PG&E's filing is in response to a breach of contract lawsuit filed against the utility in October by Bay Area Concrete. The company says it is being more vigilant about trimming trees around its power lines and replacing outdated equipment before it crumbles. Packal characterized these issues as minor. 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 pair were careful to keep Bay Area Concretes purchase orders low enough that Huggins would not have to seek approval from his supervisors. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) -- 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. It was definitely a battle with the city the whole time, Packal said. The new court filings show that PG&E had a longer business relationship with Bay Area Concrete than previously known. Chris Packal, Bay Area Concrete's operations manager, downplayed the citations the company received from regulators in Hayward and other cities as minor corrections. 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. Neither the memos nor media reports identified the employees. They founded their first hauling company, Economy Trucking Services, in 2004. NodeJs<br>2. In 2019, they leased land on Treasure Island in the San . Bay Area Concrete has said that PG&E's accusations of fraud are false and the bankrupt utility was just trying to get out of paying its bills. "It was pretty much out of control the entire time they were in operation," he said. Over the next year, crews working for the state Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery removed nearly 3.7 million tons of debris, including 673,244 tons of contaminated soil. The accused PG&E employees, Ronald Huggins Jr. and Ryan Kooistra, did not respond to requests for comment. He said the company received only a day's warning when PG&E canceled its contracts and released the CEO's memo. Elisa Wilfong, who oversees Hayward's water pollution investigations, said her inspectors issued Bay Area Concrete repeated verbal warnings since 2015. Attempts to reach the couple through their attorney, phone calls, social media and mail were unsuccessful. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. In its suit, Bay Area Concrete alleged that it had saved PG&E millions of dollars by doing disposal work in Paradise more cheaply than a competitor. Here's how the scheme worked, according to PG&E's allegations in court filings. Bay Area Concrete has denied the allegations of fraud and bribery in Paradise. As a result, the value of Bay Area Concrete's contracts with PG&E increased "exponentially" over a period of four years, the lawsuit said. The Bay City News Foundation and ProPublica first reported the exchange, which one expert described as possible money laundering. 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 protected wetlands and had engaged in a long conflict with regulators in the city of Hayward, where Bay Area Concrete operates a dump. He graduated from GURU NANAK DEV UNIVERSITY / MEDICAL COLLEGE in 1991. The pair were careful to keep Bay Area Concretes purchase orders low enough that Huggins would not have to seek approval from his supervisors. 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. He debuted with the India's national basketball team in 2005 and played at the 2016 FIBA Asia Challenge in Tehran, Iran. Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. As a result, the value of Bay Area Concrete's contracts with PG&E increased "exponentially" over a period of four years, the lawsuit said. PG&E alleges that Kooistra and Huggins steered PG&E contracts to Bay Area Concrete and other companies controlled by Singh and Johal. 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. 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. 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. Rob Roth reports from Paradise. During the 2018 trial, he testified that Lucero had hired him in June 2014 to run the site. Olivero also said his firm had saved PG&E and its customers nearly $80 million by setting up the dumpsite outside of Paradise. 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. 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. Bay Area Concrete opened a dump in Paradise to take the waste from the cleanup. Butte County District Attorney Michael Ramsey said last year that PG&E alerted his office to the allegations against Bay Area Concrete. Facebook gives people the power. Bay Area Concrete stuck around and opened a new dump on PG&E property in Petaluma. PG&E alleges that Huggins approved false invoices and concealed fraudulent charges throughout PG&Es contract with Bay Area Concrete. In state filings, its business address was listed as 1580 Chabot Court in Hayward, where another of Singh and Johal's companies is located. PG&E hired Bay Area Concrete to dispose of waste from hydrovac trucks special vacuum trucks that use pressurized water for precise excavation. Packal also alleged that PG&E-contracted hydrovac trucks were dumping illegally. Soon after buying the property, Singh applied to use it to recycle concrete, but Hayward officials opposed the plan. But that same day, a spark ignited brush in the remote foothills of the Sierra Nevada in Northern California. Olivero reached an agreement with federal prosecutors to testify against Lucero. Two days later, Kooistra quit his job, according to the complaint. On March 3, PG&E sent a second internal memo clarifying that it had also ended its business relationships with Johal and Singh's other companies, including Bay Area Hydrovac, Economy Trucking, PMK Contractors and Slurry Waste Solutions. Bay Area Concrete hired a manager of that site, Kevin Olivero, to be its CEO. In its suit, Bay Area Concrete alleged that it had saved PG&E millions of dollars by doing disposal work in Paradise more cheaply than a competitor. "We have confronted the two PG&E employees supervising BAC with the evidence that they received large sums of money and gifts from the vendor; those employees are no longer with the company," Johnson wrote. Later, the news agencies revealed a suspicious real estate transaction that connected Singh and one of the PG&E employees. Still, over the next six weeks, Singh and Johal's Economy Trucking Services was one of the most prolific dumpers at the site, dumping up to 100 truckloads every day, each weighing between 10 tons and 12 tons, according to court transcripts. 2023 FOX Television Stations, until WED 9:00 AM PST, Mendocino County Coast, until WED 8:00 AM PST, Carquinez Strait and Delta, from THU 2:00 AM PST until THU 8:00 AM PST, Carquinez Strait and Delta, from WED 1:00 AM PST until WED 8:00 AM PST, North Bay interior valleys, East Bay Interior Valleys, Santa Cruz Mountains, Santa Lucia Mountains and Los Padres National Forest, from THU 12:00 AM PST until THU 9:00 AM PST, Mendocino County Coast, High Stakes: Sports Betting in California, Japanese startup announces balloon flights taking passengers up to space. In its suit, Bay Area Concrete alleged that it had saved PG&E millions of dollars by doing disposal work in Paradise more cheaply than a competitor. 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 pair were careful to keep Bay Area Concrete's purchase orders low enough that Huggins would not have to seek approval from his supervisors. Singh did not respond to requests for comment. 21 talking about this. One supervisor for PG&E allegedly had his driveway paved on the power company's dime. After contracting for the Paradise cleanup, Bay Area Concrete's annual revenue jumped from $16.5 million to $43.5 million, according to documents filed with a lease application. ", "We will pursue every available action to remedy the situation and do right by those that we have the privilege to serve," Noonan said. Ramsey said in an email that he received no further information from PG&E but had determined that his office did not have jurisdiction in the case. The new court filings show that PG&E had a longer business relationship with Bay Area Concrete than previously known. That business grew substantially in November 2018, when a PG&E transmission line sparked a wildfire in Butte County that destroyed more than 18,000 structures and killed 85 people. In a letter to PG&E posted to the companys website, Olivero accused PG&E of falsifying accusations to avoid paying bills as the utility still owes the company a substantial sum. "The allegations are patently false and not supported by the evidence," she said. "Absolutely no photos or videos taken on these premises without permission," it says. 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. PG&E has initiated an internal review to determine why this wasnt detected earlier, and we will be enhancing our protocols to ensure this doesnt happen again, a PG&E spokesperson wrote. But slurry can be tough to get rid of. In February, PG&E CEO William Johnson publicly accused Hayward-based Bay Area Concrete Recycling of defrauding the utility and bribing PG&E employees. Dawn Sweatt, an attorney for Bay Area Concrete, said her clients "vehemently deny" the allegations by PG&E. 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. "This is in addition to avoiding the significant negative environmental impacts that trucking and processing these materials elsewhere in the state would have caused.". PG&E hired Bay Area Concrete to dispose of waste from hydrovac trucks special vacuum trucks that use pressurized water for precise excavation. Within weeks of Bay Area Concrete losing its battle before the Hayward Planning Commission, PG&E had hired the company to build and run a dump outside of Paradise, 180 miles to the north. 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. He is affiliated with medical facilities such as Adena Regional Medical Center and Berger Hospital. The allegations are patently false and not supported by the evidence, she said. On June 16, PG&E CEO and President William Johnson pleaded guilty on behalf of the company to 84 counts of felony manslaughter and one count of failing to maintain the lines that caused the fire near Paradise, known as the Camp Fire. PG&E hired Bay Area Concrete to dispose of waste from hydrovac trucks -- special vacuum trucks that use pressurized water for precise excavation. My Official Page - Yadwinder Singh #14 Power Forward for Indian Senior Men's Basketball Team; Haryana Gold at UBA & Zarkawt BCA at MSL. 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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. The Bay City News Foundation and ProPublica first reported the exchange, which one expert described as possible money laundering. 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. The complaint alleges that Huggins and Kooistra approved the overbilled work in exchange for kickbacks. At the time, PG&E owed Bay Area Concrete nearly $4 million, according to bankruptcy filings. The new court filings show that PG&E had a longer business relationship with Bay Area Concrete than previously known. View the profiles of professionals named "Yadwinder Singh" on LinkedIn. The complaint alleges that Huggins and Kooistra approved the overbilled work in exchange for kickbacks. 6 Cabo hotels for your spring break vacation, Your Privacy Choices (Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads). Jimmy Carter: How much do you know about the former president? The investigation was co-published on Tuesday by ProPublica and the Bay City News Foundation. 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. 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. Trucks began dumping potentially toxic slurry at the disposal site, which did not require environmental review as an emergency project and helped speed cleanup operations. (Another skier died on the same slope that same weekend.) He provided photos showing that the concrete stockpile had grown so large it leaned against the fence between the two properties, bulging over the boundary. 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. A subordinate is accused of having received a bribe in an unorthodox property transfer of a multimillion-dollar house in a wealthy suburb of San Francisco. According to the countercomplaint, Kooistra denied any wrongdoing or having an interest in the companies, despite the interest being disclosed in public records. Neighbors complained about dust blowing off a massive pile of crushed concrete. Bay Area Concrete overcharged for travel time while hauling and billed PG&E for work that was never done or was unnecessary. PG&E alleges that Huggins was aware of Kooista's actions and did not disclose them. "It was definitely a battle with the city the whole time," Packal said. PG&E's filing is in response to a breach of contract lawsuit filed against the utility in October by Bay Area Concrete. In exchange, the lawsuit alleges, a company linked to Johal and Singh repaved Huggins driveway while they were supposed to be working on a PG&E job. Butte County District Attorney Michael Ramsey said last year that PG&E alerted his office to the allegations against Bay Area Concrete. The water board declined to comment or confirm the existence of any ongoing investigations. Bay Area Concrete has said that PG&Es accusations of fraud are false and the bankrupt utility was just trying to get out of paying its bills. PG&E operates a service center across the street from Bay Area Concrete's main facility in Hayward. The allegations follow an investigation into PG&E contending that the company had missed warning signs when it hired Bay Area Concrete, owned by couple Yadwinder "Kevin" Singh and Preet Johal,. More than 80 people were killed. Bay Area Concrete appealed to continue operating, but it was unanimously rejected by the Hayward Planning Commission late in 2018. And it's not being done." Butte County District Attorney Michael Ramsey confirmed that PG&E contacted his office regarding the allegations and said he is waiting for further information from the utility. They throw lavish holiday parties for their employees and clients and sometimes give expensive presents, like $1,000 gift cards. PG&E's 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. Olivero wrote that PG&E owed the company more than $14 million. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). He moved out in November . Bay Area Concrete overcharged for travel time while hauling and billed PG&E for work that was never done or was unnecessary. Two days later, Kooistra quit his job, according to the complaint. PG&E alleges that Huggins approved false invoices and concealed fraudulent charges throughout PG&E's contract with Bay Area Concrete. The accused PG&E employees, Ronald Huggins Jr. and Ryan Kooistra, did not respond to requests for comment. In the summer of 2014, Economy Trucking used an illegal dump site in Newark, a nearby suburb, to get rid of thousands of tons of concrete and asphalt, court records show. 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. 32 years exp . Kooistra resigned and his supervisor, superintendent of gas transmission and distribution Ron Huggins, also no longer works at PG&E, they said. Kooistra sold his home in California in February and returned to Arizona, where he founded a pool cleaning business in May. The company is owned and managed by the husband-wife team Yadwinder "Kevin" Singh and Preet Johal, according to local and state documents. They have since only paid us a portion of that. The couple did not respond to requests for comment via mail, phone, email and social media. A subordinate is accused of having received a bribe in an unorthodox property transfer of a multimillion-dollar house in a wealthy suburb of San Francisco. 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. The allegations are patently false and not supported by the evidence, she said. 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