PG&E Liable for Potential San Francisco Contamination (1)

Pacific Gas & Electric Co. and PG&E Corp. are liable for any contamination found in the land surrounding a former manufactured gas plant on the San Francisco waterfront through its predecessor’s waste practices and “alter ego” liability, a California federal court ruled.

PG&E may be held directly liable under the Clean Water Act and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act because its predecessor operated the plant and handled or transported waste, according to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.

The court’s ruling was a win for former San Francisco resident Dan Clarke. He says in his ...