A federal jury on August 9 found Pacific Gas & Electric guilty of violating federal pipeline safety regulations before a fatal natural-gas pipeline explosion in San Bruno, Calif., in 2010 and, further, of obstructing investigators after the incident.
A buried 30-in. steel natural-gas transmission pipe unexpectedly ruptured on Sept. 9, 2010, causing an explosion and fire that killed eight people and destroyed 38 homes in the residential neighborhood near San Francisco International Airport. The pipeline’s owner, PG&E, initially said it had been in compliance with federal pipeline safety regulations, but a 2011 investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board found inconsistent record-keeping and inadequate risk-assessment policies.