Gas leak still a mystery Gas leak still a mystery (April 09, 2004)

Shut-down businesses could sue PG&E

By Grace Rauh

Pacific Gas and Electric Company officials are still struggling to understand what triggered a gas leak in Mountain View last week that halted rail transit, delayed commuters and forced 40 nearby businesses to shut down for several hours.

Gas seeped out of the ground on March 30 near Evelyn Avenue and Ferry Morse Way when a connection between two thick plastic pipes came loose.

PG&E is trying to determine whether the pipe was originally put into the ground incorrectly or if it separated when construction work occurred nearby. An investigation is underway, but "right now, likelihood is that it wasn't connected properly to begin with," said company spokesperson Jeff Smith.

PG&E is expected to continue its investigation and reach an official conclusion within the next week. If the company accepts responsibility for the leak, it may compensate businesses for revenues lost when the surrounding area was evacuated.

The leak began early on March 30 and continued until after noon. A gray gas cloud shot into the sky in the morning, and those nearby could smell the gas.

The businesses that shut for several hours, including Caltrain and the Valley Transportation Authority's light rail, can file claims with PG&E to cover their losses. Although the gas and electric company has not accepted fault for the leak, it is reviewing the claims all the same, Smith said.

Smith would not say which or how many companies have filed claims thus far, but he is certain that at least several businesses will seek compensation.

"It would be extremely unusual if that did not happen," he said.

Caltrain spokesperson Jayme Maltbie Kunz would not comment on whether the company filed a claim or planned to file one with PG&E. The company does not comment on any pending litigation, she added.

Yet even if every business affected by last week's leak sues, the resulting costs are unlikely to top a recent PG&E payout, according to Smith. The company doled out money -- Smith did not say how much -- to several San Francisco retail stores and restaurants after one-third of the city, including four thousand businesses, lost power on the weekend before Christmas last year.

PG&E's current investigation is unusual because most gas leaks have an obvious cause, Smith said. Gas leaks often begin when a construction company accidentally punctures a pipe with its backhoe equipment. There was no puncture of the Mountain View pipes. PG&E is trying to determine who dug or did construction in the area near the pipes within the past year, as work done in close proximity could have loosened them and caused the leak.

Construction groups and PG&E officials communicate in advance of construction to avoid damage to underground pipes.

E-mail Grace Rauh at grauh@mv-voice.com

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