Utilities May Pay for Bad Maps Under Bill California Advances

Utility companies showing inaccurate underground line locations may owe attorneys’ fees to those sued for damages after relying on the records, under California legislation approved Tuesday.

The bill (A.B. 930) stems from an investigation into Pacific Gas & Electric Co. that found the company falsified up to 135,137 records, including improperly marking location of lines that construction crews use for pipeline locations.

The legislation “will make utility companies think twice before firing off frivolous claims,” bill author Assemblymember Marc Levine (D) told the Assembly Judiciary Committee.

It will also “force them to increase the accuracy of their underground ...