PG&E’s response

Your Sept. 4 article, “File check by PG&E was flawed,” incorrectly implied that the safety of our customers on the Peninsula was at risk. Our gas transmission pipelines in San Carlos and Millbrae have been pressure-tested and carefully inspected to ensure they are operating safely. Indeed, as the California Public Utilities Commission’s Aug. 19, 2013, order states: The commission’s Safety and Enforcement Division emphasized the importance of pressure testing to guard against any recordkeeping shortcomings, and agreed that all public safety issues have been addressed by PG&E’s operational actions.

On the issue of recordkeeping and maintenance, we’ve made great progress through an unprecedented program of digitizing and centralizing nearly 4 million records. We check the quality of our records when we excavate, and when we find problems, we fix them and continuously improve our processes. We’ve also strength-tested or validated prior strength-test records for 419 miles of transmission pipeline and were planning to strength-test or verify more than 200 miles in 2013.

As we build the safest, most reliable gas system in the nation, we will hold ourselves accountable by sharing how we’re getting it done with our customers, regulators and the public.

Tim Fitzpatrick, chief communications officer, Pacific Gas and Electric Co.,

San Francisco