After mounting pressure from politicians and the public, PG&E released its list of 100 highest-priority pipeline safety projects on Monday. The list, which was last updated in 2009, had one notable omission: the 28-foot section of pipe that exploded in San Bruno on September 9.
Maps detailing the location of planned fixes or inspections for pipelines statewide did not include any of the gas transmission line segments that run through San Francisco.
PG&E president Chris Johns explained that the company has already completed a re-survey for leaks along all 200 miles of gas pipeline in the San Francisco Bay Area, which includes a section that runs through the southeastern portion of the Mission District.
During the re-survey, a small leak was discovered in a pipe valve near Milpitas, which was immediately fixed. No other problems were detected, he said. Aerial surveys of the rest of the state’s 6,500 miles of gas lines have been initiated, and manual walk-through surveys are scheduled to begin soon.
When asked about extra precautions taken for pipelines in or near high-density areas, such as those adjacent to San Francisco General Hospital, Johns said that the company’s policy is to put extra emphasis on safety measures such as lower operating pressures and more frequent inspections.