all applicable laws, including the California Public Utilities Code and prior Commission decisions. C. In the Public Interest The Settling Parties believe the Settlement Agreement is in the public interest for several reasons. First, the Settling Parties state that the Settlement Agreement will enhance safety because: The Settlement Agreement requires transparency regarding the qualifications for utility representatives who perform inspections and/or who schedule corrective actions. The Settlement Agreement shortens the timeframe for correcting some Priority Level 2 risks. The Settlement Agreement requires utilities to correct Priority Level 3 risks, establishes a 60-month timeframe for correcting these risks, and establishes a public list of exceptions to the 60-month timeframe for corrective action. The Settlement Agreement provides Commission Staff with authority to require correction of GO 95 violations at specific locations sooner than the maximum time periods in Rule 18. The Settlement Agreement strengthens the process for inter-utility notifications of potential violations and Safety Hazards. The Settlement Agreement strengthens utility record keeping for their maintenance programs, which will make it easier for Commission Staff to audit utilities’ maintenance programs and determine whether violations have occurred. Second, the Settlement Agreement is consistent with Commission precedent that the public interest is served by settlements that reduce the expense of litigation, conserve scarce Commission resources, and allow parties to eliminate the risk of an unfavorable litigated outcome. The Settling Parties aver that the Settlement Agreement relieves the Commission and dozens of parties of
all applicable laws, including the California Public Utilities Code and prior Commission decisions. C. In the Public Interest The Settling Parties believe the Settlement Agreement is in the public interest for several reasons. First, the Settling Parties state that the Settlement Agreement will enhance safety because: The Settlement Agreement requires transparency regarding the qualifications for utility representatives who perform inspections and/or who schedule corrective actions. The Settlement Agreement shortens the timeframe for correcting some Priority Level 2 risks. The Settlement Agreement requires utilities to correct Priority Level 3 risks, establishes a 60-month timeframe for correcting these risks, and establishes a public list of exceptions to the 60-month timeframe for corrective action. The Settlement Agreement provides Commission Staff with authority to require correction of GO 95 violations at specific locations sooner than the maximum time periods in Rule 18. The Settlement Agreement strengthens the process for inter-utility notifications of potential violations and Safety Hazards. The Settlement Agreement strengthens utility record keeping for their maintenance programs, which will make it easier for Commission Staff to audit utilities’ maintenance programs and determine whether violations have occurred. Second, the Settlement Agreement is consistent with Commission precedent that the public interest is served by settlements that reduce the expense of litigation, conserve scarce Commission resources, and allow parties to eliminate the risk of an unfavorable litigated outcome. The Settling Parties aver that the Settlement Agreement relieves the Commission and dozens of parties of