Compressor Stations

Hinkley Compressor Station

PG&E's Hinkley natural gas compressor station near Barstow, California

PG&E is working under the direction of the Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board (Water Board) to clean up chromium-6 in groundwater resulting from historical operations at the Hinkley Compressor Station in San Bernardino County, five miles west of Barstow, California. We are committed to protecting public health and safety, while cleaning up the environment, restoring water quality and working closely with the community.

Investigation and cleanup efforts at Hinkley continue to make progress. PG&E has taken action to stop migration of affected groundwater and is operating a number of treatment systems to clean up the groundwater. Our robust network of more than 400 monitoring wells tracks the effectiveness of cleanup.

During late spring and early summer 2011, PG&E installed additional monitoring wells in areas not previously tested to make sure the chromium plume boundaries are properly identified. The new monitoring wells were sampled for total chromium and chromium-6. PG&E presented the sampling results in a report to the Water Board in September 2011, and the report is available for the community to review.

Listen to PG&E senior vice president Des Bell talk about what PG&E has been doing and our commitment to Hinkley in these video excerpts from his interview with ABC's Nightline program.

Community Advisory Committee

PG&E has formed a Community Advisory Committee (PDF, 1 MB) made up of local residents and community leaders. The purpose of this committee is for Hinkley residents and community leaders to advise, share concerns with and provide direct input to PG&E on its environmental and community programs. Residents were invited to submit applications, and a Formation Committee including representatives from PG&E, the Water Board, the school district and the local community selected members in early June.

Meetings have been scheduled through May 2012, and will take place on the following Thursdays from 6:00 to 8:00 pm (Please note: meetings will now occur on the 4th Thursday of each month):

January 25, 2012 -Click here (PDF, 274 KB) to see meeting Agenda.
February 22, 2012 -Click here (PDF, 245 KB) to see meeting Agenda
March 22, 2012 -Click here (PDF, 91 KB) to see meeting Agenda
April 26, 2012 -Click here (PDF, 33 KB) to see meeting Agenda
May 24, 2012

All meetings are open to the public and are held in the Dennis Hirsch Multipurpose Room at the Hinkley Elementary School, located at 37600 Hinkley Road.

More information on PG&E's community programs can be found under Additional Resources below.

Planning for Final Cleanup Underway

On September 1, 2010, PG&E submitted a Feasibility Study for additional final remedial measures to complete cleanup to the Water Board. Two addendums to the study were submitted in first quarter 2011, and are under review by the Water Board.

In accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the Water Board is also preparing an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) to assess any potential impacts related to the proposed cleanup. Public meetings are being held in the local community so that the community can provide input on both the Feasibility Study and the EIR.

PG&E is prepared to move quickly on remedy implementation following completion of the EIR and the Water Board's approval of a cleanup plan. In the meantime, PG&E continues to contain and treat affected groundwater and implement new remedial work already approved.