Camp Fire survivors rallied along with environmental activist Erin Brockovich at the Capitol on Tuesday to protest PG&E's recent announcement that it plans to file for bankruptcy at the end of January.
Brokovich criticized the planned bankruptcy filing as PG&E's "go-to move" and called for "greater state involvement in PG&E."
“They must be present and not just be a person sitting at the table,” Brockovich said of the Legislature and governor’s office. “Be (at) the head of the table, and take control of this runaway monopoly.”
PG&E has stated it will file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on or about Jan. 29. They cited roughly $30 billion in liabilities stemming from the 2017 wine country fires and the November 2018 Camp fire.
Brockovich called PG&E’s infrastructure “antiquated,” mentioning the possibility that the company may need to bury its power lines underground, and said the state Public Utilities Commission must “stop giving them a pass” and demand greater transparency, the SacBee reports.
The legal costs of bankruptcy could also lead PG&E to charge customers higher rates.
The Camp Fire in Paradise claimed the lives of 86 people and destroyed more than 18,000 structures.
Read more about the legal fight against PG&E here.
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