Pacific Gas & Electric Co. has pleaded not guilty to charges in a new indictment that accuses the utility of lying to federal investigators looking into a fatal pipeline explosion in a San Francisco Bay Area neighborhood.
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Steve Bauer, an attorney for the company, entered the plea in court on Monday to all 28 counts in the indictment, including obstruction of justice.
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The new indictment was announced last month. The company previously faced 12 counts related to its safety practices, but not obstruction.
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Prosecutors say PG&E tried to mislead federal investigators about pipeline testing and maintenance procedures it was following at the time of the 2010 explosion in San Bruno and for six months afterward.
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The blast killed eight people.
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PG&E says the obstruction charge stems from a paperwork error that the company quickly corrected.  (AP)
