PG & E Safety Probe: The company can only try to "check the boxes," says judge

A government regulator expressed skepticism about the extent of Pacific Gas and Electric Co.'s security commitment two weeks before the dreadful Camp Fire broke the tool's practice under renewed public scrutiny.

Peter Allen, an administrative judge of the California Public Utilities Commission, commented on a survey of PG & Es corporate culture that started in 2015 in response to the fatal 2010 San Bruno pipeline. In a proposed decision to control the tool to implement the findings from a 2017 revision, Allen asked if PG & E had gone far enough to prioritize security throughout the organization.

"While we are generally encouraged by PG & E's response to the audit, We continue to be concerned about whether PG & E really change their culture, or just trying to" check the boxes ", Allen wrote in the proposed resolution on October 25 .

The proposed decision will be considered by the Commission when it meets November 29 in San Francisco.

The safety investigation has taken on more importance because of Camp Fire Fire East of Chico in Butte County.

Government Fire Researchers See still on the ground of the camp Brann ̵[ads1]1; the most devastating and deadly fire department in California history – but the tool may be due. PG & E have said that two parts of the equipment have worked in the fire area a short time before the fire began and the other shortly after .

The survey includes both Pacific Gas and Electric and the investor-owned parent company PG & E Corp. [19659004] Michael Picker, President of Defense, has said he wants to expand e the ongoing safety investigation of PG and E to include recent firefighters. And he told The Chronicle he agrees with Allen's proposed decision.

"The tool has made many things that make us safer, but still not the level we expect," Picker said Wednesday.

In the proposed order, Allen said that PG & E "seems to have overestimated the security competence of several of its board members" on corporate governance in previous cases in the survey.

"This commission wants PG & E to have a true and effective security culture that permeates the organization, not just a thin veneer or window dressing that looks superficial, but not stressful," wrote Allen.

PG & E has told the Commission that it complies with the 61 safety recommendations 2017 assessment aimed at the tool and has promised to carry out most of them by the end of this year. Recommendations include adding security to the list of qualifications PG & E is used to select independent board members, conduct a broad reassessment of the company's security programs and accelerate security management training for crew members.

"While the full extent of a new phase in the CPUC Security Culture Procedures has not been communicated yet, and PG & E is looking forward to receiving feedback from our regulator when we work for continuous improvement," says Tamar Sarkissian, a PG & E spokeswoman. "Wildfires spreads to prices we have never seen before and we have to work together across all sectors and disciplines to solve this problem of urgency."

As the tool attempts to improve, some of the most critical critics still worried about security issues.

"I'm very concerned that PG & E still have trouble following the basic rules for safe operation of the system," said Mark Toney, CEO of Utility Reform Network, who has been involved in the investigation process. "Unfortunately, the consequences of this error can be devastating to all."

The review of PG & E in 2017 was performed for the commission of the NorthStar Consulting Group. In a report that ran more than 330 pages, NorthStar said that it believes that "PG & E management is committed to security", which is field employees, and notes that "no one wants to be unsafe." However, the report also identified important errors in the PG & E approach.

"While PG & E is committed to security and efforts have been made to reduce events and increase organizational focus on security, these efforts have been somewhat reactive – driven by immediate needs and an understandable urgency rather than an extensive business NorthStar concluded with the PG & E moving rapidly to deal with gas system problems revealed by the San Bruno explosion, which killed eight people and destroyed 38 homes. However, the tool moved more slowly when it came to the organization's more general security culture, said the report.

While Picker Now that PG & Es's fire-fault response is to be considered as part of the safety investigation, he said he is still preparing a formal plan to make it happen. "19659004" Again, it's not about the fires, and it's not even San Bruno. It's really how do you measure whether the organization is, from top to bottom, really addressing security in a conscious day by day, hour by hour way? "Said Picker." It's not enough to have slogans. It's not what you think – that's what you do. "

As the survey continues, PG & Es board games can do it under control, according to Picker. He noted that the company still has several board members who were in place at the time of the pipeline explosion, as he said" does not send a real message about responsibility. "

However, Picker is not yet sure if the Commission may force PG & E to change board members. The utility and its listed parent have a separate technical board but they share the same 12 members. Various directors hold the position as head of the two devices.

"There will obviously be arguments if we have the power to do that," he said. "It seems to me only that there is a necessary question to discuss."