Environmental Protection

PG&E Fined in First Enforcement of CSB Reporting Rule After 2023 Gas Release

July 28, 2025

EPA and CSB issue first penalty under Clean Air Act provision requiring companies to report serious chemical releases.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) announced a joint settlement with Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) for failing to report a serious natural gas release in 2023, marking the first enforcement action under the CSB’s Accidental Release Reporting Rule.

The incident occurred on June 8, 2023, when natural gas was accidentally released from a PG&E pipeline in San Jose, California, resulting in serious injury to a PG&E employee. Although the CSB notified PG&E that the release met the reporting requirements under Section 112(r) of the Clean Air Act, the company failed to submit a report, said the agency.

The rule, finalized in 2020, requires prompt reporting of accidental chemical releases that cause a fatality, serious injury, or significant property damage. The CSB subsequently referred the case to the EPA, which has enforcement authority under the rule.

Under the settlement, PG&E agreed to pay a civil penalty of $45,273 and has since submitted the required report detailing the incident.

“Americans have a right to know about accidental releases of dangerous substances and their impacts,” said Cecil Rodrigues, deputy assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance in a press statement. “This settlement clearly signals that EPA will hold companies accountable for not providing CSB with essential information, which can lead to the potential for loss of life, injury, or property damage.”

CSB Chairperson Steve Owens emphasized the rule’s importance to the agency’s investigative work. “When companies fail to report serious chemical releases like this, they impede the CSB’s ability to carry out the agency’s core mission to conduct independent investigations of these incidents and help prevent similar incidents from happening in the future,” Owens said in the announcment.

The CSB said most companies comply voluntarily, but enforcement was necessary in this case. The agency investigates serious chemical incidents and issues safety recommendations but does not have enforcement authority.

About the Author

Amanda Joshi | Managing Editor

Amanda Joshi has more than 18 years of experience in business-to-business publishing for both print and digital content. Before joining Chemical Processing, she worked with Manufacturing.net and Electrical Contracting Products. She’s a versatile, award-winning editor with experience in writing and editing technical content, executing marketing strategy, developing new products, attending industry events and developing customer relationships.

Amanda graduated from Northern Illinois University in 2001 with a B.A. in English and has been an English teacher. She lives in the Chicago suburbs with her husband and daughter, and their mini Aussiedoodle, Riley. In her rare spare time, she enjoys reading, tackling DIY projects, and horseback riding.