PG&E 'to face criminal charges' for 2010 pipeline rupture

Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) has announced that it is expecting to face criminal charges in relation to the pipeline explosion that occurred in San Bruno, California, US in 2010. The natural pipeline rupture resulted in a large explosion and killed eight people.

A pipeline used for the transportation of natural gas ruptured on September 8th 2010 in a residential area in San Francisco. The high pressure pipe breakage caused a large explosion, resulting in a huge fireball spreading through the area. Over 100 homes were destroyed by the explosion and subsequent fire, meaning that it was one of the largest incidents involving a natural gas pipeline in US history. 

The company said on Thursday (March 27th) that following recent discussions with the US Attorney's Office, it is expecting to be charged with violations of the Pipeline Safety Act. These charges will be relating to PG&E's practices in terms of its past operation of the natural gas system. This will include issues of safety and record keeping.

According the company, it has cooperated fully with federal investigators looking into the incident. It said that neither the firm nor its employees violated safety rules on purpose. The company is expecting to undergo a "lengthy legal process". 

If the investigation leads to PG&E being found guilty of criminal violations, it could be subject to high penalties. It is not yet known whether charges will also be brought against any individuals that were involved in the incident. 

Previous investigations into the pipeline rupture determined that failings on PG&E's part was responsible for incident. This was decided after separate investigations revealed that there was a history of neglect when it came to the damaged pipeline, including records being incomplete or lost, a lack of adequate safety testing and improper pipeline welding. 

PG&E have so far paid around $565 million (£339 million) to lawsuits filed by those affected by the blast, but could end up paying a penalty of around $2 billion if safety regulators levy the penalty that has been proposed to cover alleged lapses in pipeline safety.