SAN BRUNO, Calif., Aug. 1 (UPI) -- A Pacific Gas & Electric engineer said he told the company before the deadly 2010 San Bruno, Calif., pipeline blast its bad record keeping could be dangerous.
Senior Gas Engineer Todd Arnett said during a deposition PG&E knew its gasline records were inaccurate and knew that could be dangerous for people living near pipelines, the Bay Area News Group reported.
"I stated that concern, and they were aware of it," Arnett said.
He said warnings came before the San Bruno pipeline burst that killed eight people and destroyed 38 homes.
Arnett's deposition was filed Tuesday in San Mateo County Superior Court as part of a motion filed by lawyers for the 350 plaintiffs who allege PG&E knew its gas system presented a real danger, but did little to protect public safety.
The motion is the latest in the plaintiffs' fight against PG&E's move to have a judge throw out the hundreds of millions of dollars in punitive damages over the pipeline explosion. The utility argues the explosion was an accident.
San Mateo County Superior Court Judge Steven Dylina is set to rule on the matter Sept. 4.
PG&E spokeswoman Brittany Chord said the company will respond to the plaintiffs' motion this month.
"We will review the plaintiffs' response carefully, and we will reply on Aug. 20 based on the schedule put forward by the court," said PG&E spokeswoman Brittany Chord. "Since the tragic accident, our top priority has been assisting the victims."
