by Kriss Perras Running Waters | It seems the California Public Utilities Commission's (CPUC) Safety and Enforcement Division (SED) and Southern California Edison (SCE) finally found common ground to resolve all matters pertaining to the October 2007 Malibu Canyon Fire, with respect to SCE. A Settlement Agreement has been reached now six years later between the two entities for $37-million. The utility company agreed that of the penalty and remedial payments, $20-million in penalties are to be paid to the State of California General Fund, and $17-million will be spent on pole loading assessments and resulting remediation work in Malibu Canyon and the surrounding areas.
"As part of the settlement, SCE acknowledges its responsibility in a major incident. If the settlement is approved, it will go a long way toward making SCE's system safer and more reliable," said Brigadier General (CA) Jack Hagan, Director of the SED.
The settlement was submitted Monday, May 20, 2013 to an administrative law judge assigned to the investigation of the 2007 Malibu wildfire for review. Assuming approval by the judge, the final step is to present the settlement proposal to the full Commission for approval. Read More