San Francisco Bay Guardian 48.38

2014·20.1 MB·English

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the san francisco bay guardian | sfbg.com | June 18 - 24, 2014 | Vol. 48, no. 38 | free
breaking the chains reel pride dangerous delays
New formula retail regs spark outcry P8 Our picks for Frameline 38 film fest P33 PG&E lags in fixing old gas pipelines P10
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When you can get all of your favorite stores
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2 SAN FRANCISCO BAY GUARDIAN opinion news food + drink the selector music arts + culture film classifieds
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opinion news food + drink the selector music arts + culture film classifieds JUNe 18 - 24, 2014 / SFBG.COm 3
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INTELLIgENCE
HELLO 70!
A group of local nightlife players has purchased the set of huge warehouse structures on pier 70. “Dating
back to the turn of the 19th century, the structures that remain at Pier 70 are rooted deep in San Francisco’s
ship building history,” they say. “These buildings are now being re-purposed for unique, one-of-a-kind
SHINY NEW APPLE events — for 30 to 13,000.” So far, the soft launches have included a free movie screening of seminal Steve
McQueen action flick Bullitt. But starting 1pm, Sat/21, an enormous “Community Showcase” featuring
As part of a new deal to save beloved more than 50 local vendors, a car show, giant rollerskating rink, free salsa lessons, and live performances
local video store, Le Video, Green will introduce everyone to the new spaces. Bonus: at 8pm a “Great Gatsby Spectacle” brings back the
Apple Books is set to open a new roaring ‘20s with live bands and DJs and dancers, and features a screening of Baz Luhrmann’s The Great
store location August 1. But because Gatsby. www.facebook.com/pier70partners
every minor update about the mar-
riage (OK, OK, co-habitation) of two
of our favorite indie stores is exciting,
seeing the new store’s logo made us
go “squee!” The new location will be
called Green Apple Books on the
park, and a blog post from the store
says it will feature more “breathing
room” for events. Because as we all
know: reading is sexy, but it’s even
sexier to read together. (Fun fact:
Guardian publisher Marke B. man-
aged Green Apple’s previous Sunset SNAPSHOT: BICYCLE
outpost, Ninth Avenue Books, in the
1990s.) phOtO BY @DARwINBell
WE WERE Tag your Instagram photos #sfbgsnapshot for a chance to be featured
here in next week’s paper. Each week we’ll pick a new theme, and a new
QuEER HERE favorite. Next week’s photo challenge theme: “black and white”
San Francisco has a lot to offer
on the surface (killer views, ELDERLY uBERS
tasty snacks, etc.), but it also
SPuRNED
CONDOR FLIES has a remarkably rich hidden
history. Get a peek behind the
Historic strip joint the Condor Club — curtain Sat/21 at “Step Back: Uber drivers are part of two sys-
A walking and Reading tour tems: the fancy-pants town cars of
first “home of topless” and launchpad
for famous erotic dancers like Carol of Old Queer North Beach,” UberBLACK and the regular-Joe
cars of UberX. In a new email from
Doda (pictured) is celebrating its 50th led by author Nan Alamilla Boyd
anniversary Thu/19, 8pm-2am, with a (Wide Open Town: A History Uber to its drivers, the company
of Queer San Francisco to laid out plans to phase out cars
hot-hot-hot burlesque extravaganza.
Tireless drag heroine D’Arcy Drollinger 1965) that explores the historic oanldde cr athrsa no l2d0er0 t6h abny 2Ja0n1u1a irny ,J 2un0e1,5 gLASS SKEWERED
will play Doda herself, with perfor- ‘hood’s queer past. Meet at City
2015 from UberBLACK. All those
mances by Los Shimmy Shakers, Lights Books at 4pm and get UberBLACK drivers stuck with cars Last week the Daily Show with
Roxanne Redmeat, Sugarcane Jane, ready for pop-up performances older than 2011 will be pushed Jon Stewart fired a shot straight
Princess Pandora, and many more. — by the likes of Lil Miss Hot
onto UberX, and take a big ol’ hit to at Google Glass and everyone’s
Period attire encouraged! See www. Mess, Kat Marie Yoas, Maryam
their profits as well. Uber’s recent favorite Glasshole: Sarah Slocum
condorsf.com for more details. Farnaz Rostami, and others
valuation of $17 billion (a figure (she of the “hate crime” attack at
— bringing bygone eras to life.
that’s been disputed) is apparent- Molotov’s bar in Lower Haight).
And talk about radical: it’s free!
WEED COP RETIRES ly giving it the clout to push out “These Philip K. Dicks are on a
www.radarproductions.org
thousands of drivers nationwide. mission to bring us all into the
Captain Greg Corrales of Park future,” correspondent Jason
station is retiring, news likely so spur gET SmOKEY Jones narrates. One person
whoops, hollers, and massive rips defends Google Glass to Jones as
from oversized blunts from the stoners The 77th season of the always an interface between the user and
of Hippie Hill. Corrales has long run free, always packed Stern Grove the real world, in an example of the
undercover stings to catch pot deals, Festival kicks off this Sunday, all-too-common tech evangelist
because you know, that shit’s SO June 22 with an afternoon of gobbledygook. Jones calls him out:
DANGEROUS. Though undercover pot hits like “Shop Around” and “Do you guys hear yourselves talk?
stings are so Summer of Love, we will “You Really Got a Hold On Me” TRANSIT SWITCHEROO Interface between you and the real
miss Corrales’ colorful newsletters, from R&B legend and former world... those are called eyes.”
which he paraphrased in his farewell Miracles frontman Smokey Last week, the Bay Guardian hosted a feisty community forum titled
email. “On Wednesday, after turning in Robinson. The man’s still going Bikes, Buses, and Budgets: How to create the transportation system FOLLOW uS FOR
all my gear, I opted to check conditions strong at age 74, so what excuse San Franciscans need. One audience member piped up during our ques- mORE INTELLIgENCE
on Haight Street one last time...I was do you have not to trek out to the tion-and-answer session with a bold proposal: Stakeholders should be
unable to spot any suspicious scoun- park to see him? The show kicks made try out different modes of transit to understand the challenges @sfbg
drels skulking sinisterly. Purveyors of off at 2pm with opener Patti people encounter getting around. Think cops on bikes joining the clutch
pernicious poison, in possession of Austin; get there early if you’re of cyclists making their way up Market Street at rush hour, or top-ranking SBaany GFruaanrcdiisacno
passels of The Weed with Roots in Hell interested in visibility. For info: Muni officials sent to languish on the T-Third platform after dark, when the
were nowhere to be seen. I knew then www.sterngrove.org. train runs excruciatingly slow. It’s like that old saying, bus a mile in another @sfbayguardian
that I could go home.” person’s shoes ... www.sfbg.com
4 SAN FRANCISCO BAY GUARDIAN OpINION NewS FOOD + DRINk the SeleCtOR mUSIC ARtS + CUltURe FIlm ClASSIFIeDS
www.sfbg.com/mission-guide
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SINGIN’ & PINGIN’ Returns to Verdi Club
PUBLISHER marke bieschke
EDITOR steven t. jones sells more bikes than any
American Tripps and DJ Purple present SINGIN’ & PINGIN’,
EDITORIAL
where Berlin-style ping pong meets Dance Karaoke this Friday
SENIOR EDITOR, ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
cheryl eddy night. It’s the perfect party to celebrate spring turning into other S.F. Bike Dealer...
NEwS EDITOR rebecca bowe
MUSIc EDITOR emma silvers summer with two ping pong tables, an extensive songbook,
STAff wRITER joe fitzgerald rodriguez there must be a reason!
cOLUMNISTS marcia gagliardi, expert bartenders, chill lighting, and all the dance floor you
jason henderson, jessica lanyadoo
cOPy EDITOR stewart applin could possibly need.
EDITOR AT LARGE bruce b. brugmann SELECTION, PRICE, SERVICE!
cONTRIBUTING EDITORS kimberly chun, Friday, June 20 at 8pm @ Verdi Club, 2424 Mariposa St., SF
susan gerhard, johnny ray huston,
lynn rapoport, j.h. tompkins
cONTRIBUTING wRITERS robert avila,
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shawn gaynor, nicole gluckstern,
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opinion news food + drink the selector music arts + culture film classifieds June 18 - 24, 2014 / SFBG.com 5
opinion
Tenants can fight
evictions and win
By Tyler MacMillan an attorney to stand up and fight
for your rights at trial, those rights
OPINION Every year, around 3,500 remain the empty, meaning-
formal eviction lawsuits are filed less promises of the pay-to-play
against residential tenants in San American legal system.
Francisco Superior Court. Contrary Of course, tenants who get
to popular belief, the eviction represented by attorneys can win
lawsuit — known as an “unlawful eviction cases — exactly the reason
detainer” — is one of the fastest we started our Trial Project at EDC
moving cases in the entire civil last year. Since the Trial Project
system. While we’ve all heard launched, EDC staff attorneys have
anecdotes about how it can take represented a small percentage of
years to remove San Francisco tenants facing the prospect of a
tenants from their homes, tenants jury trial on their own. Through
sued for eviction experience civil the hard work of EDC staff attor-
litigation at warp speed. neys (who on average earn less
More than a third of those than $50,000 a year), the Trial
sued for eviction miss the five-day Project enjoyed another jury trial
window the law provides to file a victory in May. While very few
response with the court. In 2013, eviction cases reach a verdict, this
1,294 of the tenant households was EDC’s third trial victory in the
that were sued for eviction in past year.
the city missed that deadline to This particular jury verdict
respond. The strong tenant pro- saved the home of a Spanish-
tections found in San Francisco’s speaking couple who have lived in
Rent Ordinance and California the Mission District for the past 19
law don’t mean much to those years. They have young children
who miss their five-day deadline: who attend the local public schools
Sheriff’s deputies clear the proper- and attend church in the neigh-
Justice delayed is justice denied
ty just a few weeks after the case is borhood. This family has limited
filed if you don’t respond. So much income and would certainly have
for due process. had to leave of San Francisco if it
Securing tenants due process was evicted, uprooting the chil- EDITORIAL Members of the San the money that remains. wage to $15 — but delaying that
rights in San Francisco has been dren and leaving behind its com- Francisco Board of Supervisors This should have been enacted implementation to 2018. How much
our job at the Eviction Defense munity. who try to identify with both the three years ago when Campos first displacement and economic hard-
Collaborative (EDC) since 1996. At The landlord had accused the progressive movement and busi- won approval for it, only to see Lee ship will San Franciscans experience
our drop-in legal clinic, our team family of not paying the rent — ness-oriented Mayor Ed Lee — most veto it and Chiu sponsor a watered- between now than then?
of attorneys and volunteers assist even though the family had repeat- notably, Sups. David Chiu and Jane down alternative that didn’t address Chiu and Kim also sang the
over 94 percent of all tenants who edly tried to pay. The jury agreed Kim — engaged in a strange bit of the problem. Even now, in order praises of Lee for finally agreeing
respond to their eviction lawsuit in with the tenant, finding that the self-congratulations during their to win over Sups. Mark Farrell and to finally keep his word and sup-
San Francisco each year. Although conditions on the property were so June 10 meeting, patting them- London Breed to attain a veto-proof port a local increase in the vehi-
our office is open Monday through bad that the landlord wasn’t enti- selves on the back for a trio of “pro- majority, Campos had to delay full cle license fee to fund safer and
Friday to help tenants respond to tled to the rent being demanded. gressive” reforms. implementation until 2017. smoother streets and more money
the lawsuit on time, nine out of The jury actually followed the law, Yet in each case, the measures “I also want to commend Sup. for Muni. But rather than this year
10 tenants sued for eviction repre- and reduced the tenants’ rent. are weaker than they should be Campos for finding compromise,” as promised, that measure will
sent themselves for the duration The heroes in this case are and too long overdue — and they Chiu said before joining the inev- be on the November 2016 ballot,
of their case. Over 90 percent of the tenants — their courage in have their full implementation itable majority, a snide dig at his pushing it back from prosperous to
landlords can afford to hire expert, standing up for their home and delayed for years, while the needs Assembly race opponent that only uncertain times.
aggressive attorneys to evict their their civil rights is inspiring, and of the people they aim to serve are served to reinforce Campos’ cam- At the June 12 Guardian com-
tenants — very few tenants can should be a lesson to tenants across immediate. What Kim and Chiu paign trail points that Chiu’s com- munity forum, Sup. Scott Wiener
afford to hire a private attorney to the city. We need tenants in San presented as a demonstration of promises are often just sellouts to said he may still move forward with
defend their homes. Francisco to push back against this political effectiveness on behalf of downtown interests. This watered- his proposed charter amendment to
Unsurprisingly, tenants agree current wave of displacement and needy constituents is actually just down version, albeit better than give Muni more general fund money
to move out in most eviction we’re here to help. 2 the opposite. It is political coward- the last watered-down version, also until the local VLF is approved, and
lawsuits — around four out of ice and not political courage. won unanimous approval. we strongly urge him to so do.
five tenants sued for eviction will Tyler Macmillan is a tenants’ rights The best of the trio of approv- Another kumbaya moment came “Justice delayed is justice
settle the case with an agreement attorney and the executive director of als was a measure by Sup. David with the introduction of a consensus denied” is a legal maxim that this
to leave their homes. And who the Eviction Defense Collaborative, a Campos that finally closes the ballot measure for increasing the board full of lawyers is certainly
could blame them? The choice of nonprofit legal services clinic in the loophole that allows employers to minimum wage in San Francisco, familiar with. Their delays of cru-
conducting a jury trial against a Tenderloin. Any tenant sued for evic- satisfy their employee healthcare with the Mayor’s Office and business cial reforms are disgraceful and
licensed attorney is not an appeal- tion can drop into EDC at 995 Market mandate by creating healthcare community finally agreeing with the damaging to the city, and for them
ing — or realistic — choice for a #1200 (at Sixth Street) Mon-Fri, 9:30- savings accounts, which they make campaign by labor and progressive to congratulate themselves for
self-represented tenant. Without 11:30am and 1-3pm. difficult to use and then pocket groups to increase the minimum doing so is insulting. 2
6 SAN FRANCISCO BAY GUARDIAN OPINION NEwS FOOD + DRINk ThE SELECTOR mUSIC ARTS + CULTURE FILm CLASSIFIEDS
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opinion news food + drink the selector music arts + culture film classifieds June 18 - 24, 2014 / SFBG.com 7
Job Number: OUTER4008765 Headline: Peet’s
Pub/Date: SF Bay Guardian Due Date: Safeway
6/13/2014
Trim, Safe, Bleed: 6.01” x 11” trim / -.25” safety / +.125” bleed
Sign-offs:
newS
Philz Coffee iS a homegrown Chain that would Be exemPted
from ProPoSed formula retail ControlS.
PhOTO by kENNEjImA/flICkr (CC)
By Steven t. JoneS they go into the neighborhoods,”
[email protected] Mar said, noting how those studies
will allow city officials to make
NEWS San Franciscans have always better decisions about whether to
been wary of chain stores, more so approve formula retail applications.
than residents of any other major Stacy Mitchell is the senior
US city, none of which have taken researcher for the Institute for Local
on the ever-expanding national cor- Self-Reliance, an organization that
porations and their homogenizing has been working with San Francisco
impact on local communities as on its formula retail controls since
strongly as San Francisco. their inception. She applauds the
In the decade since San city’s current efforts to create more
Francisco first adopted trail-blazing comprehensive guidelines and to
controls on what it calls “formula require more economic analysis.
retail” businesses, those restrictions “San Francisco doesn’t have a
have only gotten tighter for various good mechanism for fully evaluat-
commercial districts around the ing the economic impact of these
city as elected supervisors seek to proposals,” Mitchell told us, calling
prevent big companies from tak- the Planning Department and Mar
ing over key storefronts from local efforts “a really good place to start
shopkeepers. the conversation.”
But now, as the Planning But Mitchell said that she doesn’t
Department and Mayor’s Office want to weigh in on what specific
push a new set of formula retail reg- number of outlets may be right, say-
ulations that they say standardizes ing city officials just need to decide,
and expands the analysis and con- “What is the right balance and mix
trols for chain stores throughout the Breaking the chains and how do we want to handle it?”
city, neighborhood groups and small Rodgers told us the Planning
business advocates are decrying Department legislation will expand
aspects of the proposal that actually the number of businesses that fall
weaken those controls. under formula retail controls, even
Most controversial is the pro- as the threshold is raised to 20 out-
Rival measures updating SF’s formula retail controls stir controversy and debate
posal to almost double the number lets, although she couldn’t quantify
of outlets that a company can have exactly how much.
before it is considered a formula to stop those projects. WEak liNkS include the categories business and But critics are focusing on
retail business, going from up to Although Prop. G allows the For all the indignant opposition professional services (including aspects of the proposal that loosen
11 stores now up to 20 under the city to update its standards and to the Planning Department pro- Kinko’s and H&R Block), limited current restrictions, noting how that
proposal, which was approved by definitions regarding formula retail, posal expressed at the June 9 Small financial services (including street cuts against the trend in recent years
the Small Business Commission last Peskin and others said throwing Business Commission meeting, front ATMs and small banking of supervisors seeking to tighten
week and heads to the Planning out the negotiated number of 11 where mayoral appointees led that outlets), and fringe financial (such restrictions in their districts, creat-
Commission next month. outlets undercuts “the fundamental body’s 4-2 vote approving the mea- as check-cashing and payday loan ing a hodgepodge of legislation that
Opposition is particularly strong underpinning of the formula retail sure, the planners who developed it outlets). the Planning Department was trying
in North Beach, one of two neigh- controls.” say they’re actually trying to expand The new controls would also to overcome with comprehensive
borhood commercial districts that The Planning Department pro- the controls on chain stores. count a company’s outlets in other new legislation.
have an outright ban on formula posal also does nothing to prevent Senior Policy Advisor AnMarie countries and locations that have
retail business (Hayes Valley is the big national chains from creating Rodgers and Project Manager been leased but not yet opened, it What’S a chaiN?
other) and where residents are orga- spin-offs to circumvent the controls, Kanishka Burns sat down with the would expand some of the neighbor- The Planning Department’s new
nizing to fight the proposal at the a growing trend that raised contro- Guardian to go through details of the hoods subject to formula retail con- threshold and the arguments being
Board of Supervisors and at the bal- versy in the last few years, including proposal and a May study it was based trols, and it would require formula made to support it rely heavily on
lot if necessary. when Gap subsidiary Athleta opened on, “San Francisco Formula Retail retail businesses to minimize their making the case that three specif-
“The Planning Department a store on Fillmore Street and when Economic Analysis,” by Strategic signage on the street, improve their ic homegrown companies should
proposal to redefine what a chain Liz Claiborne owner Fifth & Pacific Economics, as well as an earlier study pedestrian access, and fund more be excluded from formula retail
store is flies in the face of the voters’ Companies tried to open a Jack by the Controller’s Office. detailed analysis on their impacts on protections: Philz Coffee (with 14
will and 10 years of successful chain Spade store in the Mission District. “Our department is super com- the local economy. Big box stores, in stores), Lee’s Deli (13 outlets), and
store policy,” Aaron Peskin, the for- Those two controversial provi- mitted to encouraging the diversity particular, would be required to sub- San Francisco Soup Company (16
mer Board of Supervisors president sions in the Planning Department of neighborhood commercial dis- mit to even more detailed economic locations).
from North Beach who sponsored proposal aren’t in rival legislation tricts,” Rodgers told us, acknowledg- impact studies. “Right now, we would treat Philz
the ordinance banning chains there, by Sup. Eric Mar, who has long ing that small businesses often need Many of these same provisions the same way we treat Starbucks,”
told the Guardian. been a champion of expanding protection from deep-pocketed cor- are included in the Mar legislation, Burns said, noting that Starbucks
The citywide voters he refers to controls on chain stores. Both the porations that can pay higher rents which also goes further in including has more than 20,000 outlets.
are those who approved Prop. G by Mar and Planning Department leg- and enjoy other competitive advan- gyms, gas stations, smoke shops, “Can’t you cut a break to the
a wide margin in 2006, defining for- islation will go before the Planning tages over mom-and-pop stores. strip clubs, massage establishments, businesses that started here?” was
mula retail business as having 11 or Commission on July 17, and they Rodgers cited studies showing and various automotive businesses a question that Rodgers says helped
more outlets with common brand- could be either merged or move for- that local small businesses circulate under the formula retail controls. shape development on the regula-
ing and merchandise and requiring ward as rival proposals. more of their revenues in the city Like the Planning Department mea- tions. The Strategic study found that
that they obtain a conditional use “We’re hoping this legislation than big chains, boosting the local sure, Mar’s also requires more data about 5 percent of the retail estab-
permit before opening in most moves forward as quickly as we can,” economy. That’s one reason why for formula retail applicants. lishments in the city had 11 to 20
neighborhood commercial districts, Mar told us. “We’re losing neighbor- the Planning Department proposal “We want to make chains fund outlets, while another 4 percent had
thus giving local residents a vehicle hood character in many areas.” expands formula retail controls to economic impact statements before CONTINUES ON PAGE 16 >>
8 SaN FRaNciScO BaY GUaRDiaN OpiNiON NEWS FOOD + DRiNk thE SElEctOR mUSic aRtS + cUltURE Film claSSiFiEDS
opinion news food + drink the selector music arts + culture film classifieds June 18 - 24, 2014 / SFBG.com 9
news safety a 2010 natuRal gas explosion in a mostly Residential aRea in san BRuno pRompted state RegulatoRs to oRdeR pg&e to suRvey all its
natuRal gas lines in califoRnia. AP Photo by Jeff Chiu
By ReBecca Bowe lines when it was released in
[email protected] April, commended PG&E for its
work but also noted, “PG&E does
NEWS Since we at the Bay not have traceable, verifiable,
Guardian published a story flag- and complete records for every
ging Pacific Gas & Electric Co.’s pipeline component in its trans-
odd behavior of stonewalling a mission system.” The audit also
developer who had basic questions found errors in the work papers
about a high-pressure gas pipe- submitted by the company to back
line running beneath his Bernal up its claims. Nevertheless, the
Heights building lot (see “Bernal Safety and Enforcement Division
blows up,” May 20), we’ve heard concluded, “no imminent safety
from others concerned about the concerns arose” from the findings.
company’s practices regarding But this proclamation isn’t
safety. the final word on the matter. The
PG&E has undertaken a Office of Ratepayer Advocates is a
massive pipeline improvement small division within the CPUC,
project to correct the underlying which functions as a watchdog
problems that led to a disastrous looking out for the interests of
2010 natural gas explosion in San utility customers. Its comments
Bruno, which destroyed a neigh- on the audit tell quite a different
borhood, killed eight people, and story, raising questions about why
injured 58 others. the enforcement division didn’t
But the repairs have been com- seem to place much weight on its
plicated by a number of factors, dangerous delays own findings.
including inaccuracies in records In its comments, reflected
that provide a foundation for the in the document that was circu-
whole undertaking. Meanwhile, lated internally, the ORA sharp-
a fascinating document obtained ly questioned the Safety and
by the Bay Guardian raises trou- Enforcement Division’s overarch-
bling questions about whether ing conclusion. It should “reflect
state regulators are taking serious- Four years after the San Bruno disaster, PG&E still isn’t fixing its potentially faulty the actual findings of the audit,”
ly PG&E’s shortcomings in this the ORA wrote, recommending
natural gas pipelines on schedule
endeavor. that the Safety Division “define
Established in 1905, PG&E is what is meant by ... ‘no imminent
California’s largest utility compa- traversing the utility’s Northern It also reported installing 141 summer months, so it can be safety concerns.’
ny. It wields tremendous political California service territory. The automated valves — but in 2011, wrapped up in time for winter, “In common language,” the
influence, particularly in San hefty document was submitted for PG&E told regulators that by the when there’s higher demand for ORA went on, “this would be
Francisco, where it’s headquar- CPUC approval in 2011. end of Phase I, “228 gas shut-off gas heating. interpreted to mean there is no
tered. But the utility giant has However, things haven’t gone valves will be replaced, automat- The cost of these upgrades is situation that puts the public in
been in hot water lately. It was exactly as planned. Phase I of this ed, and upgraded to enable PG&E shared between PG&E sharehold- immediate risk of death or seri-
indicted by federal authorities on plan was supposed to have been to remotely or automatically shut ers and revenues collected from ous physical harm. If that is the
charges of criminal negligence completed by the end of 2014 — off the flow of gas in the event of utility customers. meaning, please confirm. If not,
earlier this year in connection but that’s now behind schedule, a pipe rupture.” please clarify the meaning.”
with the San Bruno explosion, and some of the original targets In hefty technical documents, ProblEmS rEvEalEd The ORA goes on to note that
and may soon face additional have been revised. PG&E provides reasons for why A major obstacle to the goal of such a statement is “contradicted
charges in a superseding indict- The Bay Guardian attempted some of the targets have shifted, improving safety has yet to be by findings within the body of
ment, the company noted in a to contact both PG&E and the often the result of new informa- resolved: PG&E’s pipeline records the report,” and that “it is difficult
recent regulatory filing. CPUC for this story, but did not tion coming to light. In a June still aren’t in order, despite a to understand how the SED Report
PG&E’s safety upgrade proj- receive responses. However, reg- 6 CPUC filing, PG&E noted that major push to iron out data in the could reach this conclusion.”
ect, known as the Pipeline Safety ulatory filings reveal quite a lot nine scheduled pipeline replace- wake of San Bruno. The Safety Division’s audit
Enhancement Plan, was launched about the company’s progress. ment projects included in Phase I Since these records are the “documents errors that ORA
to address the underlying prob- A comparison of the work likely would not be completed by foundation for making safety would define as safety risks,” the
lems that led to the unanticipated PG&E proposed to complete in the end of the year, as originally upgrade decisions, these informa- ORA notes, such as the discovery
pipeline rupture and explosion in 2011, versus what it reported planned. tional gaps threaten to undermine of a pipeline that has a maximum
San Bruno. That disaster brought having completed as of March This formal acknowledgement the project. The implications of operating pressure nearly 20 per-
the powerful utility under intense 31, 2014, demonstrates how the of a delay seems to substantiate this glaring problem are outlined cent higher than it should be,
scrutiny, exposing a deeper pat- massive safety upgrade project has the account of a Guardian source in a CPUC document obtained by based on the pipeline feature data,
tern of negligence and sloppy shifted over time. familiar with the pipeline safety the Bay Guardian which was circu- or the discovery that PG&E had
record-keeping. The PSEP was In a document submitted upgrade work, who asked not to lated on an internal “service list,” been “inappropriately operating a
rolled out as a corrective mea- to the CPUC on May 22, PG&E be identified. Work crews hired but not made publicly available. pipeline with a reduced margin of
sure, in response to regulatory reported that it had completed by PG&E contractors and sub- First, some background: In safety.”
demands. 541 miles of strength testing, contractors to perform the safety October 2013, PG&E submitted PG&E responded to the Safety
as compared with 780 miles of upgrades have found themselves an update to its PSEP plan to the Division’s audit, and “they view
ShiftiNg targEtS strength testing originally pro- in a holding pattern of waiting CPUC, which included reporting their report as final,” noted ORA
The detailed PSEP outlined posed to be completed by the end to be called out to job sites, our on its effort to collect and analyze spokesperson Nathaniel Skinner.
how the utility would go about of 2014. PG&E said it had replaced source said, despite the extensive pipeline records. The regulatory As far as addressing the prob-
strength testing, replacing, and 105 miles of pipeline, as compared planned work. agency’s Safety and Enforcement lems uncovered in the audit, “It’s
retrofitting its vast network of with the 186 miles of pipeline The utility typically sends Division conducted an audit of unclear to us what the next step
natural gas transmission pipe- replacement it initially said would work crews out to perform main- this reported progress. is for the Safety and Enforcement
lines, which comprise 6,750 miles be done by the end of the year. tenance work during spring and The audit, which made head- Division.” 2
10 SaN fraNCiSCo baY gUardiaN oPiNioN NEWS food + driNk thE SElECtor mUSiC artS + CUltUrE film ClaSSifiEdS