SAN BRUNO, Calif., March 13 (UPI) -- Records kept by utility company Pacific Gas and Electric Co. regarding its natural gas transmission lines are "a mess," California regulators said.
PG&E announced it reached an agreement to pay $70 million to the city of San Bruno, Calif., in restitution for recovery efforts after a deadly Sept. 9, 2010, pipeline explosion.
"The community of San Bruno has suffered through a terrible tragedy and we understand that this accident will affect this community forever," PG&E President Chris Johns said in a statement.
A natural gas pipeline operated by PG&E exploded in the San Bruno neighborhood, killing eight people and damaging 38 homes.
A report from California regulators found that PG&E's record-keeping on its gas transmission lines was substandard.
"In lay terms, PG&E's record keeping was in a mess and had been for years," the Contra Costa (Calif.) Times cites the records as stating. "Gas transmission records and safety-related documents were scattered, disorganized, duplicated and were difficult if not impossible to access in a prompt and efficient manner."
The $70 million agreement goes toward a non-profit entity that would determine the best use of the funds. It's in addition to PG&E commitments to replace and repair city infrastructure damaged by the natural gas explosion.
