it was not a question of if this pipeline would burst. it was question of when. a federal panel is right now holding a hearing in washington, d.c. issuing the long-awaited

findings about the pipeline eggs explosion. good morning. i'm kristen sze. n.t.s.b. says pg&e failed time and time again that could have taken steps to prevent the deadly disaster. terry mcsweeney has been monitoring the hearing all morning. >> who could forget the images in san bruno. a burst gas pipeline and ensuing inferno. in washington, d.c. the release of a report o of a yearlong investigation and a verbal assault on the pg&e. >> you are going to hear about a troubling explanations and a system of oversight. government agencies a placed a blind trust in operators to the detriment to public safety. >> reporter: with congresswoman jackie speier and the mayor and

city officials in the audience, n.t.s.b. chairwoman put pg&e and the state puc in the crosshairs. the investigation begin with an inspection of the 28 footñç section of the pipe sending natural gas to fuel the flames. >> this is enough gas to serve the entire city for a month and it was released in less than two hours. >> the investigation could not answer questions. >> it was compounded over the years by a litany of failures. including poor record keeping, inadequate inspection programs and integrity management program without integrity. >> chairwoman implied the pipe was made by the request of pg&e, something the utility denies.

pg&e released a statement this morning about its efforts to improve safety in its gas transmission lines saying they are creating a separate unit for gas operations and implementing more stlin gentle standards and hiring more gas engineers, providing additional training to gas operations employees, implementing safety practices, upgrading older gas lines and shutoff valves and improving coordination with emergency responders. but victims of the september fire need help now. one of the 50 families suing pg&e, he says his family relives the disaster every day. >> a lot of stress dealing with the issues, dealing with my children who is in therapy, dealing with my wife who is in therapy. >> we now have the opportunity and all of us have the obligation to take every step possible to ensure that the lessons of this tragedy are well learned and not repeated.

heather ishimaru is in aware right now covering the hearings and have reports 4:00, 5:00 and 6:00. >> and we have a live stream to the hearing and it's going on right now. we're going post a full report there when it is released at the conclusion of the hearing this evening. the hearing is drawing reaction from neighbors. lyanne melendez is live in san bruno with that part of the story. >> reporter: terry said that 8 people died and you have to remember 38 homes were destroyed by this explosion. you know, people here say when you have this kind of disaster yoreally want answers and residents feel like they haven't gotten those answers. as you recall they had their lives turned upside-down and it's been nearly a year and many people feel that pg&e hasn't come clean. it's especially hurtful for many

when had he hear that opportunities were missed that could have prevented this kind of tragedy. they are aware of the ntsb's final report will be made without those critical records of the pipeline. pg&e has never come forward with the documents that verify the origin of that section of pipe involved in this explosion. >> i don't understand why they don't have records. i don't believe that i believe they have records. i don't know if they are hiding them but i think they may have not produced them to the public or to n.t.s.b. but believe they have something. >> reporter: as is left a huge crater which has not been filled yet but people looking around here and they are rebuilding. i look at homes before were leveled. i remember nearly a year ago and they are beginning to rebuild. that is a good sign. it's a first step forward for

many people want to rebuild this community but the memories will be there for ever. investigators want to find out if three separate shootings that sent four people in the richmond area to the hospital are related. first happened on jade street in north richmond. a wounded man showed up at local hospitals. someone opened fire people on carlson boulevard and few minutes later a woman was shot while she drove along interstate 80. they found two men shot at the scene of the second shooting. one person rammed into a gas meter and that forced an evacuation into the neighborhood. >> innocent clare county sheriff's department is involving a shooting with a deputy after a gunfight late last night. the deputy tried to stop a pedestrian but the suspect ran

and shot at the deputy. the deputy fired back and hit the man. it happened on stephens creek boulevard last night. police say the man was taken into custody with non life-threatening injuries. sheriffs deputy was not hurt. >> in san francisco police say an early morning shooting at a restaurant in the mission district may have been a case of mistaken identity. it happened at 19th street around 12:30 a.m. a man was shot in the head and is in intensive care. investigators say the victim may have been mistaken for a member of a rival gang. they say he is likely a restaurant employee. >> now to the impact of hurricane irene. the storm is blamed for at least 40 deaths in 11 states. the vermont national guard will air lift food, water and supplies to a costs small towns flooding from the remnants of irene. flooding is a big concern in new york and new jersey. millions of residents along the

eastern seaboard still have no power and this morning president obama again promised government help. >> folks are surveying the damage, some are dealing with tremendous flooding. as a government we're going to make sure that states and communities have the support they need so their folks can recover. >> rescue crews in patterson new jersey are working around the clock. this worker carried a baby across the water covered road. emergency crews have helped at least 3500 people. floodwaters are turning highways into rivers. machinery has been brought in to move the rocks and dirt. >> the government's main disaster aid fund is running out of money as the obama administration says damage from irene could run into billions of dollars. fema says they have less than

$800 million in disaster aid. they have been forced to freeze earlier building projects dating back to hurricane katrina. back here a gas leak forced residents to close and an veaq. arnold and industrial way and solano way off of highway 4. live with the latest. >> reporter: they shut down the on-ramp to westbound highway 4 here at peralta. they evacuated businesses within half a mile of this area. it all sounds very alarming but officials tell me they are just being overly cautious. its two-inch gas main that broke. pg&e is should recollect off the gas and they are here to make the repair which they say is basic. people that work in the area the fix can't happen fast enough, especially the employees from this company which had to walk away 400 birds.

>> we own a bird and we need to get in and see the birds. there is nobody there. we're very concerned because of this gas problem, that the birds are on going to be okay. >> a a a city crew was sitting a traffic light when a contractor hit a gas line. some of the businesses was a gas air company and airomny, they say they are not worried about combust that built because they are working out in the open air. so some big hassles and hoping to have it opened in the next hour or two. they are aiming for noon. amy hollyfield, "abc 7 news." a brazen robbery in northern hill. elderly man was vimd twice. and president obama salutes america's veterans. the message for the men and

women that serve our country after they come home. and the unwanted bay area chihuahuas that are ununintended victims of

morgan hill police want you to take a look at new sketches of two suspects that robbed and kidnapped a 72-year-old man. they paled gun on man and forced

them into a car and drove to a wells fargo bank and forced him to withdraw cash and they stole more cash from his home. morgan hill police are asking you to call them if you have any information. >> th. >> they want to ban prison officials for forcing psychiatric medications on shooting rampage suspect. jared loughner is appealing a lower court ruling that concluded that prison officials can medicate a mentally ill person in prison. he has pleaded not guilty to 49 charges in the january shooting that killed six people and wounded 13 others including congresswoman gabrielle giffords. president obama traveled to minneapolis to address the american legion national convention. he saluted the 9/11 generation

veterans and saluted forces in iraq and afghanistan. he says because of them america is moving forward from a position of strength. >> in a decade of war, and extraordinary vigil with more than 2 million deploying to the war zone. hundreds of thousands have deployed year after year. never before has our nation asked so much of our all volunteer force. the president also pledged to spend more on veterans assistance and he would work to make sure the government process disability claims more efficiently. you can tell it's cooler. >> significantly cooler but good news, clouds are thinning enough that flight risms delays are over but when the heat hits the beach there may be large swells

coming your way. >> and connection giants rookie with the newerest discovery of something else. >> and newest arrival on the streets of san francisco overnight.  (speaking in international language) and he said unto them go ye into all of the world and preach the gospel preach the gospel  ♪very creature in the world. (applause)

a very unusual flight fiet on the streets sight off the streets of san francisco. eight elephants walk the final two blocks to the cow palace in daly city. it's part of a new performance. ringling brothers have been hit with accusations that the animals abuse a charge they deny. performances of the new show begin at cow palace. >> to the bay area's newest jury of a. this male calf was born in discovery doing come in vallejo. they named him brachb done after first baseman after brandon belt it's his nickname because the way he moves. they embraced the moniker much like the panda.

he plans to visit his name sake very soon. i feel taller right now. three inches on him. >> and buster posey is yesterday's news. they could really use them. they lost last night on to the cubs. 7:15 will you see a lot of this, the clouds as we look down on at&t park. it will be breezy around 61 degrees and dropping down to 58 by the time the game ends. any other perspectives we would like to show you, santa cruz much cloudier and much cooler especially inland neighborhoods, those will be the areas that see the biggest drop in temperature from yesterday to today. take a look at satellite, clearing along the north bay beaches and some of the clearing into the north bay valleys. monterey bay is socked in for a couple more hours. let's talk about temperatures, look how cool, mid to upper 50s,

san francisco and san rafael. we're in the upper 50s around the monterey bay inland and only 60 in gilroy. let's talk about that slow sunshine and cool breeze today. partly cloudy, breeze will be dry and we can take drizzle out of the forecast for the next couple of nights and just in time for the holiday weekend it's going to feel like summer even at the coast. fremont, 72. san francisco one agree cooler, three in san jose and santa rosa and concord, 7-8 degrees. sun will set at 7:42. east bay valleys, warmest weather but mainly low to mid-80s and 70s around walnut creek and dublin. mid to upper 60s through most of the east bayshore. down to the south a little more sunshine and low 70s. mid to upper 70s in the south bay with san jose and cupertino

at 75. low to mid-70s on the peninsula and only 68 in millbrae with lingering cloud. low to mid 50s along the coast and mid-50s spilling into downtown san francisco and sausalito. low to mid-60s in the north bay beaches but mid to upper 70s for the sunny valleys and 90s up in ukiah and clearlake. 50s in monterey, 80 in morgan hill. highs across the state getting cooler in the central valley, 89 at sacramento, 82 at tahoe. palm springs, 112, 83 in l.a. talk about the giants, playoff hopes are slipping rather quickly. five to six games behind of arizona and even farther behind the braves. we got to win tonight begins the cubs. let's talk about what is happening tonight. notice the breezes and dry air and lack of clouds across the north bay. most of the clouds around the bay and along the coast. it will be cool in the north bay

and valleys, low to mid-50s while the rest of us mid to upper 50s. any drizzle will be aren't around the monterey bay. here is the setup, low down to the south, high out to the west, winds from high to low pressure so it's will be cooler than average today and tomorrow but the winds will reverse this weekend. in fact starting thursday, look at significant jump in temperature about 8 degrees everywhere including the coast. warmest afternoons, friday, saturday and sunday we could touch the mid-70s around the coast. there will be large swells coming in from south so it could be hazardous around the coast. and the story this morning, victims of hurricane irene. due to the flight kachbs regulations east coast. virgin america would have transported unwanted chihuahuas for adoption to new york.

they announced a no chihuahua left behind sale. they are plugging $25 for every ticket ed sfoeld sold in the next day to support future air

we've got breaking news we're following at "abc 7 news". this is live scene of sky 7 in oakland where we have a school lockdown right now. you can see the police presence at horace mann school they are looking for a carjacking suspect

there. we will follow it 4:00 and 5:00 and have the latest on our website at abc7news.com. again we have breaking news at that school lockdown at horace mann in oakland. >> advice to help you get in on this the vintage shopping trend but on the news at 4:00 and 5:00 michael finney test test those expensive e.e.d. lights and they uncover a gladiator school in rome. those stories up at 4:00 and 5:00. we'll see the sun at some point. >> it will make a brief appearance. >> thank you for joining us us.