"We're a hypergrowing company, we were exploding," Packal said. Ownership of that new company was later transferred to a PG&E employee who oversaw Bay Area Concrete's work in Paradise. PG&E alleges that Huggins approved false invoices and concealed fraudulent charges throughout PG&Es contract with Bay Area Concrete. He said the company may have overlooked some details as it grew its business. PG&E first started disposing of waste in the companys Hayward yard in 2016, and the business expanded to include the cleanup of PG&E yards throughout Northern California. In selecting Bay Area Concrete for the environmentally sensitive job, however, PG&E ignored the firm's history of illegal dumping and conflict with regulators, as well as its employment of a senior manager connected to environmental crimes, according to interviews and a review of court records, public documents and business filings by the Bay City News Foundation and ProPublica. In a statement, PG&E spokesperson James Noonan called the alleged actions of Bay Area Concrete "completely unacceptable.". Packal said PG&E attempted to use equipment Bay Area Concrete had installed on PG&E property in Petaluma, and the company sent PG&E a cease and desist letter. Bay Area Concrete also said that it continued to work for PG&E as other companies fled when the utility declared bankruptcy in January 2019. Corporate records unearthed by the news organizations show that while the fire still burned in Paradise, an attorney for Bay Area Concrete's owners registered a limited liability company at the business address of another one of the owners' companies. So you need to do more. The facility processed the slurry waste from hydrovac trucks, special excavation equipment that uses pressurized water to dig around delicate equipment like buried gas lines or cables. Mike Mibach catches up with the principal investigator of the new study along with a San Francisco fire captain to discuss the results. The complaint alleges that Huggins and Kooistra approved the overbilled work in exchange for kickbacks. All Rights Reserved. To pay the bribes, Singh used a series of real estate transactions involving a 5,600-square-foot home in Saratoga to transfer money to Kooistra, PG&E alleges. Huggins retired, and Kooistra sold his home and moved out of state after being confronted by PG&E investigators, the counterclaim by PG&E said. Hayward levied nearly $60,000 in fines over that period. "We were doing a ridiculous amount of volume at a much lower rate than what they could possibly have done." Kooistra resigned and his supervisor, superintendent of gas transmission and distribution Ron Huggins, also no longer works at PG&E, according to the news organizations' investigation. During public comment, Gerald Carroll, an attorney for another neighbor, D.W. Nicholson, pleaded with the commission to deny the appeal, citing concerns about the health of their employees from dust. The site was shut down by police and its operator, James Lucero, was convicted of violations of the federal Clean Water Act. "PG&E has initiated an internal review to determine why this wasn't detected earlier, and we will be enhancing our protocols to ensure this doesn't happen again," a PG&E spokesperson wrote. SAN FRANCISCO - Utility giant Pacific Gas & Electric accused two of its former employees of accepting bribes to funnel business to a waste-hauling company after the Camp Fire, the deadliest wildfire in California history. Bay Area Concrete CEO Kevin Olivero declined to be interviewed. PG&Es filing is in response to a breach of contract lawsuit filed against the utility in October by Bay Area Concrete. "We built that site in Paradise for [PG&E], growing an entire site dedicated to rebuilding Paradise," Packal said. To pay the bribes, Singh used a series of real estate transactions involving a 5,600-square-foot home in Saratoga to transfer money to Kooistra, PG&E alleges. PG&E alleges that Huggins was aware of Kooista's actions and did not disclose them. PG&E hired Bay Area Concrete to dispose of waste from hydrovac trucks -- special vacuum trucks that use pressurized water for precise excavation. But while the city and Bay Area Concrete's neighbors sought to shut the company down, another wanted to do business. Two days later, Kooistra quit his job, according to the complaint. In response to a long list of questions, PG&E provided a brief statement that did not directly address how warning signs like the company owners long conflict with the city of Hayward and participation in an illegal dumping operation were overlooked. Very good beside manners. Dawn Sweatt, an attorney for Bay Area Concrete, said her clients "vehemently deny" the allegations by PG&E. About 450 more new houses are in the pipeline for reconstruction one year after the start of the Camp Fire. Some of those sites ran afoul of regulators as well. In 2018, Singh and Johal acquired a property in Tracy in California's Central Valley and opened new facilities in Seattle and San Jose. In 16 years, the pair's. "As we have stated previously, PG&E will continue to hold ourselves and those that do work on our behalf to the highest ethical standards.". The allegations are patently false and not supported by the evidence, she said. PG&E alleges that Kooistra and Huggins steered PG&E contracts to Bay Area Concrete and other companies controlled by Singh and Johal. Clearly what you are doing now is not working. Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. "We were a little concerned because they owe us a substantial amount of money. The couple did not respond to requests for comment via mail, phone, email and social media. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency opened an investigation. By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. Attempts to reach the couple through their attorney, phone calls, social media and mail were unsuccessful. In the same year they hired Olivero, Johal and Singh expanded into the business of disposing slurry waste collected by specialized disposal trucks known as hydrovacs. The new court filings show that PG&E had a longer business relationship with Bay Area Concrete than previously known. "It is unfortunate that you decided to terminate our contract without first consulting us or making sure that your purported grounds had merit," he wrote. His duties included collecting money from contractors dumping dirt and demolition debris and using a bulldozer to spread the dumped material. The county cited the company for illegal importation of dirt used in construction. Singh did not respond to requests for comment. Not only did Lucero not have permission to dump there, but it was on wetlands adjacent to the wildlife refuge, which is home to endangered salt marsh harvest mice and burrowing owls. Public records show that the company's income increased substantially, from $16.5 million to $43.5 million, after receiving a contract to dispose of waste in connection with the Paradise fire. Four days later, he retired. The allegations track closely with the results of an investigation last year by ProPublica and the Bay City News Foundation, which found that PG&E had overlooked numerous warning signs when it hired Bay Area Concrete. In late 2019, PG&E learned of the alleged fraud and launched an investigation. To pay the bribes, Singh used a series of real estate transactions involving a 5,600-square-foot home in Saratoga to transfer money to Kooistra, PG&E alleges. But two industry sources with knowledge of Bay Area Concrete's work in Paradise identified Kooistra as the PG&E employee accused of receiving gifts. The site was shut down by police and its operator, James Lucero, was convicted of violations of the federal Clean Water Act. Entire neighborhoods were reduced to ash and rubble. The company is owned and managed by the husband-wife team Yadwinder Kevin Singh and Preet Johal, according to local and state documents. PG&E asked Kooistra to turn over his company-issued phone, which he did, but he refused to provide his passcode so investigators could access text messages and other data. A mound of crushed concrete got bigger and bigger and workers could no longer reach the top of it with hoses to control the dust. Bay Area Concrete opened a dump in Paradise to take the waste from the cleanup. The blaze burned for weeks, destroyed 18,804 structures and killed 85 people. Singh and Johal met Olivero for lunch along with his boss, Jim Lucero, at a high-end restaurant in Oakland. One supervisor for PG&E allegedly had his driveway paved on the power companys dime. The employee, Ryan Kooistra, lost his job as PG&E went public with the allegations, according to industry insiders. Nearly two years after the deadly Camp Fire, a new era for California's utilities is still taking shape. Here's how the scheme worked, according to PG&E's allegations in court filings. "It was definitely a battle with the city the whole time," Packal said. PG&E bankruptcy filings from March 2019 showed that the utility owed Bay Area Concrete nearly $4 million. The company, Packal said, had a truck to haul water from site to site. Between December 2016 and October 2018, the city levied $59,500 in fines against Bay Area Concrete. The firm was tied to illegal dumping on federally protected wetlands and had engaged in a long conflict with regulators in the city of Hayward, where Bay Area Concrete operates a dump. The allegations are patently false and not supported by the evidence, she said. Utility giant Pacific Gas & Electric accused two of its former employees of accepting bribes to funnel business to a waste-hauling company after the Camp Fire, the deadliest wildfire in California history. He received $10 to $15 per truckload. The company has had its headquarters in Hayward since 2012, where it operated an unpermitted concrete recycling plant from 2013 until it was shut down last year after years of fighting with the city. Bay Area Concrete stuck around and opened a new dump on PG&E property in Petaluma. When confronted by PG&E investigators, Huggins told the investigators he had paid the $16,750 bill in cash, which he happened to have on hand in his house. The Bay City News Foundation and ProPublica first reported the exchange, which one expert described as possible money laundering. In an interview, Bay Area Concrete operations manager Chris Packal argued that there were legitimate differences in opinion over what zoning allowed for the site in Hayward. Express<br>4. One day, a PG&E employee crossed the street and offered Bay Area Concrete a contract to use street sweeping trucks to clean the PG&E facility, according to Packal. You can cancel at any time. In a statement, PG&E spokesperson James Noonan called the alleged actions of Bay Area Concrete completely unacceptable., We will pursue every available action to remedy the situation and do right by those that we have the privilege to serve, Noonan said. Hands on experience on Palo alto firewall, Fortinet firewall, Fortimanager, Fortianalyzer, Fortiswitch, FortiAP. At the time, PG&E owed Bay Area Concrete nearly $4 million, according to bankruptcy filings. The complaint alleges that Huggins and Kooistra approved the overbilled work in exchange for kickbacks. . The Bay City News Foundation and ProPublica first reported the exchange, which one expert described as possible money laundering. Work began on the site in December. PG&E bankruptcy filings from March 2019 showed that the utility owed Bay Area Concrete nearly $4 million. PG&E hired Bay Area Concrete to dispose of waste from hydrovac trucks -- special vacuum trucks that use pressurized water for precise excavation. PG&Es court filing alleges that Regal Rose LLC, a shell company established by Singh, was also in possession of a property in Arizona when it was transferred to Kooistra. PG&E's counterclaim, filed earlier this month, names Bay Area Concrete, both former PG&E employees, Singh, Johal, several of their other companies and Bay Area Concrete CEO Kevin Olivero as defendants. Thanks for Not Procreating: Making Census of the Moment. As we have stated previously, PG&E will continue to hold ourselves and those that do work on our behalf to the highest ethical standards.. The company says it is being more vigilant about trimming trees around its power lines and replacing outdated equipment before it crumbles. "This is in addition to avoiding the significant negative environmental impacts that trucking and processing these materials elsewhere in the state would have caused," he wrote. The Bay City News Foundation and ProPublica first reported the exchange, which one expert described as possible money laundering. Bay Area Concrete also said that it continued to work for PG&E as other companies fled when the utility declared bankruptcy in January 2019. Public records show that the companys income increased substantially, from $16.5 million to $43.5 million, after receiving a contract to dispose of waste in connection with the Paradise fire. The company is owned and managed by the husband-wife team Yadwinder "Kevin" Singh and Preet Johal, according to local and state documents. He is affiliated with medical facilities such as Adena Regional Medical Center and Berger Hospital. Packal also alleged that PG&E-contracted hydrovac trucks were dumping illegally. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. According to the countercomplaint, Kooistra denied any wrongdoing or having an interest in the companies, despite the interest being disclosed in public records. T.J. Simmons, then-senior vice president of ConXtech, a neighboring business, wrote a letter to the city in 2018 to complain. Copyright Weeklys All rights reserved. In late 2019, PG&E learned of the alleged fraud and launched an investigation. The company appealed in hopes of winning a permit to operate. PG&E first started disposing of waste in the company's Hayward yard in 2016, and the business expanded to include the cleanup of PG&E yards throughout Northern California. The accused PG&E employees, Ronald Huggins Jr. and Ryan Kooistra, did not respond to requests for comment. The accused PG&E employees, Ronald Huggins Jr. and Ryan Kooistra, did not respond to requests for comment. PG&Es counterclaim, filed earlier this month, names Bay Area Concrete, both former PG&E employees, Singh, Johal, several of their other companies and Bay Area Concrete CEO Kevin Olivero as defendants. The firm was tied to illegal dumping on federally protected wetlands and had engaged in a long conflict with regulators in the city of Hayward, where Bay Area Concrete operates a dump. PG&E alleges that Huggins approved false invoices and concealed fraudulent charges throughout PG&E's contract with Bay Area Concrete. In 16 years, the pair's business empire has grown from a single trucking firm to more than a dozen companies operating in 11 cities throughout the West Coast. In February, PG&E CEO William Johnson publicly accused Hayward-based Bay Area Concrete Recycling of defrauding the utility and bribing PG&E employees. Johal and Singh continued to clash with city regulators over the concrete recycling. The investigation was co-published on Tuesday by ProPublica and the Bay City News Foundation. Great knowledge about SDWan.<br><br>Good knowledge about Azure, BGP, OSPF, MPLS, STP, RSTP, IPsecvpn, SSLvpn, SSL decryption, Firewall management. Bay Area Concrete stuck around and opened a new dump on PG&E property in Petaluma. PG&E hired Bay Area Concrete to dispose of waste from hydrovac trucks special vacuum trucks that use pressurized water for precise excavation. I don't know what they're going to do. When confronted by PG&E investigators, Huggins told the investigators he had paid the $16,750 bill in cash, which he happened to have on hand in his house. The company is owned and managed by the husband-wife team Yadwinder "Kevin" Singh and Preet Johal, according to local and state documents. He currently plays for Haryana Gold of India's UBA Pro Basketball League. In late 2019, PG&E learned of the alleged fraud and launched an investigation. Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Bay Area Concrete is part of a sprawling network of hauling, recycling and construction companies owned by Bay Area couple Preet Johal and Yadwinder Kevin Singh. In October, the Washington Department of Ecology ordered the company to keep its site clean and halt discharge of wastewater to storm drains. The pair were careful to keep Bay Area Concretes purchase orders low enough that Huggins would not have to seek approval from his supervisors. Singh did not respond to requests for comment. For years, the owners of Bay Area Concrete Recycling had run an unlicensed dump in the city of Hayward, California. PG&E paid CCI $150,000 over five weeks without knowing that the company was owned by Kooistra, a violation of PG&E employment and supplier policies. The firm was tied to illegal dumping on federally. The employee, Ryan Kooistra, lost his job as PG&E went public with the allegations, according to industry insiders. Olivero wrote that PG&E owed the company more than $14 million. "PG&E has initiated an internal review to determine why this wasn't detected earlier, and we will be enhancing our protocols to ensure this doesn't happen again," a PG&E spokesperson wrote. Once it was up and running, trucks could dump their slurry in 20 minutes and leave with a clean tank of water. The same month, San Jose code enforcement officials cited the company for operating a recycling transfer facility without permits. The firm was tied to illegal dumping on federally protected wetlands and had engaged in a long conflict with regulators in the city of Hayward, where Bay Area Concrete operates a dump. They have since only paid us a portion of that. In February 2020, PG&E canceled Bay Area Concretes contracts and publicly announced its belief that the waste company had committed fraud. Heres how the scheme worked, according to PG&Es allegations in court filings. They throw lavish holiday parties for their employees and clients and sometimes give expensive presents, like $1,000 gift cards. (Another skier died on the same slope that same weekend.) From Paradise, the truck operators would have to drive long distances to dump their loads, to places such as Chico, Sacramento or Tracy, slowing down the work and making it more expensive. Singh did not respond to requests for comment. Bay Area Concrete overcharged for travel time while hauling and billed PG&E for work that was never done or was unnecessary. Singh and Johal built a slurry dumpsite at a PG&E substation in Petaluma, a small town about 40 miles north of San Francisco. Dr. Yadwinder Singh, MD . Public records show that the company's income increased substantially, from $16.5 million to $43.5 million, after receiving a contract to dispose of waste in connection with the Paradise fire. In addition to his work with Bay Area Concrete, Bauters did training for the California Stormwater Quality Association. Four days later, he retired. Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more. "It was pretty much out of control the entire time they were in operation," he said. Here's how the scheme worked, according to PG&E's allegations in court filings. His office accepts new patients and telehealth appointments. In a statement, PG&E spokesperson James Noonan called the alleged actions of Bay Area Concrete "completely unacceptable. 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