Page 24 - Sonoma County Gazette - January 2018

PG&E Urges Sonoma County Customers to
Safely Warm Their Homes
and Warns of Home Heating Hazards
With freeze warnings in the forecast across Sonoma County, Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) is urging customers to be cautious when heating their homes.
Dear Readers:
As we embrace a New Year, I thought it would be fun to highlight some
of the new laws, most of which are e ective January 1, 2018, unless special provisions are addressed in the text of the new law. Keep in mind that hundreds of Assembly Bills (AB) and Senate Bills (SB) collectively passed and were then signed by Governor Brown. Below is only the tip of the iceberg, in no particular order. In most examples, I have referenced the bill number, so if you want to read the full text of the new law, go to www.legislature.ca.gov, click on “Bill Information” and then enter the bill number.
Sky-Diving: Just in case you were wondering, yes, it is now illegal to sky-dive while intoxicated (AB 295). Talk about the world spinning about you!
Electric heating devices, such as space heaters, are a home fire hazard when not properly used or monitored. Fuel-burning appliances, such as gas furnaces, stoves and water heaters, can increase the risk of carbon monoxide, a toxic gas, when they are not working properly.
“We want our customers to be warm this winter, but most importantly we want them to be safe. High
levels of carbon monoxide
can be generated by
appliances that are defective or improperly installed or maintained. That is why
it’s very important to have your gas appliances checked before every winter to ensure they are working properly,” said Dave Canny, Senior Manager for PG&E’s Sonoma Division.
Gun Laws: Used to be that school superintendents could issue written permission to “concealed carry” permit holders. No more. Schools no longer have the authority to allow guns on campus.
PG&E encourages
customers to schedule free
gas appliance safety checks
through the company’s
customer service helpline
at 1-800-743-5000. Our Gas
Service Representatives
(GSRs) will test carbon
monoxide detector batteries
and expiration dates, relight
furnace pilots, and check
gas stoves, fireplaces and water heaters at no cost to the customer.
Marijuana: Yes, we all know by now that recreational use of marijuana is legal, with limitations on age and amount. But did you know that it is illegal to smoke or ingest marijuana, including snacking on marijuana products, while behind the wheel of a car? (SB 65).
LGBT: Lesbian and gay seniors in long-term facilities now have a new “blanket” to help protect them against discrimination. SB 219 prohibits the facilities from discriminating based upon a person’s sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or HIV status.
Business/Employment: With the passage of the “New Parent Leave Act” (SB 63) small businesses with 20 or more employees must provide eligible employees up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave to bond with a new child, whether by birth, adoption or foster care placement. Under AB 1008, employers with ve or more employees are prohibited from asking about criminal history on job applications or considering criminal history at any time before a conditional o er of employment has been made (exceptions made for positions where a background check is required by law). Finally, AB 168 bans employers from asking about a job applicant’s prior salary or bene ts.
Swimming Pool Safety: SB 442 imposes new safety standards and additional inspections for residential swimming pools. In essence, since 1998, new or remodeled pools must have at least one safety measure, such as a
fence, cover or alarm. Now, a second safety feature is added, requiring home inspectors to examine pools and spas to record which safety features are present when a home is sold.
Immigration: California is now legally deemed a “sanctuary state” (SB 54) meaning that state and local law enforcement cannot ask about someone’s immigration status or detain a person on a “hold request” from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Also, landlords cannot report tenant to ICE or use immigration status as a basis for eviction. Finally, AB 450 bans employers from consenting to ICE workplace inspections without a warrant.
School Children: SB 250 in essence obliterated school lunch “shaming” by requiring that schools make meals available to needy kids, even if their fees have not been paid. Also, a special and necessary element will now be added to certain school bathrooms in grades 6-12: Free tampons and other feminine hygiene products if at least 40% of the students live in poverty (AB 10).
One last thought...my two cents. As we enter a new year, let’s try to avoid the vicious cycle of toxicity, fueled by fear, hatred and greed. As Abraham Lincoln quipped, “When the only tool you have is a hammer, all problems begin to resemble nails”. Let’s broaden our tool chest...and relearn how to utilize tools that will support harmony, ethics and good will.
Debra A. Newby lives in West Sonoma County and has practiced law for 36 years. She is a member of the California, Texas and Sonoma County Bar Associations and currently maintains an active law o ce in Santa Rosa which emphasizes personal injury law (bicycle/motorcycle/motor vehicle accidents, dog bites, trip and falls, etc.) and expungements (clearing criminal records). Debra can be reached via email (debra@newbylawo ce.com), phone (707-526-7200), or fax (526-7202).
According to the National Fire Protection Association, heating equipment
is the second leading cause of home fires in the United States. Nearly half of these fires occur from December through February. The leading contributing factors to space heater fires are heating equipment too close to objects that can burn, such as furniture, clothing, mattresses or bedding, and leaving heating equipment unattended.
PG&E urges customers to focus on safely heating their homes as
temperatures dip and offers the following tips:
• Place space heaters on level, hard, nonflammable surfaces, not on rugs or carpets.
• Don’t put objects on space heaters or use them to dry clothes or shoes.
• Turn off space heaters when leaving the room or going to sleep.
• Keep all flammable materials at least three feet away from heating sources
and supervise children when a space heater or fireplace is being used. • Never use cooking devices such as ovens or stoves for home heating
purposes.
• Install carbon monoxide detectors to warn you if concentration levels are
high. As of 2011, all California single-family homes are required to have carbon monoxide detectors. Make sure they are installed near sleeping areas and replace the batteries at least twice a year.
• When using the fireplace to stay warm, make sure the flue is open so that the byproducts of combustion can vent safely through the chimney.
• Never use products inside the home that generate dangerous levels of carbon monoxide, such as generators, barbecues, propane heaters and charcoal.
If customers suspect there is a problem with a natural gas appliance
inside their home, they should call PG&E at 1-800-743-5000. A gas service representative will be dispatched to do a thorough inspection. If you detect carbon monoxide in your home, you should get out immediately and call 911.
24 - www.sonomacountygazette.com - 1/18
Also, Proposition 63 requires all ammunition purchases in California must be made in person through a vendor licensed by the Department of Justice. Lastly, if you are convicted of a hate crime, you are prohibited from owning a rearm for 10 years—why not longer, I need to ask? (AB 785).