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CPUC begins hearings on Carmel explosion and five other PG&E pipeline accidents

As the California Public Utilities Commission began a new round of hearings in San Francisco today into PG&E’s pipeline record-keeping, Carmel Mayor Jason Burnett called for sweeping reforms and possibly a break-up of the utility


Henry A. Barrios / The Californian

PG&E wins restraining order against company involved in pipeline explosion

In the fourth incident cited by PG&E as cause for a restraining order, the utility says Big N Deep drove heavy digging machinery over a gas pipeline near


Gas line explosion highlights lack of coordination between pipeline owners and excavation contractors

This month’s fatal pipeline rupture near Bakersfield highlights a challenge that has vexed state, federal and private-sector officials in recent years: how to improve coordination between natural gas utilities and excavation contractors to better protect public s


One dead and three injured in PG&E natural gas line explosion southwest of Bakersfield

A third party, more than likely a farmer, hit the line with a piece of heavy equipment,” Kern County Fire Department Capt. Tom Ellison said. “The operator of that vehicle was killed.


Neighbors concerned about safety in fiber line construction

Residents of a Huntersville neighborhood contacted Channel 9 after they said AT&T’s fiber line work has caused a string of gas and water main breaks in the area.

A gas line was hit Monday night on Harvington Drive. It was repaired, but neighbors said they are tired of the problems.

The issues started last week when a contractor installing AT&T fiber lines accidentally severed AT&T service lines for the neighborhood. The service was out for more than 12 hours.

A contractor then cut a water line. The gas line that was cut Monday night caused a gas leak, and firefighters had to block off several streets.

Channel 9 anchor John Paul spoke with the neighbors about their complaints and learned that contractors are installing fiber optic lines.

Bill Clegg is not happy with the working being done in his neighborhood.

He showed Paul where fiber crews under contract with AT&T installed boxes in his yard in Huntersville. Clegg said he had no say in the matter and AT&T was granted an easement to install the cables, which provide high-speed Internet service.

“I didn’t realize they could come 10 feet to put a box in my yard for service I may never want down the road,” Clegg said.

Neighbors said that between their yards being torn up and their utilities being cut off, they are fed up.

“They’re tearing up my yard. They’re disrupting my lifestyle. I’m not very happy,” neighbor Ellen Law said. “You can see what they’ve done here. It’s a big mud hole.”

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Construction worker in critical condition after cutting through power line in Newport Beach

A construction worker was critically injured after cutting through a power line and causing a small explosion Monday afternoon in Newport Beach. Police and firefighters were called to the 3 p.m. incident on Via Lido and Via Oporto when people heard the noise of the explosion, said Sgt. John Thulin […]


Construction mishap disrupts phone service

A construction dig that cut a CenturyLink fiber optics line near Casselton on Monday disrupted phone and rerouted 911 service in Jamestown and Valley City. “There was a large impact to both cities and we are not sure of the exact number impacted at this time,”said Rachel Woodman, CenturyLink public […]


Contractors installing Google Fiber accidentally cut gas line

Contractors installing Google Fiber lines hit a gas line Monday afternoon, according to Charlotte Fire Department.

The gas line was cut at 4:51 p.m. in the 5900 block of Waterelm Lane. No evacuations were needed and traffic was not affected. No injuries were reported.
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Another gas line was cut close to the area in July while contractors were also installing Google Fiber lines.

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Why most cities don’t bury power lines

In late June, a freakish and powerful “derecho” storm in the Washington, D.C., area knocked out a bunch of power lines and left more than a million homes without electricity for several days (weeks, in some cases). Soon enough, local officials began calling on the local utility, Pepco, to bury […]


Underground all Tallahassee electric lines?

The cry goes up every time Tallahassee experiences a big storm, with trees falling on electric lines and knocking out the power for many residents: “Why doesn’t Tallahassee put its electric lines underground?” Sure enough, the cry went up after the June 30 windstorm. Hundreds of trees fell on power […]