from the office of Anthony Portantino

Assemblymember Anthony Portantino (D-La Cañada Flintridge) has proposed legislation to improve emergency and disaster preparedness by California’s public utilities.  The proposed bill calls on each utility to report with every county in its service area every two years for the purpose of reviewing, updating and improving their emergency disaster and preparedness plans.

“We just saw firsthand that our public utilities can do a better job. Clearly, they were not prepared for a disaster of this magnitude. We need to use the recent wind disaster to improve our readiness and better prepare for future disasters such as a large earthquake. Having a review every two years will force better coordination, better service and better public safety.” commented Portantino.

The proposed bill asks counties to inform cities within their jurisdiction about each meeting so that cities and the public can provide input into emergency planning. The legislation also calls on the California Public Utilities Commission to use its regulatory authority to set preparedness standards; for example, the use of weather reports to pre-position manpower and equipment before a storm and methods of improving communication between government agencies and the public.

“We learned some things from this calamity that will forever change the way we look at these disasters,” added Portantino. “Like most ratepayers, I know that a portion of my bill is intended to pay for emergency preparedness and response; let’s make sure it does. A review every two years will hold utilities accountable, increase coordination, public awareness and scrutiny.  It’s a practical and prudent course of action.”

The bill is being written as an “urgency measure” and would go into effect once it’s signed by the Governor. It would require that California public utilities conduct these disaster preparedness meetings within 3 months of the legislation becoming law.