April 2021

On Earth Day, Save Lafayette Trees celebrates four years of successfully saving Lafayette trees from unnecessary removal and promoting better PG&E gas pipeline safety in our community!

Here's the latest:

PG&E vs. the City of Lafayette and vice versa

A few surprise twists – last October, PG&E sued the City of Lafayette in an attempt to dissolve the 2017 Tree Removal Agreement and negate their responsibility to follow the City's Tree Permit process. In November, as PG&E threatened to remove trees along the Lafayette-Moraga trail without the necessary permits, the City filed an injunction against PG&E, claiming breach of the contract. Judge Dennis Montali of the US Bankruptcy Court ruled in the City's favor: PG&E cannot cut any trees without first receiving written tree permits & approval by the City. To date, PG&E has not submitted any tree permit requests.

Thanks to the City’s legal action, 17 protected trees in Happy Valley and along the Lafayette-Moraga Trail, primarily shade-giving oaks, still stand. However, the City is pursuing meetings with PG&E on these matters which the public are not privy to. 207 trees in total remain targeted for removal along trails, parks, and private properties. We hope this time around the City does due diligence, holding PG&E accountable to a tree by tree determination for removal, as the CPUC asked PG&E to provide to the public -- before any “negotiations”.

Here are the 17 trees at risk, appearing as blue dots on the map.

Tree cutting vs. Pipeline testing

Save Lafayette Trees remains undeterred in the opinion that the “community pipeline safety” priority should be testing the pipeline as mandated by federal and state safety laws as opposed to discretionary tree removal. The majority of these trees are along still untested vintage gas pipeline – up to 70 years untested since installation.

Testing and repair is critical to reducing safety risks in Lafayette! Testing before tree removal ensures tree removal will not negatively impact the condition of the untested pipeline and may also determine tree removal unnecessary. No federal or state safety law mandates tree removal around gas transmission pipelines. Trees do not inherently pose a safety risk to transmission pipelines.

SLT Litigation

Our two CEQA lawsuits filed in 2017 to stop the original 272 trees from being removed in Lafayette remain active in the Court of Appeal. The court last determined that our CEQA lawsuit was timely filed and that the merits of our complaint should be considered. The City did not file a CEQA negative declaration nor are we aware PG&E provided any community with CEQA documentation specific to the “Community Pipeline Safety Initiative” tree removal program. We look forward to the eventual outcome.

          ~        GAS PIPELINE SAFETY       ~               

CPUC audit of PG&E pipeline integrity

Over the years, residents and the Gas Safety Task Force (GSTF) pointed out many significant pipeline safety risks in Lafayette to PG&E. Consequently, the GSTF, which SLT members are a part, requested the CPUC to perform a Transmission Integrity Management Program (TIMP) audit. This is a check on PG&E’s pipeline maintenance program to ensure PG&E is compliant with gas safety laws and adequately identifying pipeline risks. The audit reporting will be reviewed during the May 2021 Gas Safety Alliance meeting with the CPUC, PG&E, the GSTF, and City of Lafayette. 

PG&E work downtown

It just may be a heck of a coincidence, but PG&E work downtown began shortly after the GSTF sent the CPUC a list of concerns, just prior to the CPUC audit start in June. However it came about, it is evident pipeline testing and ensuing work was necessary. A good example is testing of gas transmission Line-191 in November which found 69 places of corrosion between Oak Hill and Deer Hill intersection, through the downtown Plaza Park, behind the Library, near Leigh Creekside Park, and down the Lafayette-Moraga Trail. Current PG&E work downtown is focused on 13 areas with the highest metal loss corrosion necessitating immediate repair. Work is anticipated to go through May. Other vintage segments of pipeline in downtown and residential areas remain to be tested. GSTF is appreciative of the safety improvements to date.

Celebrate Earth Day - join our efforts

If you'd like to become involved with Save Lafayette Trees, please contact us. 

Other ways to help

• Make your voice heard! Send letters and comments to our City Council (cityhall@lovelafayette.org) and to the Lamorinda Weekly (letters@lamorindaweekly.com). Let the City know CPSI tree removal planning should be transparent! Trees should be publicly identified in advance and tree by tree removal rationale provided.
• Forward this newsletter to friends and neighbors.
• Donate - Save Lafayette Trees efforts depend upon your involvement and donations.

Latest media coverage 

"Judge grants Lafayette restraining order to halt PG&E from cutting trees" 

- East Bay Times, November 17, 2020
 

"Cal Fire: PG&E equipment responsible for deadly Zogg Fire"

- ABC10, March 23, 2021

"Federal judge declines to probe PG&E for obstruction of justice"
- ABC10, March 30, 2021

More news...

Thank you for all you do to support this work!

Save Lafayette Trees

Image below: the corner of Mt. Diablo Blvd and Moraga Road, one of 13 digs by PG&E to address corrosion on their high-pressure gas transmission pipeline Line 191-1.  Image top: trees threatened for removal along the Lafayette Reservoir Rim Trail.