PG&E will pay $55 million in penalties and costs over 2 wildfires

PG&E will pay $55 million in penalties and costs over 2 wildfires

Transcript¹

California power company PG&E has agreed to pay hundreds of millions of dollars in civil settlements to avoid prosecution². The utility was found responsible for two major wildfires in recent years.

A MARTINEZ, HOST:

California's largest utility, Pacific Gas and Electric, will avoid criminal prosecution for causing major wildfires. From member station KQED, Alex Emslie reports the company reached settlements with half a dozen prosecutors⁴.

ALEX EMSLIE, BYLINE⁵: The settlements cover two fires, one from 2019 in Sonoma County and one from last year that burned through five other counties in Northern California. Over the last decade, the utility's electrical lines have repeatedly sparked fires that killed over 100 people and destroyed tens of thousands of homes and other buildings. It faced criminal charges in Sonoma County after the 2019 Kincade Fire destroyed hundreds of homes, injured firefighters and prompted massive evacuations.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

JILL RAVITCH: There are those who will say that PG&E bought its way out of a criminal prosecution.

EMSLIE: Sonoma County DA Jill Ravitch brought those charges and dismissed them Monday in favor of a civil settlement.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

RAVITCH: I look at it as doing the best that we could under the circumstances. I'm just the prosecutor³ in Sonoma County. If I had a magic wand and I could wave it, maybe PG&E wouldn't exist anymore.

EMSLIE: Prosecutors in five other Northern California counties hit by the Dixie Fire last year also said their hands were tied by weak criminal laws when it comes to prosecuting⁶ corporations like PG&E. Butte County DA Mike Ramsey says the civil settlements will lead to faster payments to people whose homes were destroyed.

MIKE RAMSEY: Law's wonderful, but sometimes it really, really is slow. And we needed the settlement. We needed reparations for those folks up in the hills that lost everything.

EMSLIE: In addition to a slew⁷ of payments expected to be in the hundreds of millions, Ramsey says the settlements also require ongoing⁸ court oversight⁹ of PG&E. The utility has admitted no wrongdoing. In response to an interview request, PG&E sent a written statement saying it welcomes a new level of transparency and accountability. For NPR News, I'm Alex Emslie in San Francisco.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 prosecution   

n.起诉，告发，检举，执行，经营

参考例句：

• The Smiths brought a prosecution against the organizers.史密斯家对组织者们提出起诉。
• He attempts to rebut the assertion made by the prosecution witness.他试图反驳原告方证人所作的断言。

3 prosecutor   

n.起诉人；检察官，公诉人

参考例句：

• The defender argued down the prosecutor at the court.辩护人在法庭上驳倒了起诉人。
• The prosecutor would tear your testimony to pieces.检查官会把你的证言驳得体无完肤。

4 prosecutors   

检举人( prosecutor的名词复数 )； 告发人； 起诉人； 公诉人

参考例句：

• In some places,public prosecutors are elected rather than appointed. 在有些地方，检察官是经选举而非任命产生的。 来自口语例句
• You've been summoned to the Prosecutors' Office, 2 days later. 你在两天以后被宣到了检察官的办公室。

5 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

6 prosecuting   

检举、告发某人( prosecute的现在分词 )； 对某人提起公诉； 继续从事（某事物）； 担任控方律师

参考例句：

• The witness was cross-examined by the prosecuting counsel. 证人接受控方律师的盘问。
• Every point made by the prosecuting attorney was telling. 检查官提出的每一点都是有力的。

7 slew   

v.（使）旋转；n.大量，许多

参考例句：

• He slewed the car against the side of the building.他的车滑到了大楼的一侧，抵住了。
• They dealt with a slew of other issues.他们处理了大量的其他问题。

8 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

9 oversight   

n.勘漏，失察，疏忽

参考例句：

• I consider this a gross oversight on your part.我把这件事看作是你的一大疏忽。
• Your essay was not marked through an oversight on my part.由于我的疏忽你的文章没有打分。