PG&E to Pay $26M Fine for Sacramento-Area Blast

By Adam Weintraub | June 22, 2011

Pacific Gas & Electric Co. has agreed to pay $26 million in penalties after acknowledging safety violations in a fatal natural gas explosion that destroyed one home and damaged several others in a Sacramento suburb on Christmas Eve 2008.

The California Public Utilities Commission announced the proposed resolution Monday. If approved by the full commission, it would be the largest safety-related fine assessed by the PUC in more than 10 years.

The explosion killed 72-year-old Wilbert “Bill” Paana and injured five others in Rancho Cordova. Investigators found PG&E installed incorrect pipe and was slow responding to a leak report.

PG&E did not immediately return a call seeking comment. It has faced intense scrutiny over the 2008 blast and another in 2010 that killed eight people in San Bruno.

Was this article valuable?

Here are more articles you may enjoy.