Lack of Automatic Shutoff Valves Worsened San Bruno Fire Disaster

The Los Angeles Times reported that leaders are considering new requirements for automatic shutoff valves on gas pipelines following reports that Pacific Gas & Electric workers could not get to the manually operated valves on the pipeline and that this delay caused much of the destruction of homes in the area. According to the LA Times, PG&E's spokesman told residents of the area "that it took the utility about an hour and 46 minutes to stop the gas." U. S. Representative Jackie Speier and California Assemblyman Jerry Hill both plan to introduce bills requiring automatic shutoff valves. The efficacy of the safety valves is controversial. According to one engineering professor who studied the problem, "You're talking about a huge expense . . . . [H]igh-tech automatic and remote valve control systems can be much more costly and demanding to properly maintain."