Again, all I'm doing here in the iPhone Gen, is looking at the paper like Mort Sahl would do in San Francisco's Hungry I, in the early 60s, and "raring," a combo of ranting and sharing.
But good stuff. Like this headline: "We could blow up at any time."
It already happened once, very recently, in San Bruno.
PACIFIC GAS AND ELECTRIC Co.'s president has JUST ADMITTED that the utility under his watch CANNOT FIND RECORDS that support pressure levels ON NEARLY A THIRD of its natural-gas transmission system IN POPULATED AREAS.
It is either good news or bad news that he confessed the above to a Member of Congress. THERE'S a House loaded with felons, the U.S. Congress; do a little search and see staggering lawlessness of those who make laws for the rest of us to follow.
So, PG&E Prez, Chris Johns shame-facedly says that PG&E, with its now characteristic poor record keeping skills, has been unable to produce key manufacturing and installation documents for 30 percent of its pipelines in and around urban areas in Northern and Central California. This info comes to us on the heels of the revelation that PG&E had erroneous documents about the pipeline that exploded in San Bruno on Sept. 9, taking the lives of eight of their customers.
Now, the California Public Utilities Commission, which has ordered the state's utilities to produce reliable records for their gas transmission lines by mid-March has an early answer, which, in effect says, "At PG&E, we're clueless."
The records show deferred maintenence, sloppy workmanship, unrelieble safety measures. All the symptoms of cutting costs for the sake of sucking up to shareholders, and upper executive incentive bonus building. Been going on for YEARS...
The member of congress was "appalled." It went on record that there is genuine concerned about the possibility there could similar problems elsewhere in PG&E's system. And now, the PG&E president's response is cause for more immediate concern.
"They don't know what's underground," said the Congressperson, while parts of San Bruno, now reduced to charcoal still smolders.
A spokesman for the energy supplier, however, jumped in and stated he would NEITHER CONFIRM NOR DENY THE CONGRESSIONAL'S REPORT of the utility president's estimate. "We continue to review and validate our records," said the PG&E byte-spitting talking head, whose very records are reportedly "scattered all over the place." by the Public Utilities Commission's Consumer Protection and Safety Division.
Then, lost in the bright light of reality, he snuck back to evasive tactics of speaking from the darkened past, murmuring, "We still have more work to do to validate the percentage. We will have a final report on March 15."
Can't wait for that report, Mark. Explosive content, those "validated percentage reports," no doubt. They'll do a world of good for grieving families.
A pipeline safety consultant in a neighboring State said of California's giant Gas and electric monopoly, "...it would be "really, really sad" if PG&E were missing that much documentation. "This is stuff that can kill in a heartbeat, you don't lose control of it."
Sad? Yes, also the height of incompetence.
So, here's a question - will the guy who didn't get those inspections done right seven years ago keep his job after the San Bruno masacre? Oh, probably. My understanding is the entire affair is going to be smoothed over and covered up - in GOVERNMENT COMMITTEES. They're going to look at the event for possible regulation.
Ahead you and I can expect expensive underground pipe tests which can range from $125,000 to $500,000 per mile (who else do you suppose will be paying for these?) and involvement from, among many others - --The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, --Congress, which should rewrite the stronger rules, --The National Transportation Safety Board --More PG&E spokesmen --The federal Minerals Management Service
All this, while PG&E continues "staggering around in the dark" while working with explosives.
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