people got them, pre-paid debit cards as a thank you from pg&e. but the fine print has some >>> hundreds of thousands of people got them, prepaid debit cards, as a thank you from pg&e. but the fine print has some fuming. on the consumerwatch, julie watts shows us how to avoid the fees. >> i have insulated windows. >> reporter: john paul has done just about everything to lower his electric bill including wearing extra layers at home to avoid turning on the heat. so he was thrilled when he got this $25 prepaid debit card from pg&e a reward for cutting back on his gas during the month of december. >> i thought i had done a very good thing. >> reporter: but then he noticed a hefty fee in the fine print. >> account maintenance fee, $3 per month, overlimit fee 15- minute, plastic replacement fee if you lose the card is $6. the 5. >> reporter: and there was even a fee to pay his pg&e bill with the card. >> i'd rather have the $25. >> reporter: so he tried cashing it at citibank which issued the card and was told the card had to be spent. that's when john

pg&e came up with 90% of the records.and some may be false like the records on the pipeline that blew here, because pg&e initially called this pipeline seamless and it turns out that it did indeed have a seam that may have been faulty. now, here's what we are hearing from chris johns, the president of pg&e this morning. "we have made good progress on our records validation. we are not satisfied with the request to date -- with the results, rather to date and we'll continue to search for and review our files for additional pressure test records." they are also going to be replacing some of their lines as well as inspecting more of them. and the inspections are going a little farther than pg&e has in the past. they are going to be using cameras in the lines as well as doing some high pressure water testing. but that is going to require shutting down some of the lines. pg&e this morning calling this an aggressive plan to test and replace some 150 miles of its lines. they are going to wait to do some of it, though, until this

. >>> and pg&e delivers a report on the safety of its pipelines but it comes with some glaring holes. >> complete bay area coverage starts right now. this is bay area news at 7:00. >> good evening. it is tuesday, march 15. i am gasia mikaelian, and this is bay area news at 7:00. >>> the crisis in japan is intensifying tonight are just a few hours ago another fire broke out at a nuclear power plant which is already leaking radiation forcing thousands of people to evacuate. the nation was devastated by last friday's earthquake and tsunami. thousands are stranded and isolated waiting for help. nearly half a million people have been displaced. it is our top story at 7:00. adam reports from tokyo. >> reporter: tokyo survived an earthquake and tsunami that devoured everything in his path and now survivors face nuclear exposure and health dangers that may not appear for years. on tuesday another explosion shook the region damaging a containment pool and exposing part or all of the nuclear fuel rods inside. >> we urge people to stay indoors such as their houses or in their offices considering

hundreds of pg&e employees are pouring into the cow palace. ali rasmus is there to tell us what they're doing and how this is all related to the san bruno pipeline explosion. hi, ali. >> reporter: right now we're outside gate 5 at the cow palace. there's a heavy security presence, you can see one of the security guards there with the orange vest on. they're not letting us past that gate. but we can show you what we can see through this fence here. show you where those orange cones are, you can see a handful of people walking in, making their way inside the warehouse. but let's show you a closer look of all the activity here and the long line of employees waiting to get in, just after the hour. this is video taken after 7:00 this morning. now, just 10 minutes ago, pg&e confirmed for me that the workers are here to search for records on all the gas transmission pipelines in northern and central california. they have a lot of paperwork to go through. we were here at 5:00 this morning and got this video you're looking at of the inside of the cow p

this is pg&e's -- they allowed the situation to take place. we think they october to be responsible for paying for it. >> reporter: the cpuc is likely to order a pressure reduction of 20% in all suspect lines. pg&e says it will have a map of all the lines for which is missing records on its website so you can economic and see if you are living near one of them. reporting live in san bruno, heather ishimaru, "abc 7 news." >> it's 6:03, workers that are trying prevent a meltdown at a nuclear plant are allowed to return to their jobs. they were forced to evacuate 12 hours ago after a new fire led to a spike in radiation levels at fukushima daiichi. they will h been rotated to minimize radiation exposure. this morning, the japanese emperor made an address to the nation. he expressed his condolences and urged japan not to give up. the death toll is now nearing 3700, more than 8,000 people are still missing. now, the latest from tokyo. >> workers return to the damage fukushima daiichi plant on wednesday after being evacuated. the latest in setbacks

here's a quote from chris johns the president of pg&e. he says while we have made good progress on our records validation, we are not satisfied with the results to date we will review our files for additional pressure test reports. the public utilities commission says they will do that. pg&e also talking about doing more in line inspections. talked a little bit over the past several months about the smart pigs, these cameras that can go into the lines so they are planning on doing more of that as well as more pressure testing and pipeline replacement. specifically, on 150 miles of untested pipeline similar to that in san bruno. they are talking about doing high pressure water tests with that calling it a very aggressive plan. but when you're talking about things like the smart pig situation and these high pressure water tests, those are very expensive. that would include some shutdowns in service for some neighborhoods, pg&e talking about doing that this summer. pg&e may order more tests and shutdowns in the future. back to you. >> thank

for the past few months, pg&e has been working around the clock to meet the deadline. pg&e says it's intentional focused on public safety and some members think they are trying to improve but they will consider to impose the hefty fine which would be the biggest fine ever issued against pg&e for a safety violation. the utility company will have a chance to respond next monday. whatever happens there it's prompted new pipeline regulations at the state and federal level. >> eric: smart meter opponents are expected to pack pg&e meeting. pg&e is expected to present the smart meter opt out proposal to the regulatory agency. many proponents say an opt out is not enough and calling for a moratorium. they claim the gas meters emit radiation and are a health rick. >> kristen: a federal appeals court is reject ago bid to resume same-sex marriages in california while the issue winds its way through the court. a judge recently ruled that voters approved proposition 8 banned same-sex marriages in california that violates the constitution. they appealed that decision but the califor

any service, -- pg&e service. that is why, president vietor, we work on how to empower the customers, behind the meter, what actions they can take with in their control as businesses and residences. you will see on this slide the strategies to achieve behind the meter improvements. not listed on this slide but ever-present is the fact that the cca program will provide the vehicle to get to those residences and the decision making on electric service provision for them. then, when we step away from behind the meter, we also want to look at our second strategy, reducing the amount of what is applied -- supplied to customers from the wholesale market. for the power that we provide, of course, it is greenhouse free, and it is from the hetch- hetchy system, but what about everyone else? here are strategies that help us to get to that wholesale market change that needs to happen to become greenhouse gases -- gas free. and these others fall under the heading to make sure that san francisco continues its reliable service,

pg&e dispatched a crew about 30 minutes after the explosion. the fire raged nearly an hour and a half before valves were closed. eight people were killed and 38 homes destroyed. in 2006, pg&e concluded automatic shut off valves were wo have little, or no affect on increasing human safety or protecting properties. but pg&e ignored a report saying any fire would have greater potential for damaging surrounding infrastructure if replenished with gas. >> energy study shows most damage within 30 seconds at the time of the rupture. >> it's out rainlis. you have a responsibility to the public not to the industry. and to rely on the industry to make that decision is malfeasance. >> pg&e seemed unable to answer the question but conceded the gas blow might have been stopped an hour earlier. >> so that takes an hour and is a minutes after of remote valves is that correct? >> appears so. >> ntsb released this photo of the installation of line 132 taken by a retired pg&e worker. the ntsb says there were multiple faulty welds and he says he was worried in 195

that pg&e's gas system is safe. >> the hearing was to determine if they should be held in contempt. if it is pg&e agreed to an immediate $3 million fine and another $3 million if it fails to meet future deadlines. >>> how workers proceeding on the tunnel project, ktvu channel 2 news cameras were the only ones allowed inside today. the construction company is drilling into the hillside because of the risk of poisonsis explosive gases. crews have a ways to go before carving out the entire tunnel. >> another 9 feet. 15 feet on the sides. >> if all goes as scheduled, it will be finished in the fall of 2013. >>> businesses may be about to close for good. ktvu's janine d talked to them about the flood damage, their losses and what they plan to do next. >> reporter: everywhere you look you can see garbage and debris on the streets. right there you see, those are employees taking a break after work hard all day. across the street, there are some workers that are still cleaning up with their brooms there you see. all this damage and clean up will cost a lot of money and insurance may not cov

these documents detail pg&e's network of underground gas lines. there are serious gaps in the record and the utility could face tough consequences as a result. abc7's heather has more. >> pg&e president, chris johns, said he's not satisfied with the record results filed tuesday night with the cpuc. cpuc isn't satisfied yet. >> they filed on the deadline knowing no actual primary documents about those grandfathered pipelines. >> after the september pipeline explosion that killed 8 people and destroyed 38 homes, pg&e discovered its records about that line did not match what was really underground. the cpuc then ordered the utility to verify it's operating lines at safe pressures. pg&e will now likely have a chance to explain the incomplete filing at a march 28th hearing, but could still face fines of $1 million a day. >> the most important thing that has to happen is pg&e senior leadership at every level needs to wake up every day nervous about what they know and what they don't know about their natural gas pipeline. >> the missing records raise que

pg&e knows a lot more than what they are leading on. i seriously believe they are covering it up. >> reporter: the california public utilities commission is still waiting on documents from pg&e that prove that nearly a third its gas transmission lines are safe according to the "san francisco chronicle," the puc is threatening sanctions if pg&e doesn't have those documents available by next tuesday. pg&e has promised to make those documents available. they told us in a statement that it's critical that they find out everything that led up to this explosion. >> thank you, christin ayers in san bruno. >>> this morning, a fire in a farmhouse in rural pennsylvania has killed seven children inside. their mother was in a barn milking cows, the father taking a nap in a milk delivery truck. a 3-year-old girl who was watching television at the time escaped. she ran to the barn and told her mother. the house was filled with smoke. siblings ranged in age from 7 months to 11 years. the cause of the fire is being investigated. >>> and new development

>> because pg&e says they haven't been inspected. >> reporter: but pg&e says it does conduct regular inspections and stepped up its inspections since the san bruno blast. there are plans underway to relocate the jet fuel line across the street. anthony says is he not trying to pick a fight. >> we want cooperation and if the reports show something we will have it in there. if it shows nothing we will have it in there too. >> reporter: what else does he want? he wants the agency to to look at the report. he wants older pipelines replace. there might be some people who say you are just too close to the issue to be able to look objectively at it. >> if i was you would have to read my report and will you read i have been unbiased the whole times. we are not doing any gotchas on the military or pg&e. we are just showing the facts. >> reporter: he is applying for another grant so he can continue his work of studying the underground pipelines. two years ago when he first applied for a grant he was the other than personal applying for grant money to look at underground pipelines. now people a

pg&e tells us no business has lost power. this section of grant street will be closed to traffic until they repair the damaged cable down below. it's not clear how long that could take, anywhere from a number of hours to as long as tomorrow. reporting live in san francisco, david stevenson, ktvu channel 2news. >> thank you. >>> right now pg&e officials are defending their actions following the san bruno pipeline explosion. they are appearing before a judge and the california public utilities commission to explain why they didn't turn over complete safety records following the explosion. the cpuc will decide whether to lower the proposed $1 million fine against pg&e. >>> the contra costa county sheriff's department says one of its deputies shot and killed a suspect this morning during a traffic responsible around 1:15 a.m. in the 300 block of hanlon way in bay point. the suspect was 24 years old, a man with addresses in pittsburg and antioch. the sheriff's department and the district attorney's office are investigating. >>> to

the state puc is still waiting on documents from pg&e. pg&e has until tuesday to come up with those documents or face some serious fines. according to the "san francisco chronicle" pg&e has promised to submit the documents on tuesday and meet that deadline. a spokesman told us in regard to that project in milpitas that no one knows what caused the explosion. the overriding project is to help the ntsb identify the root cause. they say they are looking closely with the ntsb and puc to provide the documents. >> many frustrations for the people who live in the neighborhood. thank you, christin ayers in san bruno. >>> this morning, a search is under way for a sex offender believed to have skipped town during his trial. the man from pittsburg was last seen 10 days ago. the "mercury news" reports he had a traumatic run-in with a victim at the courthouse. she reportedly saw him and saw him. bedi was convicted of molesting the 13-year-old girl during a counseling session. he faces 8 years in prison. >>> thieves in san francisco are using glue inst

pg&e is proposing to turn off the radios and read them normally. the cost will be $600 and could be passed on to consumers. >> it's outlined to be fair and fair to customers and it's fair to customers who would opt out of the smartmeter technology. >> please don't allow pg&e to put more smoke and mirrors in front of the public. please don't add further harm to the negligence that already surrounds this program. >> janelle: family members have laid to rest film legend elizabeth taylor. taylor died early wednesday of congestive heart failure where she was hospitalized for six weeks. she converted to judaism several years ago. a public memorial service is being planned for a later date. >> president obama can be locked out of the house, something that happens to you and me all the time. it happened to the president as he returned from his south american trip. he had trouble opening the front door to the oval office. the boss is coming home a little early. mr. obama finally got in through another set of doors. >> he keeps on cruising. >> kind of embarr

pg&e is facing fines. we will explain why coming up. >>> the search for san francisco's top cop narrows. . >> good morning, if you are driving in marin county traffic looks good. there are problems in other spots. we'll let you know where they are. >>> good morning, to you. welcome back. this is the ktvu channel 2 morning news march 16th i'm dave clark. >> and i'm pam cook. thank you for joining us. it's almost 5:30. and rain in parts of the bay area. how bad will it get? >> it's not bad. the front was yesterday last night and what is going through now is light. it's going through about an hour here. it's already been through petaluma and point rays. in the port bay we are getting a line there. east bay is light rain. south baa is not in on the party. it's quiet. this will decrease and will have a partly cloudy cooler day. >>> on the san mateo bridge traffic is okay. as steve mentioned the wet weather will play in a role in a lot of the bay area commute. and this mornings commute on westbound bay bridge tr

. >>> well, pg&e has said they will be on every bay area home at some point. today, the state said not so fast. plans for an alternative for smartmeters. >>> it's your money but one bank plans to tell you how you can spend it. why it wants to cap your spending. >>> good evening. well, he did it apparently to impress his buddies. a teenage boy jumped off the golden gate bridge and then swam to shores, where shocked surfers helped him out of the water. tonight, he is in the hospital with relatively minor injuries. on how this all happened, joe? >> reporter: he's so lucky to be alive. the bridge authority says more than 90% of people who jump off this bridge don't make it. tonight, there is still conflicting reports about what his classmates were doing. some of those students they were yelling, no, no one even grabbed his jacket to try to stop him. but the surfer who rescued the boy, he thought he heard something different. he thought he heard cheering. dozens of high school students are with on a field trip sightseeing. suddenly and impulse civly, one of their c

top pg&e officials are there prepared for a grilling. jenelle is live in the news room with details. >> kristen, pg&e engineers and operations managers are scheduled to be the first to testify in the three-day hearing put on by the national transportation safety board. it's a fact-finding hearing that could change pipeline safety laws in california and around the country. the pg&e transmission pipeline that ruptured last september killed eight and destroyed 38 homes. city officials from san bruno including the minority, city manager are to testify. the ntsb will release thousands of pages pertaining to its investigation. investigators have identified bad welds in the pipeline as a possible factor in the explosion. they say the pipeline was not thoroughly inspected after two appreciate spikes prior to the blast. a final report on a probable cause will take another six months. these type of hearings are unusual. the last one was over ten years ago, also looking into another pipeline explosion. pg&e has already announced it will install rem

pg&e saying it's all about safety. they have ground shaking censors and if they sense movement, the plants, they shut down. mike mibach, ktvu channel 2 news. >>> the nation's energy secretary told a hearing today that jupen enough nuclear crisis came about because of a extraordinary combination, the earthquake and tsunami. >> that combination of things that caused this. again, we have to plan for those combinations. >> he assured the senators the administration is doing all it can to make sure american nuclear plants are safe. >>> the anxiety over the radiation threat continues to grow. ktvu's jana katsuyama has this report. >> reporter: aftershocks. this afternoon i was in our hotel in tokyo and felt a 6.0 earthquake start shaking the building. the other thing, the cold, you can see, the trees, the wind that has come through. that is blowing in a big cold front covering japan, creating cold conditions and snow in some parts of the area effected by the earthquake and tsunami. with so many of those evacuees and those ev

pg&e attended an evidence hearing on the matter in san francisco today.he official filing is wednesday. the amount has come under harsh criticism since the cpec could fine the utility $1 million a day for the missing records. those opposed have until april 8th to file a response. >>> well, hundreds of thousands of people got them, those prepaid debit cards as a thank you from pg&e. but the fine print has some people fuming. on our consumer watch tonight julie watts shows us how to avoid the hidden fees. >> that has r32 insulation and double insulated windows. >> john paul has done just about everything to lower his electricity bill, including wearing extra layers at home to avoid turning on the heat. so he was thrilled when he got this $25 prepaid debit card from pg&e, a reward for cutting back on his gas during the month of december. >> i thought i had done a very good thing. >> reporter: but he noticed the hefty fees. >> account maintenance fee $3 per month. $15 plastic replacement fee if you lose the card it is $6.25. >> even a fee to pay his pg&e fee

the other option, pg&e may have to pay hefty fines. the pg&e president released a statement saying we're not satisfied with the results and will continue to search for and review our files. end quote. that california puc here could decide as soon as today how it wants to handle pg&e's incomplete paperwork. live in san francisco this morning, marla tellez, "today in the bay." >> pg&e says that the public may face health and safety risks if it is ordered to cut the pressure even more on its gas lines. pg&e says reducing pressure could cause pilot lights to go out. that could cause gas to accumulate and re-ignite in homes and businesses and could be dangerous. pg&e has already cut the pressure by 20% on ten gas lines following the san bruno explosion. the utility says it plans to replace or retest some 150 miles of pipeline in the next year. >> 5:10 now. i want to check the morning forecast with christina. pretty wet on our drive in. >> i can imagine. it's pretty wet across the greater bay area. this morning showers continue to stream in.

they ordered pg&e to come up with the documents. pg&e came up 8% short than what was required. they will decide whether today to slap pg&e with a fine. the utility president has since said it will voluntarily field the test lines without record and replace pipe similar in age that erupted last year. they could still force pg&e to cut pressure in its pipes by 20% if they feel it's not operating safely. the company's president did not answer any questions yesterday. he did release a statement that said while we make good progress we still need more. >> the community of san bruno is always in our thoughts. it is important that we prove through our actions that we are worthy of the trust and confidence of our 15 million customers. >> reporter: they have avoided running water tests on pipelines because of the cost. the company has not said how much the announce test line piping will run. it has argued the companies customers may have to pay for some of it. coming up what we expect from the head of the public utilities commission today. >>> time now 6:47. we have new video to show yo

the pg&e worker yelled "we're screwed."etails contained in newly really leased federal documents. >> this is not easy for this neighborhood to absorb. these people are still trying to piece their lives together. this street is still closed. to hear details about how this could be prevented is a lot to deal with. the chronicle is reporting this morning that a "skewed up repair project at pg&e control station caused pressure levels to increase in lines serving the peninsula." this is from newly released federal documents. there were a chain of problems because of that repair project and it all culminated in september's explosion that killed eight people. workers say the pressure on the lines jumped and one was heard saying we've got a major, major problem in milpitas. we've overpressurized the whole peninsula. the others reported in the san jose mercury news, the newspaper obtained a pg&e document from 1992. it shows pg&e could have replaced the line that exploded but decided the welds didn't look risky. the company was worki

nearly 5,000 pg&e customers are without power. hardest hit area is in the north bay with 2700 outages. in the east bay there are 1500 customers without power. 600 customers are affected along the peninsula where we had power lines down onto a transmission power line in foster city. in the south bay, no reported outages in san francisco right now. >> if you are trafblg today or picking someone from the airport call ahead, officials at sfo say arriving flights are delayed an average of 90 minutes. no major delays are reported in san jose and oakland at this time. for up-to-the-minute information check out flight tracker at www.abc7.com. >> you can once again get to yosemite national park. highways 140 and 120 reopened with restrictions this morning after being closed since sunday when a massive storm closed those roads and knocked out power to the park. hotels are running on generators and existing lodging reservations are being honored but campgrounds remain closed. traffic on highways 140 and 120 are allowed tw between 7:00 a.m. a

an agreement between pg&e and the state puc is stirring up strong opposition. pg&e says it will pay $3 million fine for failing to provide pipeline records. regulators demand it in the wake of san bruno explosion. pamela harris doesn't think the penalty is stiff enough for pg&e to make needed changes. >> when you have pg&e, puc sitting in a room without transparency without public comment without the ability to put input into that discussion. >> kristen: pg&e would have several more months to come up with the pipeline documents. thiswould face a new fine if they fail to meet that deadline. >> eric: after 23 years, a judge ruled a man was wrongfully convicted and ordered his release. lilian kim has the story. >> 33 maurice caldwell emerged from the san francisco jail a free man. he was i am n prison for 23 years serving a murder sentence but last week that sentence was overturned. >> i feel good, being home. i feel blessed. >> caldwell was convicted for 1990 drug related murder in san francisco. but he always maintained his innocence. he sought help. attorneys r

pg&e issued a statement it will continue to search for additional records. the yuiy faces fines $20,000 per day for each violation. >> both houses of the state legislature are set to vote on governor brown's budget plan. no sign that the governor had the votes to hold a special election in june to extend sales and personal income and vehicle taxes for five years. five republican senators have been meeting with brown but they have refused to endorse the vote. a poll shows most registered voters support the tax extension. 58% say they would support brown's plan on the ballot. 61% say they want a special election to decide. >> it today the u.c. board of regents is going to review cost cutting proposals from ten medical centers. they are looking at ways to overcome a $500 million in state funding. u.c. president has asked each medical center to submit its own plan. workers and students plan to rally at u.c. berkeley and ucsf to tell the regents genetics thought not to make any more cuts -- regents not to make any more cuts. >>> we're going to have a break today,

pg&e president says he's not satisfied with record search results. the cpuc isn't fats ti -- satisfied either. >> bizarrely, pg&e filed on the deadline. and there is no primary document autos after the explosion that killed eight people and destroyed 38 homes, pg&e discovered records about that line did not match what was really underground. the cpuc ordered the utility to verify lines at safe pressures. pg&e will likely have a chance to explain the hearing but could still face fines of $1 million per day. >> pg&e senior leadership needs to wake up every day nervous about what they know and don't know. >> missing records raise get whether line pressure should be he reduced. >> we're looking closely at the filing to decide whether we need to issue orders today. >> they say lowering pressure can create hazards of its own. >> it's not enough to supply customers and looking at curtailment or worse. a pilot light to start going out. there is serious consequence autos since the rupture, new regulations are now in the works. and victims hope it will do some

nearly 5,000 pg&e customers are without power. hardest hit area is in the north bay with 2700 outages. in the east bay there are 1500 customers without power. 600 customers are affected along the peninsula where we had power lines down onto a transmission power line in foster city. in the south bay, no reported outages in san francisco right now. >> if you are trafblg today or picking someone from the airport call ahead, officials at sfo say arriving flights are delayed an average of 90 minutes. no major delays are reported in san jose and oakland at this time. for up-to-the-minute information check out flight tracker at www.abc7.com. >> you can once again get to yosemite national park. highways 140 and 120 reopened with restrictions this morning after being closed since sunday when a massive storm closed those roads and knocked out power to the park. hotels are running on generators and existing lodging reservations are being honored but campgrounds remain closed. traffic on highways 140 and 120 are allowed tw between 7:00 a.m. a

pg&e has promised to submit that paperwork. as far as that botched milpitas job we told you about pg&e did release a statement to us saying that no one knows what caused the explosion and they are committed to finding that out. >> lots to learn and a lot to uncover still. okay, live in san bruno, christin ayers, thank you so much. >>> let's get another check of weather and traffic. we start with lawrence because he has some great news about our temperatures today. >> yes. that's right. some of the warmest problem of the week as we are going to feel spring-like temperatures around the bay area today. we have one weak system approaching the coastline. high pressure building out ahead of it so most of the energy will fall apart. we are left with a few high clouds and lots of sunshine to warm up the temperatures. behind that we have a developing storm system. so enjoy the day, folks. temperatures outside right now, 40s and 50s. we have some fog, too. by the afternoon, numbers looking good. yup, 70 degrees in the napa valley. 69 in

pg&e must turn over that information to the p.u.c. by march 15th. they were ordered to do so after they found the records on the san bruno pipeline were not accurate. >> this is an example of the level of commitment that pg&e is putting forth making sure this process is thorough. >> reporter: rick brison lives a block away from the area and he says the massive records review is a little too late. >> if he are gonna be going after this stuff -- they are gonna be going after this stuff, way, way late. they are only going after it now because they have to. >> reporter: and he says he's still waiting for information from pg&e about the future of the pipeline. >> if they are going to take the pipes out and put new ones in. >> reporter: allie rasmus, ktvu channel 2 news. >>> now, pg&e has been ordered to reduce the pressure on certain lines until it proves its records are accurate. if the p.u.c. is not convinced, it would require additional testing. >>> legal experts are predicting a possible plea deal in the kidnapping case of jaycee dugard. it was repor

. >> reporter: pg&e was forced to admit today special valves would have saved precious time during the san bruno pipeline explosion. the company executives faced some tough questions in washington as a federal hearing on that disaster began. len ramirez has more on what the utility was reluctant to admit. >> reporter: ntsb investigators zeroed in on pg&e's risky decision in 2006 not to install automatic or remote control shutoff valves on its san bruno pipeline which blew up on september 9 killing eight and destroying 38 homes. >> it took 90 minutes for crews to get to those valves and shut them down. what is about the approximate time it would take to close and have a remote valve close and isolate that line? >> actually, our crew getting to the side, uhm....... >> reporter: on the hot seat was a senior gas engineer in pg&e's risk management department, the man who wrote the memo arguing modern valves in this case would not provide additional safety to people or prevent property damage. but investigators seemed frustrated by his struggle to answer key questions. >> let me put it this

did pg&e make the people above the pipeline aware of the risk? the company did send out mailings, but received few responses. >> we sent out surveys, had 20 people of 15,000 respond. that's kind of thing that could end up on the checklist. >> reporter: this afternoon, the hearing focused on state and federal oversight with fe questions to safety regulators about challenges they face. one is not enough people to adequately evaluate pipeline safety. another is whether pg&e tried to use excuses instead of actually investigating the pipeline. >> things like using a report to on the basis of not excavating or investigating things found, which are required to do. >> reporter: a fact finding mission that won't change the fact eight people are dead, but one that may save lives in the future. >>> the final day of the hearing is scheduled for tomorrow. industry leaders will be questioned about safety technology. in response to today's testimony, pg&e issued a statement saying it has launched a number of initiatives to strengthen the company's operations. >

pg&e came up short. the utility didn't have evidence of -- evidence of critical tests for one-third of its gas transmission lines. the tests cover 1800 miles of pipeline. the california p.u.c. ordered pg&e to provide this information and now they will determine today whether to slap pg&e with a hefty fine. the head of the p. >> c. is expected to have more about the actions today -- about the actions. pg&e's president has said it will voluntarily test lines without records and replace pipe similar in age to the pipe that ruptured here in san bruno. the company's president did release a video statement. he says while we made good progress, we know we need to go door -- we need to do more. >> even if they -- even if they doesn't have them on computers or disks, they should -- they should have them and should have downloaded them years ago on this modern technology. it makes no sense. >> reporter: the man you just heard from right there was a runner we spoke to earlier this morning in neighborhood. we've con

pg&e has turned over the record books but not all the records are there. >> good morning to you. looking at a dry embarcadero right now, the rain is knocking the door and should be here soon. i'll show you live doppler 7 hd. >> i'm sue in for frances, we have an accident at dordilia junction. >> and a new poll has support for making higher taxes. >> we have a wet wednesday. thank you so much for joining us i'm kristen sze. >> and i'm eric thomas. >> let's check in with mike to see how long the rain will be with us. >> it will be with us through the lunch hour. expect wet weather through the morning commute to about 12:00 or 1:00. if you are leaving right now the bulk of the rain is falling into the north bay. you can see around bodega bay and all up and down 101 and 29. we have healthy returns right around the bay itself from san francisco down to san mateo over to hayward, san ramon. dublin, up towards concord and walnut creek. scattered light rains around the santa clara valley. big picture will show this is all moving slowly to the east and should be out by 12:00. here is sue

today for the first time, pg&e officials went under oath and on the record. kris sanchez joins us with more on the story and what was said at the hearing. >> the big word that came up was val valve. the word of the day. the first of three hearings on the disaster and one of the revelations that drew a bit of surprise is the fact that the first pg&e worker to respond one someone not eququalified to shu down the flow of gas that fueled the pipeline. these are some of the images, the photo of the crater of the blast that left a giant hole and also, a shot of the pipe that flew 100 feet into the air and landed way far away from where the blast happened. now, the ntsb panel also saw video like this from the night of the explosion. also released, a company memo showing that pg&e discouraged the use of automatic shut-off valves. there's no way to tell whether that would have spared the lives of those who died in the blast or the homes that were destroyed, but one pg&e official says an automatic valve would have allowed pg&e to shut down the gas flow within 20 minute

in fact i sent a letter to the commission today asking them to find out what happens on march 15th pg&e doesn't properly determine the type of pipes underground? they have stated that they will display pvc staff. i immediately levy fines and sanctions against pg&e until they provide the necessary records and information. that's what i was told yesterday. >>pam: how much responsibility do they care for the problems that we've now seen through the explosion? >>caller: they bear a tremendous amount of responsibility. they have been regulating this utility and that's their job to guarantee public safety and they failed. >>pam: thank-you assemblyman jerry help. responding to these new revelations today. we have new information this afternoon about the number of homeowners were choosing to rebuild in san bruno. kron 4 j. r. stone spent the day with city officials and tell them that they're working as quickly as possible to help those struggling since the blast. >>reporter: behind me you could see the blue tarp, this is one of the homes are working on. driving through the streets there are a

the national transportation safety board with meet with executives of pg&e.e head of the board inquiry has explained background information about the hearing. much more coming up. >>> barry bonds will have his day in court today, as well. the former giants slugger is expected to plead not guilty for his perjury trial. he is accused of lying to a grand jury about steroid use. his trial will begin on march 21. >>> an antioch man will spend a year in county jail for a police crackdown. craig carlos valentino pulled his suv over near treasure and called in bomb threats because he thought his wife was cheating on him. he surrendered. >>> alzheimer's disease tends to run in families and new research finds it's more likely to be inherited from the mother. a study in the american academy of neurology analyzed the brain scans of 53 people and found those who had a mother with alzheimer's disease had twice as much shrinkage in the brain than fathers with the disease. more research is needed to confirm the findings. >>> pediatrician are pushing upon a federal ban on tan

yesterday the state public utilities commission decided to fine pg&e $6 million.t's because the utility failed to provide documents that supposedly prove it has properly set pressure levels on its gas transmission lines. but pg&e has a chance to pay only half that amount if it provides all the information by the end of august. critics are angry at that new pg&e proposal to charge customers for opting out of the smartmeter program. the company submitted a plan to the california public utilities commission. pg&e would turn off the radio that transmits usage but in exchange, those customers who opt out would pay $270 up front and then $14 a month. or $135 up front and $20 a month. some claim the radiowaves from the meters make them sick. >>> it is 6:11 on a friday. week one of the barry bonds perjury trial is over. the strong testimony suggesting bonds was doping. >> plus, no way out. how wet weather has trapped people in big sur. >> and we have traffic reporters out and about this morning on this wet and wacky weather day. we'll have your top spots coming up in just

all pg & e customers living 2,000 feet from its pipelines should expect to receive a letter from pg &. pg & e will begin installing valves that can be shut off remotely. >>pg & e is a new pg preponderance & e and i think it can become the gold standard for this country that all other operators should follow --pg & e. >> reporter: the changes came after the company got slammed. this afternoon the head of the agency called the news encouraging. >> this is exactly the type of progress that we could hope for in a public hearing like this. >> reporter: a hearing that got heated today, when ntsb investigators asked the gas industry whether two recentty saásers including san bruno could be part of a bigger problem involving old faulty pipes -- two recent disasters. >> reporter: now after three days in washington they are returning home satisfied they did what they could to get answers answers for the community. >> i was here personally, to make sure the personal end of this did not get forgotten. >> i hope that they will be proud of what has happened here, and the way that they've been repre

pg&e said it cannot find safety records for 8% of its high pressure pipelines. the pipelines include those that run near public schools in san francisco. a cemetery and a recreation center in san francisco. the utility is being forced to turnover their records following the explosion in san bruno. >>> police are hoping the release of video will lead to a capture. a fire at the bar in the mission district. the tape shows bar patrons ducking and running for cover. the shooters are still at large. >> police are turning to video as they search for a man who shot someone in the head outside of mcdonald's during day light. police say people inside the restaurant on south bascom avenue saw two men talking outside, when one pulled out a gun, fired and ran. del mar high school was put on lock down as police searched the neighborhood. >> i was like confused and asking my teacher so many questions, what is going on. >> south bascom avenue just reopened within the last hour. the victim is currently on life support but they are treating the case like a homicide. >>> attacked

in populated areas, pg & e will also begin installing valves. >> pg & e is the new pg & e and i think it can become the gold standard for this country. that all other operators should follow. >> reporter: the changes came after the company got slammed at an nstb hearing for failing to let the city. this afternoon, the head of the agency called the news fitting. a hearing that got heated today when employees at the gas industry could be part of a bigger problem involving old faulty pipes. >> i'm seeing the -- what happened in san bruno as an anomaly. >> it's not an anomaly, it's similar to a disaster. >> i called pg & e to ask them when their customers could get those safety letters and when those safety valves will get installed. the company is actively working on this but he gave me no time line. carol han, ktvu channel 2 news. >>> newly released documents offered new criticism of pg & e involving the san bruno pipeline. the new report says the gerth welds that hold pipes together were quote grotesquely at odds with standards. >>> a man is being accused of a vicious road rage attack.