At first, the support and money was flowing into San Bruno. Pacific Gas and Electric poured $70 million into a fund to pay for city property damaged when their gas pipeline exploded. They pledged $100 million for victims. But when the city laid out their demands for PG&E, the spigot was turned off.
Now, the City is complaining that PG&E has become unresponsive to their demands, and it has some wondering how long it will take for the utility giant to make right for those wronged in the explosion. It was nearly a year and a half ago that 108 homes were damaged, and eight people were killed.
Now, state elected officials are coming to the aid of San Bruno, saying that PG&E’s exposure to damages should exceed the $70 million, and they should come back to the table to negotiate solutions.
From the Mercury News:
A year and a half after a natural gas explosion in San Bruno killed eight people, indignant officials in the devastated city on Wednesday accused PG&E of delaying efforts to resolve the city’s financial claims against the utility.
“We are very frustrated that PG&E doesn’t understand its negligence was responsible for the biggest natural gas disaster in our nation’s history,” San Bruno Mayor Jim Ruane said at a hastily called news conference. “We will not let that happen.”
Read the full article here.