Can you explain why PG&E's leak rate is so high?

Thank you, Chairman Lautenberg, Ranking Member Thune, our esteemed U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer and members of the Subcommittee for inviting me to testify on the matter of 'Pipeline Safety: Assessing the San Bruno Explosion.'

But, the point is, if the operator, PG&E, is responsible for a response plan--and I'm not picking on them--

Senator Boxer asked the CPUC to submit their plan in writing for moving ahead with more automatic shut off valves.

The PUC is a vigorous enforcer on the people that we regulate, to the tune of half a billion dollars.

it just doesn't sound to me that there was a response plan in place that actually functioned.

So, you would agree that, had there been a shut-off valve, we could have averted the worst disaster, if those valves worked.

I would urge that we get moving as quickly as possible, because these things came about without warning.

I know these are hard questions.

Californians must feel confident that their communities are safe and that the regulatory agencies responsible for maintaining natural gas pipelines are doing everything possible to guarantee their safety.

I believe the eloquence of Senator Menendez marks a high point in the debate. I don't know that anyone could have expressed what is at stake as well as he did. I will make a humble attempt to build on what he said. Before he leaves the…

So the decision was astounding to equate people with corporations and unions, on its face. As Justice Stevens wrote in his dissent: Corporations have no consciences, no beliefs, no feelings, no thoughts, no desires . . . they are not…

I am proud to introduce the Strengthening Pipeline Safety and Enforcement Act of 2010 today along with my colleague, Senator Feinstein. On September 9, 2010, San Bruno, California suffered a terrible tragedy when a natural gas transmission…

I rise to express my deep disappointment that we were unable to proceed to the Defense authorization bill. I have been here a while, maybe I am wrong--I am searching my memory--I don't remember any time that we voted against proceeding to…

PG&E has failed to spend millions of dollars it designated for pipeline safety repairs over the past two decades.

But, I'm asking you about Fiscal Year 2010, because this is getting to the current time.

The CPUC, which oversees most of the State's pipelines, told Federal regulators several years ago, in documents, that it rarely fines any gas pipeline.

This is a problem that we face nationwide, and I want to see California be the leader here.

We need a good bill. I think the Feinstein-Boxer bill is good, but you may have ideas to make it better.

We have to take steps, as the Mayor said, to ensure this never happens again, and that San Bruno is made whole.

I am pleased to introduce the Pinnacles National Park Act. This legislation would elevate the Pinnacles National Monument to a National Park. The legislation would also rename the current Pinnacles Wilderness as the Hain Wilderness after…

I rise today to pay tribute to 38 servicemembers from California or based in California who have died while serving our country in Operation Enduring Freedom since March 24, 2010. This brings to 185 the number of servicemembers either from…

Thank you so much. I want to thank Chairman Whitehouse for his excellent leadership of the Oversight Subcommittee.

And I have here the company's data sheet on these two choices here.

which we now know is the largest of its kind in history, totaling an estimated $4.9 million barrels of crude oil.