Families of the 8 killed in the 2010 San Bruno PG&E blast are finally getting some justice as the company faces felony counts. PG&E was charged with 12 federal felony safety violations and a possible fine of $6 million or more. If the court finds that the electric company benefitted financially from the disaster the fines may go up even further.
Federal prosecutors allege that PG&E knowingly relied on erroneous and incomplete information when making assessments of the pipeline which eventually ruptured, sparked a fireball and leveled 38 homes in San Bruno.
Eight lives were lost and dozens injured, the neighborhood is still recovering 4 years later. The city of San Bruno hopes that the indictment brings closure and a measure of justice to the victims of the pipe explosion.
PG&E released a statement in an attempt to regain the trust of the public, “We want all of our customers and their families to know that nothing will distract us from our mission of transforming this 100-plus-year-old system into the safest and most reliable natural gas system in the country.” City manager Connie Jackson feels the “indictment validates the city’s position that there was gross mismanagement and negligence.”
Written by James P. Nevin
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