PG&E Statement on First Day of NTSB Hearings

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Mar 01, 2011, 08:52 ET

SAN FRANCISCO, March 1, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) today issued the following statement on this week's National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) hearings:

PG&E fully supports the NTSB's investigation into the root cause of the San Bruno accident. Our highest responsibility is ensuring the safety of our pipelines. We will be actively participating in the hearings in Washington D.C. this week and expect the NTSB's thorough investigation to provide important insights to both our own operations and pipeline safety nationwide.

Though the process of enhancing the safety and operations of natural gas systems will take time, we are approaching this task with great urgency. Since the accident, PG&E has been making pipeline safety changes and is not waiting for mandates from legislators or regulators. We are re-evaluating both our procedures and policies with respect to the operation, maintenance and integrity management of our pipeline systems. Initial steps include:

Strengthening our gas operations management team
Improving our records systems
Hiring outside consultants to evaluate and enhance our polices and procedures
Enhancing coordination with local agencies and first responders

As we have since the accident, we continue to keep the people of San Bruno in our thoughts and prayers, and will remain committed to helping those residents whose lives have been affected by this tragedy.

SOURCE Pacific Gas and Electric Company