Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) reported to state regulators late Friday that it had found a safety violation in the utility natural gas distribution pipeline system in California’s Silicon Valley and corrected it last Wednesday. A regulator station that had been closed and isolated since 2002 was nevertheless still connected to the PG&E pipeline system in violation of state code. After obtaining permits from Santa Clara city and county officials, PG&E said it removed the deactivated equipment. The utility stressed that the situation had not posed any safety issue for the general public or utility employees, but the station piping should not have been left connected to the larger utility distribution pipeline system. PG&E told state regulators it will review its overall system to ensure that other deactivated regulator stations are properly disconnected from the gas system by Sept. 1.

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