The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) is embarking on an immediate search for a total of nine safety experts – four for its Risk Assessment Unit, and five new pipeline inspectors.

The Risk Assessment Unit will lead the way in establishing a new focus on performance, not just following federal rules, in natural gas safety. The Unit will look at best practices throughout the nation and around the world. The new gas inspectors will complete a doubling of the inspector team since the explosion of a Pacific Gas and Electric Company pipeline in San Bruno, putting more eyes in the field and boots on the ground.

CPUC Executive Director Paul Clanon said “The San Bruno explosion has to be a game-changer for pipeline safety in California, including changing how the CPUC does its job. The Independent Review Panel gave us a blueprint last month, and now we're building a new CPUC gas safety programme to embody the lessons of San Bruno.”

“The CPUC is well on the way to setting a new national standard in safety rules for gas pipelines. With the recommendations of the Independent Review Panel, we can now make rapid progress in the difficult task of reforming ourselves – how we think about safety, how we oversee the utilities’ safety programmes, and how our inspectors do their jobs out in the field,” said CPUC President Michael Peevey.

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Commissioner Mark Ferron added “I very much welcome the deployment of incremental safety experts. Moreover, the formation of the new Risk Assessment Unit will allow the CPUC to approach the vital issue of pipeline safety in a more scientific and strategic manner and accelerate the development of best practice in the gas industry.”