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PG&E reaches $11B wildfire settlement; NiSource's Columbia Gas faces big fine

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PG&E reaches $11B wildfire settlement; NiSource's Columbia Gas faces big fine

PG&E reaches $11B settlement related to 2017, 2018 wildfires

PG&E Corp. and its Pacific Gas and Electric Co. subsidiary announced Sept. 13 an $11 billion settlement in principle related to the 2017 Northern California wildfires and 2018 Camp Fire. The settlement agreement was reached with entities representing approximately 85% of insurance subrogation claims to resolve claims stemming from the fires, according to a news release.

Regulators threaten Columbia Gas with fines over Merrimack Valley violations

State regulators ordered Columbia Gas of Massachusetts to implement safety measures and threatened millions of dollars in fines after the utility flagged concerns about abandoned natural gas service lines, including one that was decommissioned following the 2018 Merrimack Valley gas explosions and fires. Matthew Nelson, commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities, warned that the NiSource Inc. subsidiary could be fined up to $1 million per violation for failing to carry out any of the eight orders issued in a Sept. 11 letter to the company.

In disruptive decision, court rules PennEast Pipeline cannot take state land

In a legal ruling that could shake up the traditional process for condemning lands to build natural gas pipelines, a federal appeals court found that, because of states' sovereign immunity under the U.S. Constitution, PennEast Pipeline Co. LLC lacked the authority to take New Jersey land for a right of way. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit found on Sept. 10 that nothing in the Natural Gas Act suggests that Congress intended to delegate to private companies the federal government's exemption from state sovereign immunity that would allow the companies to bring states into federal court for condemnation proceedings.

Pa. court rules senator lacks standing to challenge Mariner East pipelines

Pennsylvania's second-highest appeals court told state regulators to dismiss a complaint and dissolve a petition for emergency relief lodged by Sen. Andrew Dinniman challenging the construction of Sunoco Pipeline LP's Mariner East pipeline system, citing a lack of legal standing. In a Sept. 9 opinion by President Judge Mary Hannah Leavitt, the three-judge panel ruled that Dinniman, a Democrat, failed to establish both personal and legislative standing to challenge the Energy Transfer LP subsidiary's pipelines.

Alta Mesa Resources files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy

Houston-based Alta Mesa Resources Inc. has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and revamped its leadership team, the company announced Sept. 12. Executive Chairman Jim Hackett said the Chapter 11 process would be the "best pathway" for Alta Mesa Resources and Alta Mesa Holdings LP to restructure their balance sheets and regain much-needed financial flexibility.

Green groups double down on challenge to Keystone XL pipe permit

After filing suit against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers over its permit for TC Energy Corp.'s Keystone XL pipeline project, six environmental groups expanded their claim to include the agency's alleged failure to protect endangered species when they approved the project. In their Sept. 10 suit, the groups argued that the Corps did not hold formal consultations with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service to fully examine the project's effects on protected species and their habitats, which would be a violation of the Endangered Species Act.

Pa. regulators order Sunoco to cover exposed pipelines

The Pennsylvania Department of Environment Protection on Sept. 11 ordered Energy Transfer subsidiary Sunoco LP to cover its exposed pipelines at a total of 43 different locations in the state. Of the total locations, 42 had exposed pipelines that transport refined petroleum products, while the remaining one had an exposed pipeline that carries NGLs, according to a same-day news release.