SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Pacific Gas and Electric Co. rates are set to increase by $299 million to help pay for pipeline inspection and upgrade costs in the wake of the fatal 2010 gas pipeline explosio… Click to Read More and see additional updates

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Pacific Gas and Electric Co. rates are set to increase by $299 million to help pay for pipeline inspection and upgrade costs in the wake of the fatal 2010 gas pipeline explosion in a San Francisco Bay area suburb.

The state Public Utilities Commission unanimously approved the rate increase on Thursday. It was less than what PG&E had sought.

Commissioners said they were trying to strike a balance between punishing PG&E for past mismanagement and encouraging the company to invest in safety.

The costs to repair and upgrade the pipelines has been estimated at around $2 billion.

The 2010 blast in San Bruno killed eight people and destroyed 38 homes.

PG&E has claimed in court filings that the explosion was an accident.

(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - A Northern California judge says a jury can decide if Pacific Gas & Electric Co. should pay victims of the deadly San Bruno pipeline blast punitive damages in civil court.

Mike Danko, one of the plaintiffs' attorneys, says San Mateo County Superior Court Judge Steven Dylina issued his final decision Tuesday.

More than 350 people have filed civil suits against PG&E over the 2010 blast, which killed eight and destroyed 38 homes. Relatives who lost family members and property are seeking punitive damages as well as millions of dollars in compensation.

The trial is set to begin in January, and the jury will be able to determine the amount of punitive damages.

PG&E wants to avoid paying survivors extra damages, and has claimed in court filings that the explosion was an accident, not due to mismanagement.

(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - A Northern California judge is set to make a final ruling on whether victims of the deadly San Bruno pipeline blast can sue Pacific Gas & Electric Co. for punitive damages in civil court.

San Mateo County Superior Court Judge Steven Dylina's decision is expected on Tuesday.

More than 350 people have filed civil suits against PG&E over the 2010 blast, which killed eight and destroyed 38 homes. Relatives who lost family members and property are seeking punitive damages and millions of dollars in compensation.

The trial is set to begin in January.

PG&E wants to avoid paying survivors extra damages, and has claimed in court filings that the explosion was an accident rather than the result of mismanagement.

(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Two California judges are granting a request to temporarily suspend public hearings into a deadly natural gas pipeline explosion and instead hold closed-door negotiations on how much the pipeline's owner should pay in fines.

Victims of the deadly San Bruno gas pipeline blast urged California regulators earlier Thursday to continue the public investigative process, which will determine the amount of fines collected from Pacific Gas & Electric Co.

But later in the day, administrative law judges Mark Wetzell and Amy Yip-Kikugawa approved the California Public Utilities Commission safety division's request to put the hearings on hold until Nov. 1 to give the parties time to try to broker a settlement.

The Sept. 9, 2010, explosion killed eight people, injured others and destroyed dozens of homes. PG&E faces hundreds of millions in potential fines.

(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Victims of the deadly San Bruno gas pipeline blast urged California regulators Thursday to continue public hearings that will determine the amount of fines levied against Pacific Gas & Electric Co, the pipeline's owner.

For months, the California Public Utilities Commission has been holding public hearings over the Sept. 9, 2010, explosion that killed eight people, injured others and destroyed dozens of homes.

But an administrative law judge decided Monday to put the hearings on hold until Oct. 15 so he could consider a request for a longer suspension.

Rene Morales, whose daughter, Jessica, died in the explosion, urged the commission to continue open hearings at its Thursday meeting. She says reopening the hearings and holding them in public would show the commission's commitment to a fair process.

(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Officials say more than a dozen homes were evacuated after a 2-inch plastic gas pipe ruptured in the same San Francisco suburb where a pipeline explosion killed eight people in 2010.

Pacific Gas & Electric Co. spokeswoman Brittany Chord says the distribution main line burst around 10:45 a.m. Thursday when a contractor working for the city of San Bruno struck the pipe with a backhoe at the same intersection where the 2010 blast occurred.

PG&E crews were on scene by 11 a.m. and stopped the gas flow in less than half an hour.

City officials say 14 homes were briefly evacuated.

The explosion of a high-pressure transmission line on Sept. 9, 2010, sparked a gas-fueled fire that destroyed 38 homes and laid waste to parts of the same neighborhood.

(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

SAN BRUNO, Calif. (AP) - A 2-inch plastic gas pipe has ruptured in the same San Francisco suburb where a pipeline explosion killed eight people in 2010.

Pacific Gas & Electric Co. spokesman David Eisenhauer says the line burst Thursday morning when someone dug into the pipe in the Crestmoor neighborhood of San Bruno, near the site of the previous blast.

Eisenhauer says PG&E crews are responding and hope to have the gas flow stopped by early afternoon.

A San Bruno fire dispatcher said there have been no evacuations.

The explosion of a high-pressure transmission line on Sept. 9, 2010, sparked a gas-fueled fire that destroyed 38 homes and laid waste to parts of the same neighborhood.

(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. (AP) - The families of five people who died in the 2010 San Bruno pipeline explosion have settled lawsuits against Pacific Gas & Electric.

The San Mateo County Times says the deal with two families was disclosed during a Thursday court hearing in Redwood City.

The judge says he optimistic similar negotiated agreements can be reached so an October trial can be avoided.

The terms of the deals are confidential and both sides refused to discuss details.

PG&E has said it expects to spend more than $200 million to settle the suits filed in the wake of the Sept. 9, 2010, explosion.

The blast killed eight people and destroyed 38 homes.

(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Pacific Gas & Electric is checking for leaks in 180 segments of its natural gas pipeline system, including part of a line where an explosion killed eight people in 2010.

PG&E said Tuesday it is conducting the emergency surveys after acknowledging it had ignored vulnerability to corrosion on the lines, in some cases for years, the San Francisco Chronicle (http://bit.ly/Nh2BRi ) reported Wednesday.

More than half of the 180 segments were found to have such vulnerabilities this year, with about a third in the San Francisco Bay area, according to a company letter to the California Public Utilities Commission.

PG&E policy calls for the company to develop a remedy plan within 60 days after discovering a transmission pipeline is susceptible to corrosion, but some major gas lines have been identified as potentially vulnerable since 2004, officials said.

One vulnerable pipe ruptured in San Bruno on Sept. 9, 2010, causing a massive blast and fire that destroyed 38 homes in the San Francisco suburb, PG&E said.

In a statement, the utilities commission said it was "analyzing the corrective actions PG&E has taken, including steps to prevent this from happening again, and will decide whether to issue a citation with a penalty for the violation."

The San Francisco-based utility discovered the problematic pipes in January as it reviewed its pipeline integrity management program following the San Bruno explosion, officials said.

PG&E plans emergency leak inspections of all 180 problem areas by the end of this month.

___

Information from: San Francisco Chronicle, http://www.sfgate.com

(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Pacific Gas & Electric Co. has agreed to pay $70 million in restitution for the California pipeline explosion that killed eight people in 2010.

PG&E and the city of San Bruno announced the settlement Monday in a joint statement. They say the money will be used to establish a nonprofit organization to help the community recover from the Sept. 9, 2010, blast that also destroyed 38 homes.

The San Francisco-based utility previously set up a $100 million fund to support emergency needs in the aftermath of the explosion that destroyed more than three dozen homes in the San Francisco suburb.

(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - The California Public Utilities Commission is poised to investigate whether Pacific Gas & Electric Co. broke state or federal pipeline regulations in the years leading up to the fatal San Bruno blast.

In the coming months, agency investigators will testify before an administrative law judge about the company's actions before last year's explosion. The Sept. 9, 2010 pipeline rupture killed eight people and destroyed 38 homes in the San Francisco suburb.

Commissioners voted Thursday to authorize the legal procedure, which will examine PG&E's system for classifying the risk of pipelines in urban areas, as well as the company's standards for studying, patrolling and surveying their lines.

The process ultimately could lead to statutory penalties and fines of up to $20,000 per day for violations of state and federal laws.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

SAN BRUNO, Calif. (AP) - Survivors of the nation's deadliest pipeline accident in a decade are commemorating the one-year anniversary of the explosion at a Friday evening gathering to honor the eight lives lost in the blast.

Hundreds of San Bruno residents are expected to attend the somber remembrance ceremony, starting a few minutes before the milestone passes at a community college near the ravaged subdivision overlooking the San Francisco Bay.

The Sept. 9, 2010, blast killed eight people, injured dozens and sparked a fireball that laid waste to 38 homes in the bedroom community, which still bears scars from the tragedy.

On Sunday, on the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, the community also will gather for a reunion in a nearby park. City Mayor Jim Ruane hopes the event will serve as therapy.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

SAN BRUNO, Calif. (AP) - Families still mourning their loved ones lost in last year's Northern California pipeline explosion are forming a new national nonprofit to advocate for pipeline safety.

The Sept. 9, 2010, blast in the San Francisco suburb of San Bruno killed eight, injured dozens and destroyed 38 homes, the nation's deadliest pipeline accident in a decade.

Rene Morales, whose 20-year-old daughter Jessica died in the inferno, will serve as the Gas Pipe Safety Foundation's executive director.

Morales tells The Associated Press the group will raise awareness through public campaigns and press state and federal lawmakers to improve pipeline safety.

Federal investigators found last month that a litany of failures by Pacific Gas & Electric Co. led to the explosion and warned there was no certainty that those problems didn't exist elsewhere.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

SAN BRUNO, Calif. (AP) - One year after the nation's deadliest gas explosion in a decade, hundreds of survivors in San Bruno, Calif., are still struggling to rebuild their lives.

Eight people were killed, dozens were injured and 38 homes overlooking San Francisco Bay were destroyed.

But there are signs of progress.

Construction signs have gone up on dozens of charred lots. Regulators have promised major safety upgrades. And after widespread criticism, utility Pacific Gas & Electric Co. has overhauled its leadership and vowed to set a new industry standard
for safety.

But as Friday's anniversary approaches, many residents question why the company has not been fined for poor record-keeping leading up to the blast. They hope a report by federal investigators placing blame on those responsible will speed their path to
justice.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) Officials at Pacific Gas & Electric say the utility on Monday provided records and other information as part of its response to a state Public Utilities Commission investigation into last year's deadly San Bruno gas pipeline explosion.

PG&E was required to provide the response to the state PUC as part of a broader investigation that began in February. The company could have faced millions of dollars in fines if it failed to produce records demanded by the commission.

A federal investigation has concluded that PG&E's computerized records failed to mention welds in the natural gas pipeline that exploded last September, killing eight people and destroying 38 houses.

In releasing the 110-page document on Monday, PG&E spokesman Joe Molica says the utility will file what he termed a "further response" on June 20.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Survivors of the deadly San Bruno gas pipeline explosion offered poignant testimony before California regulators on Tuesday, as officials sought input on how to strengthen crucial safety rules for the industry.

Bill Magoolaghan, whose home was seriously damaged in the flames, says "It shouldn't have to take the deaths of eight people," and the destruction of homes for Pacific Gas & Electric Co. and its regulator to become fully invested in pipeline safety.

Chris Torres, whose mother was among the eight people killed in the Sept. 9 blast, said the pipeline's owner says "everything you want to hear but they don't do what they are supposed to do."

Members of the California Public Utilities Commission vowed to use residents' and local officials' testimony as they craft new pipeline safety regulations.

PG&E spokesman Joe Molica, who was at the meeting, said the utility had launched an initiative to strengthen its natural gas transmission system.

Tuesday's meeting was the first of three statewide field hearings.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

SAN BRUNO, Calif. (AP) A new resource center has opened in San Bruno for victims of the fatal Sept. 9 gas pipeline explosion.

City officials were on hand Tuesday to inaugurate the 4,800-square-foot San Bruno Resource Recovery Center. The center, housed in a previously vacant space, will provide mental health and educational services, among other resources.

Officials say it will allow victims of the blast to receive ongoing support.

The center was the result of a partnership with organizations including the Peninsula Health Care District.

The district donated $100,000 to the American Red Cross to fund it.

___

Information from: SAN MATEO DAILY JOURNAL, http://www.smdailyjournal.com/

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. (AP) A Santa Clara County man will be serving time in prison after prosecutors say he ran up thousands of dollars in hotel and car rental bills while claiming he was displaced by last fall's pipeline explosion in San Bruno.

The Bay Area News Group reports that Leon Stansbury was sentenced to two years, eight months in prison Tuesday.

Prosecutors say Stansbury stayed in hotels for two weeks after the Sept. 9 blast.

Police say when they went to the San Jose Hilton where he was staying, they found $5,900 cash in his room.

As part of his sentence, the 41-year-old Stansbury will also have to reimburse Pacific Gas & Electric Co., which paid the hotel bills.

Authorities say he is one of seven people charged with running scams to obtain resources intended to help for victims of the blast.

SAN BRUNO, Calif. (AP) - Federal safety regulators will hold a hearing this week in Washington, D.C. on the natural gas explosion that killed eight people in the San Francisco Bay area.

The San Francisco Chronicle says 10 employees of Pacific Gas & Electric will testify at the three-day hearing that begins Tuesday.

The National Transportation Safety Board will look into pipeline operation and regulation. The board also plans to release thousands of pages of documents stemming from the September blast in San Bruno that destroyed 38 homes. They are expected to include lab tests on the failed pipe.

PG&E spokesman Joe Molica says the company looks forward to the hearing and believes it's vital to learn from the tragedy.

The safety board plans to issue a final report on the disaster by September.
---
Information from: San Francisco Chronicle,
http://www.sfgate.com/chronicle

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

SAN BRUNO, Calif. (AP) Federal safety regulators will hold a hearing this week in Washington, D.C. on the natural gas explosion that killed eight people in the San Francisco Bay area.

The San Francisco Chronicle says 10 employees of Pacific Gas & Electric will testify at the three-day hearing that begins Tuesday.

The National Transportation Safety Board will look into pipeline operation and regulation. The board also plans to release thousands of pages of documents stemming from the September blast in San Bruno that destroyed 38 homes. They are expected to include lab tests on the failed pipe.

PG&E spokesman Joe Molica says the company looks forward to the hearing and believes it's vital to learn from the tragedy.

The safety board plans to issue a final report on the disaster by September.

___

Information from: San Francisco Chronicle, http://www.sfgate.com/chronicle

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) A newspaper is reporting that federal regulators say temporarily increasing the pressure beyond legal limits on natural gas lines, as Pacific Gas and Electric Co., has acknowledged it did on the pipeline that exploded in San Bruno last fall, violates federal regulations.

The San Francisco Chronicle reports in its Sunday print edition that natural safety gas rules provided to the newspaper by federal regulators say the utility would have had to inspect the pipeline in San Bruno for weak welds after spiking the pressure on the line.

According to an interpretation of natural gas safety rules provided by the newspaper at its request, PG&E would have had to inspect the pipeline after it increased the pressure on the lines in 2003 and 2008.

A PG&E spokesman says the increases were safe and necessary for the operation of the line.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) Pacific Gas & Electric Co.'s parent company says costs related to September's deadly pipeline explosion in San Bruno will be twice as high as the company previously expected.

The blast left eight dead, dozens injured and 55 homes uninhabitable. In financial statements released Thursday, PG&E Corp. said indirect related costs will rise to between $200 million and $300 million, up from a prior estimate of $100 million to $150 million.

The California Public Utilities Commission has ordered the company to produce records of inspections across its network to verify the safety of its natural gas pipelines in the wake of the San Bruno explosion and fire.

A spokesman says the company is reviewing and validating its pipeline records and will file a complete set with state regulators on March 15.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) California regulators have ordered Pacific Gas & Electric Co. to cut natural gas pipeline pressures 20 percent below maximum thresholds.

The state Public Utilities Commission discovered illegal pressure levels on four gas pipelines as part of the investigation into the Sept. 9 explosion and fire that killed eight people and destroyed 38 homes on Sept. 9.

The San Francisco Chronicle says two of the pipelines are buried under heavily populated areas in the south San Francisco Bay area. The PUC says it ordered PG&E to reduce pressure on the lines by 20 percent below their legal limits.

PG&E said late Wednesday that besides running the four lines above legal limits, the utility intentionally increased the pressure on a dozen pipelines temporarily.

___

Information from: San Francisco Chronicle, http://www.sfgate.com/chronicle

SAN BRUNO, Calif. (AP) California regulators will hold public hearings on September's San Bruno natural gas pipeline explosion that killed eight people and destroyed 38 homes.

The California Public Utilities Commission said Thursday that public hearings will be held.

The announcement comes a day after San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera, state Sen. Mark Leno, The Utility Reform Network and the Consumer Federation of California complained state regulators investigating the Sept. 9 blast were operating largely in private.

Commission president Michael Peevey tells the San Jose Mercury News, however, that public fact-finding hearings are logical and community forums were already being considered by the PUC.

During the commission hearing Feb. 24, Peevey says he's proposing creation of a clearinghouse for all San Bruno-related documents.

___

Information from: San Jose Mercury News, http://www.sjmercury.com

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) The parents of a 20-year-old woman who was one of the eight people killed in a Northern California gas line explosion are suing the pipe's owner for negligence and wrongful death.

Israel and Rene Morales filed the lawsuit against Pacific Gas & Electric Co. in San Francisco Superior Court on Wednesday. They allege that the utility deliberately ignored problems with the line before it exploded in a San Bruno neighborhood and killed Jessica Morales.

According to the suit, Jessica Morales was at her boyfriend's home during the Sept. 9 blast. Her body was found the next day.

The lawsuit is the second wrongful death case brought against PG&E.

Susan Bullis whose husband, 17-year-old son and mother-in-law also were killed sued the company in October.

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. (AP) - A San Francisco woman is facing a month in jail for posing as a victim of the San Bruno pipeline explosion to claim disaster aid.

Jacqueline Turner pleaded guilty Tuesday in San Mateo County Superior Court to commercial burglary in connection with making the false claim. She was immediately sentenced to 30 days in jail.

Authorities say Turner went to a resource center four days after the Sept. 9 explosion to get benefits available to victims.

The San Mateo County Times reports that she was found out when relief workers realized she had given them an address that did not exist. She did not receive any money or benefits.

Turner is the fourth person to be convicted of trying to scam aid after the blast.
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Information from: San Mateo County Times,
http://www.sanmateotimes.com

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

SAN BRUNO, Calif. (AP) - The first plans have been filed to
build a new house on one of the 38 lots where homes were destroyed by a natural gas pipeline explosion last year.

San Bruno officials told the San Mateo County Times on Friday that a family filed plans with the city on Jan. 7, and could start building in spring.

Mayor Jim Ruane says the plans mark an important step in the long recovery process after the Sept. 9 blast of a Pacific Gas & Electric Co. line that killed eight people and devastated a neighborhood.

Another family, Bob and Tina Pelligrini, say they also plan to rebuild and want to have their plans filed in the coming weeks.

Many were reluctant to rebuild in the neighborhood, but some changed course when PG&E vowed to reroute the pipeline around the area.

SAN BRUNO, Calif. (AP) The first plans have been filed to build a new house on one of the 38 lots where homes were destroyed by a natural gas pipeline explosion last year.

San Bruno officials told the San Mateo County Times on Friday that a family filed plans with the city on Jan. 7, and could start building in spring.

Mayor Jim Ruane says the plans mark an important step in the long recovery process after the Sept. 9 blast of a Pacific Gas & Electric Co. line that killed eight people and devastated a neighborhood.

Another family, Bob and Tina Pelligrini, say they also plan to rebuild and want to have their plans filed in the coming weeks.

Many were reluctant to rebuild in the neighborhood, but some changed course when PG&E vowed to reroute the pipeline around the area.

___

Information from: San Mateo County Times, http://www.sanmateotimes.com

SAN BRUNO, Calif. (AP) San Bruno officials say they'll begin distributing $400,000 in donations to victims of the deadly pipeline explosion as soon as next week.

Tuesday's decision by the city council on how to use the donations comes four months after the blast that killed eight people and destroyed dozens of homes. Officials previously couldn't decide how to use the funds, but victims urged them to act quickly.

The council unanimously agreed Tuesday to pay $6,000 to each of the 38 families whose homes were destroyed. Seventeen families whose homes suffered moderate damage will get $4,000 each, and families who experienced minor damage will get $1,000.

Officials are still trying to decide how to use about $58,000 that will remain after the funds are distributed.

SAN BRUNO, Calif. (AP) - A Los Altos man is facing up to three years in prison after being convicted of posing as a victim of the deadly San Bruno pipeline explosion in order to get aid.

Daniel Stansbury pleaded no contest on Tuesday to four felonies, including grand theft and identity theft.

The San Mateo County Times reports that he is scheduled to be sentenced in March.

Authorities say the 41-year-old stayed on Pacific Gas and Electric Co.'s dime at Hilton hotels for 13 days after giving a false name and claiming to live in the neighborhood affected by the Sept. 9 blast.

He also allegedly got a free rental car and a gift card worth $1,000.

At least two other people have also been convicted of posing as blast victims.
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Information from: San Mateo County Times,
http://www.sanmateotimes.com

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

SAN BRUNO, Calif. (AP) A Los Altos man is facing up to three years in prison after being convicted of posing as a victim of the deadly San Bruno pipeline explosion in order to get aid.

Daniel Stansbury pleaded no contest on Tuesday to four felonies, including grand theft and identity theft.

The San Mateo County Times reports that he is scheduled to be sentenced in March.

Authorities say the 41-year-old stayed on Pacific Gas and Electric Co.'s dime at Hilton hotels for 13 days after giving a false name and claiming to live in the neighborhood affected by the Sept. 9 blast.

He also allegedly got a free rental car and a gift card worth $1,000.

At least two other people have also been convicted of posing as blast victims.

___

Information from: San Mateo County Times, http://www.sanmateotimes.com

SAN MATEO, Calif. (AP) -Pacific Gas and Electric Co. is facing more lawsuits over September's deadly pipeline explosion in San Bruno.

The Daily Journal reports that seven new lawsuits were filed against the utility between Dec. 6 through Dec. 22, with three of the suits being filed in the days just before Christmas.

The San Mateo-based newspaper says the lawsuits accuse PG&E of negligence, nuisance and other claims.

PG&E spokesman Joe Molica told the newspaper that the company remains committed to the customers in San Bruno and the community.

The most recent suits come as the utility is still awaiting a decision by the Judicial Council of California to have all the lawsuits heard by one judge.

The Sept. 9 blast killed eight people and destroyed dozens of homes.

SAN MATEO, Calif. (AP) Pacific Gas and Electric Co. is facing more lawsuits over September's deadly pipeline explosion in San Bruno.

The Daily Journal reports that seven new lawsuits were filed against the utility between Dec. 6 through Dec. 22, with three of the suits being filed in the days just before Christmas.

The San Mateo-based newspaper says the lawsuits accuse PG&E of negligence, nuisance and other claims.

PG&E spokesman Joe Molica told the newspaper that the company remains committed to the customers in San Bruno and the community.

The most recent suits come as the utility is still awaiting a decision by the Judicial Council of California to have all the lawsuits heard by one judge.

The Sept. 9 blast killed eight people and destroyed dozens of homes.

___

Information from: SAN MATEO DAILY JOURNAL, http://www.smdailyjournal.com/

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. (AP) Two residents of the San Francisco suburb that was rocked by a fatal gas pipeline explosion have been convicted of trying to pass themselves off as victims to secure relief aid.

San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe says 42-year-old Lisa Justin and 44-year-old Sonya Smith applied for new identification cards using addresses from the San Bruno neighborhood hardest hit by the blast.

Wagstaffe says the two women actually lived about five miles from the blast zone where eight people were killed.

Justin and Smith pleaded no contest to robbery and perjury charges on Tuesday. As part of a plea deal, they face maximum sentences of two years in state prison.

The San Mateo County Times reports that five other people are facing charges of posing as blast victims.

SAN BRUNO, Calif. (AP) Federal investigators may subpoena witnesses to testify in Washington about the deadly Pacific Gas & Electric Co. natural gas pipeline explosion in San Bruno.

National Transportation Safety Board member Mark Rosekind says board members voted during the weekend whether to hold a hearing on the Sept. 9 explosion and fire that killed eight people and destroyed 37 homes. Rosekind says results of that vote will be announced soon.

The San Francisco Chronicle says Rosekind was one of several speakers at a Sunday town hall meeting at the San Bruno Senior Center. Some residents pushed for more information on the safety board's investigation.

The NTSB disclosed last week that PG&E was unaware that the segment of the ruptured gas pipeline had a weld along its spine known as a seam weld.

___

Information from: San Francisco Chronicle, http://www.sfgate.com/chronicle

SAN BRUNO, Calif. (AP) - Federal regulators are set to release preliminary findings about the gas pipeline blast in a San Francisco suburb that killed eight people and destroyed dozens of homes.

The report by the National Transportation Safety Board is due out on Tuesday and is expected to include details about the segments of Pacific Gas & Electric Co. pipe that blew up in San Bruno on Sept. 9.

Agency investigators have yet to determine what caused the explosion.

U.S. Rep. Jackie Speier, who represents San Bruno, and local officials will be briefed on the agency's findings.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

SAN BRUNO, Calif. (AP) Federal regulators are set to release preliminary findings about the gas pipeline blast in a San Francisco suburb that killed eight people and destroyed dozens of homes.

The report by the National Transportation Safety Board is due out on Tuesday and is expected to include details about the segments of Pacific Gas & Electric Co. pipe that blew up in San Bruno on Sept. 9.

Agency investigators have yet to determine what caused the explosion.

U.S. Rep. Jackie Speier, who represents San Bruno, and local officials will be briefed on the agency's findings.

SAN BRUNO, Calif. (AP) Some survivors of the gas pipeline explosion that rocked a San Bruno neighborhood are frustrated that the city has not distributed about $380,000 in private donations.

Two city council members charged with coming up with a plan for the money say they want to make sure it's used to cover expenses not covered by Pacific Gas & Electric or insurance companies. They're exploring the idea of a victims' memorial.

Eight people died in the September blast. City Manager Connie Jackson says the number of homes considered destroyed was recently increased from 35 to 38.

Jackson told the San Mateo County Times that any decisions on the donations probably won't be made until next month.

The delay has angered some residents who think the extra cash could help families during the holidays.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Under pressure since the deadly San Bruno natural gas explosion, California regulators say they will immediately hire four more pipeline safety inspectors.

The state Public Utilities Commission says in a letter released Tuesday that the inspectors will be hired quickly. The San Francisco Chronicle says the job openings were posted Tuesday.

Legislators criticized regulators for low staffing levels after the September explosion and fire that killed eight people and destroyed dozens of San Bruno homes.

The PUC insisted its nine inspectors are aggressive and effective, but conceded the agency has fallen short. Only 1 percent at most of the 110,000 miles of gas pipelines are inspected.

Records show that from 2003 through 2009, California failed each year to meet the federal government's minimum inspection levels.


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Information from: San Francisco Chronicle,
http://www.sfgate.com/chronicle

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

SAN BRUNO, Calif. (AP) - Pacific Gas & Electric Co. says the San Bruno natural gas pipeline explosion could wind up costing the utility $1 billion.

PG&E revealed in a regulatory filing Thursday that the cost of repairing the devastated neighborhood, compensating victims, inspecting its pipes and other expenses could reach $550 million. Replacing valves on those pipelines are expected to cost $450 million.

Costs for proposed major renovations to the utility's gas network haven't been calculated.

The Sept. 9 blast killed eight people and destroyed dozens of homes.

The San Jose Mercury News says consumer advocates are concerned consumers will be forced to pay for those improvements.

But PG&E spokesman Jonathan Marshall says it's too early to speculate on how much money the company might seek from the California Public Utilities Commission for improvements.


---
Information from: San Jose Mercury News,
http://www.sjmercury.com

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

SAN BRUNO, Calif. (AP) Pacific Gas & Electric Co. says the San Bruno natural gas pipeline explosion could wind up costing the utility $1 billion.

PG&E revealed in a regulatory filing Thursday that the cost of repairing the devastated neighborhood, compensating victims, inspecting its pipes and other expenses could reach $550 million. Replacing valves on those pipelines are expected to cost $450 million.

Costs for proposed major renovations to the utility's gas network haven't been calculated.

The Sept. 9 blast killed eight people and destroyed dozens of homes.

The San Jose Mercury News says consumer advocates are concerned consumers will be forced to pay for those improvements.

But PG&E spokesman Jonathan Marshall says it's too early to speculate on how much money the company might seek from the California Public Utilities Commission for improvements.

___

Information from: San Jose Mercury News, http://www.sjmercury.com

SAN BRUNO, Calif. (AP) - Federal officials have again denied millions of dollars in disaster aid for survivors of the San Bruno natural gas pipeline explosion that destroyed 35 homes.

The San Jose Mercury News says California officials learned Thursday that the Federal Emergency Management Agency turned down Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's appeal to reconsider a Sept. 24 decision denying aid.

FEMA spokeswoman Rachel Racusen says it was decided additional federal help was unnecessary. The agency has said state and local resources weren't overwhelmed by the Sept. 9 explosion and fire that killed eight people and left a neighborhood a smoldering disaster zone.

FEMA is reimbursing up to 75 percent of the firefighting costs.
---
Information from: San Jose Mercury News,
http://www.sjmercury.com

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) Residents of San Bruno affected by a fatal pipeline explosion that destroyed dozens of homes will not have to pay utility bills until 2012.

The California Public Utilities Commission on Thursday approved Pacific Gas & Electric Co.'s request for the relief.

PG&E customers whose homes were destroyed or left uninhabitable after the Sept. 9 blast will qualify. Nine people died in the blast, the cause of which has still not been determined.

The rate relief will extend both for the homes at the explosion site and their new, temporary housing.

SAN BRUNO, Calif. (AP) - Pacific Gas & Electric Co. says it will move a segment of gas transmission pipeline that exploded in San Bruno when it gets rebuilt.

PG&E President Chris Johns said in a letter sent to San Bruno Mayor Jim Ruane that the city has "our commitment that PG&E will not rebuild the damaged section ... in its current location."

Eight people died after a segment of gas pipe ruptured and exploded on Sept. 9, destroying dozens of homes. Federal investigators are still determining the cause of the blast.

The letter does not identify where, exactly, the new segment will be built. But Johns' letters says the company will work closely with the city to identify a new site for the pipeline.

SAN BRUNO, Calif. (AP) Pacific Gas & Electric Co. says it will move a segment of gas transmission pipeline that exploded in San Bruno when it gets rebuilt.

PG&E President Chris Johns said in a letter sent to San Bruno Mayor Jim Ruane that the city has "our commitment that PG&E will not rebuild the damaged section ... in its current location."

Eight people died after a segment of gas pipe ruptured and exploded on Sept. 9, destroying dozens of homes. Federal investigators are still determining the cause of the blast.

The letter does not identify where, exactly, the new segment will be built. But Johns' letters says the company will work closely with the city to identify a new site for the pipeline.

SAN BRUNO, Calif. (AP) Pacific Gas & Electric Co. is working with state and local officials on a plan to remove the gas pipeline that ruptured and destroyed a San Bruno neighborhood last month.

State Sen. Leland Yee, D-San Francisco, and San Bruno Mayor Jim Ruane on Friday said the residents are not comfortable with the pipeline continuing to run beneath their neighborhood.

Eight people were killed and 37 homes were destroyed by the Sept. 9 pipeline blast.

PG&E spokeswoman Katie Romans says the San Francisco-based utility does not want to rebuild the pipeline in the neighborhood, but the company has not made a firm commitment to moving it until more research is done.

Romans says PG&E is "working with the city to evaluate all other options" for the pipeline.

SAN BRUNO, Calif. (AP) San Mateo County prosecutors have charged another person with posing as a victim of the deadly San Bruno gas line explosion in order to get free aid.

The San Mateo County Times reports that 23-year-old Jacqueline Turner is scheduled to be arraigned on Nov. 4 on one count of burglary.

Authorities say the San Francisco resident went to a resource center four days after the Sept. 9 explosion to get benefits available to victims.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe says workers became suspicious when Turner gave them an address that did not exist and listed her real address on some forms. She did not receive any money or benefits.

At least five other people have been charged with trying to pose as blast victims.

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Information from: San Mateo County Times, http://www.sanmateotimes.com

SAN BRUNO, Calif. (AP) - Pacific Gas & Electric Co. is
reportedly offering property buyouts to San Bruno residents whose homes were destroyed or badly damaged in last month's deadly pipeline explosion and fire.

Documents obtained by the San Francisco Chronicle also show homeowners who agree to sell within six months will collect a $50,000 bonus.

Eight people were killed, 37 homes were destroyed and another 18 were damaged in the Sept. 9 natural gas pipeline blast and fire.

Homeowners have been concerned about land values and rebuilding problems. The Chronicle says PG&E began distributing the buyout and bonus offer last week. PG&E is also offering to help victims rebuild their homes: A $50,000 bonus for finishing within 16 months.
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Information from: San Francisco Chronicle,
http://www.sfgate.com/chronicle

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

SAN BRUNO, Calif. (AP) Pacific Gas & Electric Co. is reportedly offering property buyouts to San Bruno residents whose homes were destroyed or badly damaged in last month's deadly pipeline explosion and fire.

Documents obtained by the San Francisco Chronicle also show homeowners who agree to sell within six months will collect a $50,000 bonus.

Eight people were killed, 37 homes were destroyed and another 18 were damaged in the Sept. 9 natural gas pipeline blast and fire.

Homeowners have been concerned about land values and rebuilding problems.

The Chronicle says PG&E began distributing the buyout and bonus offer last week. PG&E is also offering to help victims rebuild their homes: A $50,000 bonus for finishing within 16 months.

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Information from: San Francisco Chronicle, http://www.sfgate.com/chronicle

SAN BRUNO, Calif. (AP) - California regulators have appointed an independent panel to look into the deadly gas pipeline explosion in a San Francisco suburb.

The California Public Utilities Commission and federal officials already are investigating the Sept. 9 blast that killed eight people in San Bruno. The five-member panel will focus on any systemic problems within Pacific Gas & Electric Co. that could have
contributed to the explosion.

The San Francisco Chronicle reports that University of California, Davis chancellor emeritus Larry Vanderhoef was chosen to lead the panel. Other panelists named Thursday include academic and labor experts as well as a former executive of a PG&E subsidiary.

The commission's president says Paula Reynolds' PG&E stint ended 15 years ago and shouldn't affect her impartiality.
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Information from: San Francisco Chronicle,
http://www.sfgate.com/chronicle

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

SAN BRUNO, Calif. (AP) An independent investigative panel into the deadly San Bruno pipeline explosion and fire is being led by University of California, Davis, chancellor emeritus Larry Vanderhoef.

The California Public Utilities Commission said Thursday that experts from academia and labor as well as a former Pacific Gas and Electric executive have joined the panel to investigate the causes of the Sept. 9 tragedy.

The PUC and National Transportation Safety Board are already investigating the pipeline blast.

The San Francisco Chronicle says five-member independent panel's investigation will look for any systemic problems within PG&E that could have led to the explosion.

Also on the panel are former PG&E executive Paula Rosput Reynolds, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers member Patrick Lavin, UC Santa Cruz chancellor emeritus Karl Pister and former Sacramento Municipal Utility District chief Jan Schori.

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Information from: San Francisco Chronicle, http://www.sfgate.com/chronicle

SAN BRUNO, Calif. (AP) - The wreckage left behind by last month's natural gas pipeline blast that killed eight people in San Bruno has largely been cleared away, leaving behind empty lots and the chance to rebuild.

The San Mateo County Times reports crews finished clearing homes from the site of the Sept. 9 blast on Monday and plan to return Tuesday to take away remaining debris, including charred trees.

San Mateo County's Environmental Health Division head Dean Peterson says they will also do work to prevent erosion. Peterson says the 35 plots cleaned up over the past two weeks could be approved for rebuilding as early as the end of next week.

Before the county gives its OK, however, the land will have to be tested for hazardous materials potentially left by the blast.
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Information from: San Mateo County Times,
http://www.sanmateotimes.com

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

SAN BRUNO, Calif. (AP) The wreckage left behind by last month's natural gas pipeline blast that killed eight people in San Bruno has largely been cleared away, leaving behind empty lots and the chance to rebuild.

The San Mateo County Times reports crews finished clearing homes from the site of the Sept. 9 blast on Monday and plan to return Tuesday to take away remaining debris, including charred trees. San Mateo County's Environmental Health Division head Dean Peterson says they will also do work to prevent erosion.

Peterson says the 35 plots cleaned up over the past two weeks could be approved for rebuilding as early as the end of next week.

Before the county gives its OK, however, the land will have to be tested for hazardous materials potentially left by the blast.

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Information from: San Mateo County Times, http://www.sanmateotimes.com

Acting Governor Abel Maldonado of Santa Maria has taken a step to help property owners hurt financially by last month's PG&E pipeline blast in San Bruno.

Today, Maldonado sent a letter to the Board of Equalization, asking it to take action to protect those property owners from further financial loss by speeding up the reassessment of properties in the surrounding areas of the blast.

It was Maldonado who declared a state of emergency in San Mateo County, as he was acting governor at the time of the deadly explosion. Maldonado had been filling in for Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger while the governor was on a trade mission to Asia. This week, Governor Schwarzenegger is on a similar mission in Russia, leaving Maldonado to again step in.

SAN BRUNO, Calif. (AP) - Experts say a weld or weak section may have caused catastrophic failure of the 54-year-old natural gas pipeline that exploded in flames three weeks ago in San Bruno.

The National Transportation Safety Board this week allowed photographers to take pictures of the segments of pipe in the devastated neighborhood where eight people died and dozens of homes were destroyed.

Experts asked by the San Jose Mercury News to analyze the photos say the failure may have started along a weld or in a weakened section. Stanford University mechanical engineering department chairman Tom Bowman says the pipe "unpeeled and failed catastrophically."

The experts, who say a NTSB metallurgical analysis is still needed to determine the exact cause, suggested brittle pipes, old welds, corrosion or widening cracks could have caused the failure.
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Information from: San Jose Mercury News,
http://www.sjmercury.com

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

SAN BRUNO, Calif. (AP) Experts say a weld or weak section may have caused catastrophic failure of the 54-year-old natural gas pipeline that exploded in flames three weeks ago in San Bruno.

The National Transportation Safety Board this week allowed photographers to take pictures of the segments of pipe in the devastated neighborhood where eight people died and dozens of homes were destroyed.

Experts asked by the San Jose Mercury News to analyze the photos say the failure may have started along a weld or in a weakened section.

Stanford University mechanical engineering department chairman Tom Bowman says the pipe "unpeeled and failed catastrophically."

The experts, who say a NTSB metallurgical analysis is still needed to determine the exact cause, suggested brittle pipes, old welds, corrosion or widening cracks could have caused the failure.

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Information from: San Jose Mercury News, http://www.sjmercury.com

SAN BRUNO, Calif. (AP) - A fifth person has been charged with posing as a victim of the deadly San Bruno pipeline explosion in order to get aid.

The San Mateo County Times reports that 51-year-old Daniel Stansbury of Los Altos pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to seven charges, including identity theft and falsely claiming aid.

San Mateo County prosecutors say he gave workers at a resource center set up for blast victims a false name and told them he lived in the neighborhood affected by the explosion. He then allegedly accepted at least $2,000 in gift cards. Chief Deputy District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe says Stansbury also spent nine nights at San Francisco Bay area Hilton hotels on Pacific Gas & Electric Co.'s dime.

Four other people have also been charged with posing as victims of the blast.
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Information from: San Mateo County Times,
http://www.sanmateotimes.com

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

SAN BRUNO, Calif. (AP) A fifth person has been charged with posing as a victim of the deadly San Bruno pipeline explosion in order to get aid.

The San Mateo County Times reports that 51-year-old Daniel Stansbury of Los Altos pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to seven charges, including identity theft and falsely claiming aid.

San Mateo County prosecutors say he gave workers at a resource center set up for blast victims a false name and told them he lived in the neighborhood affected by the explosion. He then allegedly accepted at least $2,000 in gift cards.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe says Stansbury also spent nine nights at San Francisco Bay area Hilton hotels on Pacific Gas & Electric Co.'s dime.

Four other people have also been charged with posing as victims of the blast.

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Information from: San Mateo County Times, http://www.sanmateotimes.com

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. (AP) - 8th victim dies from Northern California gas line explosion that destroyed 37 homes.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

SAN BRUNO, Calif. (AP) Officials say it will take three-to-four weeks to finish removing contaminated soil and other potentially toxic debris from the rubble-strewn lots of homes destroyed by a gas pipeline explosion in San Bruno.

San Mateo County officials say they've received permission from the owners to clean the lots of 29 of the 37 homes destroyed by the fireball that erupted from the ruptured gas transmission line on Sept. 9.

Crews are removing three-to-four inches of soil from each lot, which will be tested for toxic substances like asbestos and dangerous metals.

Dean Peterson, director of San Mateo County's environmental health services division, says he hopes the work will give the survivors and their families peace of mind that they can rebuild in a safe environment.

SAN BRUNO, Calif. (AP) Two more people have been charged with posing as victims of the San Bruno gas pipeline explosion in order to get gift cards and other aid.

Prosecutors say Deonte Bennett of San Leandro and Niesha Taylor of Fairfield were each charged this week with numerous felony counts, including commercial burglary, perjury and identity theft.

Bennett's attorney, Joe O'Sullivan, has said he believes his client will be absolved of any wrongdoing.

The San Mateo Daily Journal reports that the women, both 25, remain free on $25,000 bail.

Authorities say Bennet, Taylor and two other people, 44-year-old Sonya Smith and 42-year-old Lisa Justin, went to the disaster assistance center and submitted false addresses of homes affected by the explosion to obtain the aid. Smith and Justin were charged last week.

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Information from: SAN MATEO DAILY JOURNAL, http://www.smdailyjournal.com/

SAN BRUNO, Calif. (AP) - Cleanup crews are starting to remove the remains of 37 homes destroyed in a fatal gas pipeline explosion in a San Francisco suburb.

Crews began the work, which will include removing the homes' foundations, Thursday morning.

San Mateo County environmental health division director Dean Peterson says the goal is to leave homeowners in the San Bruno neighborhood with a clean slate, so they can build anew.

Crews have been spraying the destroyed homes with water to prevent any potential hazardous materials from being washed into San Francisco Bay or ending up in the air.

The cleanup is being overseen by county and state officials. The costs will be covered by each homeowner's insurance although Peterson says state and federal funds could be made available.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Calif. regulators approve independent panel to probe San Bruno blast, Pacific Gas & Electric.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - The San Mateo County coroner has confirmed the deaths of three more people in a pipeline explosion in California, bringing the death toll to seven.

Coroner Robert Foucrault says investigators used DNA to identify 50-year-old Gregory Bullis and his mother, 85-year-old Lavonne Bullis as victims of the blast in the San Francisco suburb.

Gregory Bullis' son, 17-year-old William James Bullis, was identified after an examination of remains found at the family's home in San Bruno.

The state Department of Justice's missing persons unit performed the DNA tests. Four other people died in the explosion: 44-year-old Jacqueline Greig and her 13-year-old daughter Janessa Greig, 81-year-old Elizabeth Torres, and 20-year-old Jessica Morales.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - The section of natural gas pipeline that exploded south of San Francisco does not appear on a utility company list of 100 riskiest pipeline segments.

Pacific Gas and Electric Co. president Chris Johns said Monday that the segment of pipeline beneath a San Bruno neighborhood did not meet the criteria to appear on the list.

Johns said that the utility company's pipeline system includes 20,000 segments, ranging in length from two feet to a mile long that are assessed for safety.

A document PG&E submitted to regulators in September 2009 for gas rate proceedings showed the company had ranked as high-risk a section of pipeline two-and-a-half miles from the blast site.

That segment did not appear on the 2010 list of risky pipe
segments.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

SAN BRUNO, Calif. (AP) - A resident of the neighborhood
evacuated by a deadly gas line explosion in San Bruno is suing Pacific Gas and Electric Co.

Steve Dare filed the lawsuit on Friday in San Mateo County
Superior Court. He says the company should turn over a $100 million recovery fund for blast victims to a third party and pay other monetary damages.

The lawsuit claims PG&E could withhold funding or not follow through on its promise if the money is not placed in a court-supervised account.

PG&E spokesman Paul Moreno told the San Mateo Daily Journal he didn't know if the company had been served yet, so he couldn't comment on the lawsuit.

Dare rents a home that did not sustain damage in the fire, but was evacuated for three days.

The blast on Sept. 9 destroyed nearly 40 homes and claimed at least four lives.
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Information from: SAN MATEO DAILY JOURNAL,
http://www.smdailyjournal.com/

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

SAN BRUNO, Calif. (AP) A resident of the neighborhood evacuated by a deadly gas line explosion in San Bruno is suing Pacific Gas and Electric Co.

Steve Dare filed the lawsuit on Friday in San Mateo County Superior Court. He says the company should turn over a $100 million recovery fund for blast victims to a third party and pay other monetary damages.

The lawsuit claims PG&E could withhold funding or not follow through on its promise if the money is not placed in a court-supervised account.

PG&E spokesman Paul Moreno told the San Mateo Daily Journal he didn't know if the company had been served yet, so he couldn't comment on the lawsuit.

Dare rents a home that did not sustain damage in the fire, but was evacuated for three days.

The blast on Sept. 9 destroyed nearly 40 homes and claimed at least four lives.

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Information from: SAN MATEO DAILY JOURNAL, http://www.smdailyjournal.com/

SAN BRUNO, Calif. (AP) - Government agencies are rushing to remove contaminated ash from the explosion and fire that ripped through a San Francisco suburb to reduce health and environmental hazards.

San Mateo County environmental health director Dean Peterson says crews have been wetting down mounds of ash so the wind doesn't scatter them. A contractor will start hauling them out next week.

He says breathing the dust could be harmful because it's likely tainted with toxic chemicals from burned cars, asbestos, light bulbs, batteries and other items.

County workers also have placed sand bags around storm drains to keep the ash from getting into a local creek.

Peterson says it's important to extract as much debris as possible to keep runoff from flowing into San Francisco Bay before the rainy season starts next month.

SAN BRUNO, Calif. (AP) Police say four people have been arrested for posing as San Bruno pipeline explosion victims in a scheme to get free food and other aid.

The San Francisco Chronicle says they submitted false driver's license applications at the Department of Motor Vehicles to show they lived in the burned out area where 37 homes were destroyed in last week's natural gas explosion and fire.

Victims are eligible for free cellular telephones, food and clothing store gift cards, among other things.

Niesha Taylor and Deonte Bennett of San Francisco were arrested Tuesday at a San Bruno assistance center. Sonya Smith and Lisa Justin, who live three miles from the devastated neighborhood, were arrested later in the day.

All four have been booked for investigation of burglary, perjury and submitting false or forged documents.

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Information from: San Francisco Chronicle, http://www.sfgate.com/chronicle

SAN BRUNO, Calif. (AP) A San Bruno explosion sightseer has pleaded not guilty to assaulting a police officer who was on the lookout for possible looters.

Motorcyclist Paul Anthony Lee was stopped by officers when he showed up Friday to view the devastation after a natural gas pipeline exploded and incinerated 37 homes.

The San Francisco Chronicle says the 34-year-old Millbrae man started to ride away after officers asked for identification.

Prosecutor Steve Wagstaffe says one of the officers grabbed Lee's jacket and was dragged several feet before the motorcycle ran over the officer's foot. Lee then sped off, leading police on a chase through San Bruno and onto U.S. Highway 101 into San Carlos.

Lee pleaded not guilty Monday to battery and assault on an officer and evading police, all felonies.

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Information from: San Francisco Chronicle, http://www.sfgate.com/chronicle

Mike Wiseman has worked on gas transmission lines in San Bruno and throughout northern and central California for PG&E. He's been on payed leave for more than a year since an incident in which he says supervisors detained him in a Stockton hotel room and took his car after he complained about safety violations and insufficient training.

Wiseman says PG&E management receives bonuses that are tied to workplace safety and that leads to supervisors covering up incidents to earn bonuses. He predicts a cost saving measure not to replace an old pipe is the reason for the San Bruno explosion. Wiseman says there's a culture of covering things up at PG&E which is what they tried to do with him when he told supervisors and even the vice president about safety concerns. "There's a lot of backup systems to prevent this from happening. So knowing what I know about the system I can't imagine this was a shortcoming with an employee. I think it had to do with the age of the pipe" said Wiseman.

When asked about Wiseman's claims against PG&E, company spokesperson Kathleen Romans said. "There is absolutely no tolerance in our company for retaliation against an employee who raises safety concerns. Every employee in this company is expected to stop the work in process and raise his or her concerns if there is an unsafe situation."

Wiseman's suit has six charges against PG&E including whistle blower retaliation, false imprisonment and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Wiseman's attorney filed court papers on Monday setting the stage for depositions of PG&E officials.

Investigators are still looking for four people missing since a massive explosion rocked the San Francisco suburb of San Bruno on Thursday.

The inferno destroyed close to 50 homes and killed at least four people.

Investigators are still looking for clues as to what caused the rupture of the natural gas pipeline that led to the disaster.

"Our first goal is to improve safety. If we see issues with safety, we'll put out recommendations immediately," says NTSB inspector Christopher Hart.

Part of the investigation will include analyzing surveillance video that caught the blast that set off the massive fire.

The pipe, ground zero for the explosion, was more than 50 years old.

The California Public Utilities Commission has ordered Pacific Gas and Electric to inspect all its natural gas lines statewide.

Most of the residents are now back in their homes after being allowed to return Sunday.

A Congressional hearing into the blast is expected this week.

The NTSB has sent parts of the damaged pipe to Washington for further analysis.

SAN BRUNO, Calif. (AP) Pacific Gas and Electric Co. says it has set aside up to $100 million to help San Bruno, California residents recover from last week's natural gas pipeline explosion.

The utility said Monday it will help residents with immediate cash payments and pay for costs that aren't covered by insurance. Residents will get $15,000, $25,000 or $50,000 depending on the damage to their homes.

PG&E says residents won't be asked to waive legal claims to get the money.

The utility also says it will pay the city of San Bruno for the cost of responding to the disaster and repairing damage. The city got $3 million on Monday.

Thursday's blast and fire destroyed nearly 50 homes and damaged dozens more. Four people were killed, four remain missing and at least 60 were injured.

SAN BRUNO, Calif. (AP) - California regulators are ordering Pacific Gas and Electric to survey all its natural gas lines in the state in the wake of a devastating suburban San Francisco blast that killed four.

The order issued by the state's Public Utilities Commission
Sunday comes after the explosion in a San Bruno neighborhood Thursday destroyed dozens of homes and left at least 60 injured, some critically.

As part of the order, the commission says PG&E must run leak
surveys on all natural gas lines, with priority given to higher pressure pipelines and to lines in areas of high population density. The commission also plans to appoint an independent expert panel to help with their investigation.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Department sent two cadaver dog teams to San Bruno yesterday to help in the recovery process.

One of those teams located human remains near the explosion site, but officials don't know if those remains are from victims already accounted for. They have retracted their statement yesterday that the death toll had risen by two. The official death toll remains at four.

Investigators confirm the pipeline that exploded was categorized as high risk by PG&E, and the utility company had planned to replace it.

Residents forced to leave their homes after the explosion should be allowed to return home tonight.

The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation. It says it could take a year before an official report is released. Forty homes were destroyed by the explosion.

SAN BRUNO, Calif. (AP) - The police chief in the San Francisco suburb where a gas pipeline ruptured and exploded, wiping out homes and killing four people, says 5 people are still missing.

San Bruno police chief Neil Telford made the comment Saturday at a public meeting.

A group of local, state and federal officials toured the damaged area Saturday and described a ghost-town full of remnants of cars melted in driveways and pieces of houses, some left with just the chimney standing.
Besides the 40 homes leveled by the Thursday evening blast, seven were severely damaged, while dozens of other houses suffered less severe damage in the fire that sped across 15 acres.

State and federal authorities say the section of the pipeline had been ranked as high risk because it ran through a highly populated area.

SAN BRUNO, Calif. (AP) - Authorities say search teams have discovered the remains of two more killed in San Bruno blast.

The discovery Saturday raises the death toll to six. Steve Firpo, acting public information for the City of San Bruno says the remains were found Saturday morning. He had no other details.

Earlier the San Mateo County Coroners office said 44-year-old Jacquelin Greig, her daughter 13-year-old Janessa, and 20-year-od Jessica Morales were killed in the fire. One other victim found earlier has yet to be identified.

The cause of the pipeline blast is still under investigation.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

SAN BRUNO, Calif. (AP) Authorities say search teams have discovered the remains of two more killed in San Bruno blast.

The discovery Saturday raises the death toll to six. Steve Firpo, acting public information for the City of San Bruno says the remains were found Saturday morning. He had no other details.

Earlier the San Mateo County Coroners office said 44-year-old Jacquelin Greig, her daughter 13-year-old Janessa, and 20-year-od Jessica Morales were killed in the fire. One other victim found earlier has yet to be identified.

The cause of the pipeline blast is still under investigation.

SAN BRUNO, Calif. (AP) A massive fire is roaring through a mostly residential neighborhood in San Bruno.

Firefighters from San Bruno and surrounding cities are battling the blaze that started on a hillside and is now consuming homes in a residential neighborhood.

Television live shots show at least a dozen homes destroyed, with flames reaching now as high as 50 to 60 feet into the air.

A South San Francisco fire official confirmed earlier that firefighters were responding to a fire, but had no other details.

Witnesses say a loud explosion was felt just before the flames erupted around 6 p.m. Thursday.

The area where the fire is burning in a mostly residential area a few miles from San Francisco International Air, but the Federal Aviation Administration and a spokesman for the airport say they have no record of a plane crash.

SAN BRUNO, Calif. (AP) - Firefighters are responding to a large fire burning on a hillside in the San Bruno area.

Television live shots show large flames shooting into the air. A South San Francisco fire official confirmed firefighters were responding to a fire, but had no other details.

Witnesses say a loud explosion was felt just before the flames erupted around 6 p.m. Thursday.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

SAN BRUNO, Calif. (AP) Firefighters are responding to a large fire burning on a hillside in the San Bruno area.

Television live shots show large flames shooting into the air. A South San Francisco fire official confirmed firefighters were responding to a fire, but had no other details

Witnesses say a loud explosion was felt just before the flames erupted around 6 p.m. Thursday.

BRISBANE, Calif. (AP) A San Mateo County judge has rejected an environmental group's efforts to stop a planned subdivision that it claims could harm an endangered butterfly.

San Bruno Mountain Watch sued the county and developer, Brookfield Bay Area Builders, Inc., to prevent the 71-home subdivision on top of San Bruno Mountain from going up. The group says existing homes on the mountain ridge have already harmed the callippe silverspot butterfly.

But in her ruling earlier this month, Judge Marie Weiner cited a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service finding that the project was not likely to jeopardize the existence of the silverspot and other butterflies.

San Bruno Mountain Watch says it is considering an appeal.

The county and developer did not return calls seeking comment.

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Information from: San Mateo County Times, http://www.sanmateotimes.com

SAN BRUNO, Calif. (AP) San Bruno police are warning residents about a series of daytime burglaries in the community.

San Bruno Police Cmdr. Matt Campi says since Dec. 13 seven homes have been broken into. Investigators say all the homes that have been targeted are near open-space areas or are separated by a strip a land from other homes

Officials have sent out messages through the city's telephone notification system to residents about the burglaries.

Police will also be hosting a community meeting Feb. 17 where they will provide security tips for residents.

Campi is recommending that residents put radios and lights on a timer when they're not home.

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Information from: San Mateo County Times, http://www.sanmateotimes.com