Crew feared pipeline pressure

Shortly before a fiery pipeline blast that left eight dead in San Bruno, CA, utility crews raced to stop gas pressure surges they feared would cause a “major, major problem.”

March 24, 2011

Shortly before a fiery pipeline blast that left eight dead in San Bruno, CA, utility crews raced to stop gas pressure surges they feared would cause a “major, major problem.”

Operators knew as long as half an hour before the Sept. 9 blast that a botched repair job in a nearby control station was letting natural gas flow unabated, but felt powerless to fix the problem remotely, according to Pacific Gas and Electric Co. records.

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