have ordered the utilities to test or replace all grandfathered pipes and are evaluating utility implementation plans that include valve automation and retrofitting pipelines to accommodate inline inspection tools. We will evaluate the NTSB's PG&E-specific recommendations to determine whether we need to adopt rules to enforce the recommendations as part of our ongoing proceeding to set new rules for natural gas safety. We also expect by the end of the year to adopt a citation program that gives CPUC staff the ability to fine natural gas operators immediately if a violation is found."

In December, the CPUC will release the results of its staff investigation into possible PG&E wrongdoing that led to the San Bruno tragedy, which could lead to significant fines and other sanctions.

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

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