PG&E meeting with Linda Mar and Park Pacifica residents

Pacifica Tribune/Jane Northrop, 3/27/12.  "PG&E addresses concerns over location of Park Pacifica pipeline."

"Mayor Pro Tem Len Stone coordinated a public open house with a PG&E representative last week to discuss the location of main gas lines in Pacifica. Stone said he has received many calls from Pacificans, especially Linda Mar and Park Pacifica residents, who were concerned something like what happened in San Bruno could happen in Pacifica. They wanted to know if there was a main distribution line under their neighborhoods.

There is only one distribution feeder main line that comes into Pacifica. It comes in from San Bruno and goes along Buffalo Court to Oddstad and Terra Nova Boulevards. The distribution feeder main operates at a much lower pressure than the transmission lines do. It was a high pressure transmission line that exploded in San Bruno.

PG&E:  Gas lines good, testing this month just in case.

 The Feb. 14 meeting was attended by Jim Cogan, PG&E government relations representative and about 60 Pacifica residents. PG&E sent out about 1,700 notices to residents in the back of Linda Mar to invite them to the open house."They are constantly doing inspections and maintenance. No issues have been found in our lines," Stone said.

Those who attended the open house told Stone they were relieved PG&E and the city of Pacifica were paying attention to what was going on in the community and in their neighborhood.  "Ever since the pipeline explosion, I went right to PG&E and asked how it affects Pacifica and I asked how Pacifica is maintained. I wanted to make sure we stayed on top of it," Stone said. "It's great to have established a relationship with PG&E. I feel I can pick up the phone and get a response to my questions immediately. That's extremely important. We can work together and have good communication."  

Assembly member Jerry Hill has relentlessly sought to hold PG&E responsible for the San Bruno disaster, and to make PG&E accountable to the public in general. He attended the open house, as well. "He's been a very strong advocate for San Mateo County and the state in general and making sure PG&E does the right thing. To see him here in Pacifica advocating for us was very nice. People were happy to see we are doing proactive things," Stone said.

PG&E spokesperson Brittany Chord said PG&E is undergoing a comprehensive effort to pressure test and replace pipeline in its system. That will result in hydro testing the line in April and, in some cases, replacing the pipe to make sure the system is working safely and reliably.  Residents will be notified several times when a test is conducted. Initially, PG&E will send a letter to customers within 500 feet of where the test will be conducted. The letter will explain the process and invite residents to attend an open house to learn more. As the test date approaches, some natural gas will be released so crews can work safely. PG&E will telephone residents to warn them they may smell natural gas and telephone them again when the line is put back together again. Finally, PG&E will send a final letter notifying residents about what they did and tell them the results of the test.

"As a company we know we have a lot of work to do to earn back the trust of our customers," Chord said. "We are explaining this type of work to our customers and explaining the natural gas distribution system we do. Besides holding open houses, we are doing work to strengthen our system to make sure it is working properly. We are communicating with our customers on many levels."  If you have a concern about PG&E:  Call 1-800-PGE-5000 to speak with a PG&E representative at any time, or visit www.pge.com to learn more about the gas transmission and distribution system."

Posted by Kathy Meeh