Pacific Gas & Electric Company will get its day in court Monday, when it faces a litany of criminal charges over a natural gas pipeline that exploded in San Bruno four years ago.
Earlier this month a federal grand jury indicted the company for 12 safety law violations, alleging it kept slipshod records and relied on erroneous information when evaluating the pipeline.
Because of their negligence, PG&E officials may have been culpable for the fiery blaze that left 8 dead and scores injured, and destroyed 38 homes. The utility might have to cough up $6 million in fines and face court-mandated oversight. No specific executives are accused of misdeeds.
PG&E has said, publicly, that the blast was "a tragic accident," and that its employees didn't intentionally violate the law. It's pledged to spend $2.7 billion in shareholder money to bankroll new safety measures.
San Bruno's Mayor Jim Ruane is not pleased.
The company will be arraigned at 9:30 a.m. in San Francisco's federal courthouse. Here's the indictment:
Federal Indictment Against PG&E for 2010 San Bruno Blast by San Francisco Examiner
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