A PG&E pipeline ruptured and exploded in the Crestmoor residential neighborhood of San Bruno, CA. Investigation into the incident found that PG&E had been in violation of regulations and laws regarding the type of piping used for the line. A 30-inch-diameter segment of the natural gas pipeline (installed in 1956) ruptured, and the resulting explosion created a crater about 72 feet long and 26 feet wide and released approximately 47.6 million standard cubic feet of natural gas.—(NTSB)
Date of event: September 9, 2010
Impact:
- 8 fatalities; 58 injuries
- 38 houses destroyed; 70 damaged
- $90 million settlement
Related Resources:
- CPUC Staff Report Alleges PG&E’s Violation of Laws and Regulations Led to San Bruno Pipeline Rupture; Penalty Consideration Case Begins
- Pipeline Accident Report: Pacific Gas and Electric Company Natural Gas Transmission Pipeline Rupture and Fire, San Bruno, CA, September 9, 2010
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Photo: (Credit: Brocken Inaglory/wiki user) Devastation in San Bruno, CA caused by a gas pipeline explosion.