The employee, Ryan Kooistra, lost his job as PG&E went public with the allegations, according to industry insiders. 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. More than 80 people were killed. 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. According to PG&Es complaint, CCI did hauling work for Bay Area Concrete, which would submit invoices directly to PG&E. A PG&E contractor accused of bribery and fraud during the Camp Fire cleanup had a history of illicit dumping, conflict with regulators and employed a senior manager connected to environmental crimes, according to a new investigation by the Bay City News Foundation and ProPublica. A mural painted by Shane Grammar is seen on a chimney that remains at a property burned by the Camp fire in Paradise, California on February 01, 2019. Soon after buying the property, Singh applied to use it to recycle concrete, but Hayward officials opposed the plan. Singh did not respond to requests for comment. Bay Area Concrete hired a manager of that site, Kevin Olivero, to be its CEO. PG&Es filing is in response to a breach of contract lawsuit filed against the utility in October by Bay Area Concrete. The company is owned and managed by the husband-wife team Yadwinder "Kevin" Singh and Preet Johal, according to local and state documents. Nov 2021 - Present1 year 3 months. Join Facebook to connect with Yadwinder Singh and others you may know. Ownership of that new company was later transferred to a PG&E employee who oversaw Bay Area Concretes work in Paradise. "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. Bay Area Concrete opened a dump in Paradise to take the waste from the cleanup. When those did not work, they issued three violations in 2018 for allowing concrete dust into the street, where it clogged storm drains. If the dust was allowed to drain into the bay, it could be harmful to fish. Packal confirmed that Kooistra lost his job over the allegations. In February 2020, PG&E canceled Bay Area Concrete's contracts and publicly announced its belief that the waste company had committed fraud. He said the company received only a day's warning when PG&E canceled its contracts and released the CEO's memo. 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. Find Dr. Singh's phone number, address, insurance information, hospital affiliations and more. 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 sold his home in California in February and returned to Arizona, where he founded a pool cleaning business in May. "They have obviously factored into their business model that they can afford these fines and they can afford these violations because they're making enough money," Carroll said. By 8 a.m., local authorities issued evacuation orders for Paradise's roughly 26,000 residents. The company is owned and managed by the husband-wife team Yadwinder "Kevin" Singh and Preet Johal, according to local and state documents. Another shell company, CCI Management, was owned by Kooistra and acted as a subcontractor for Bay Area Concrete in Paradise. View the profiles of professionals named "Yadwinder Singh" on LinkedIn. The company, Packal said, had a truck to haul water from site to site. February 26, 2021 / 9:44 AM In 16 years, the pair's. Records show that Kooistra owned another company, CCI Management LLC, which was founded in June 2019. "We were doing a ridiculous amount of volume at a much lower rate than what they could possibly have done." 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. Meanwhile, competing companies lost work with PG&E. In 2017, Bay Area Concrete opened new slurry waste disposal facilities in Richmond and Sacramento. Meanwhile, competing companies lost work with PG&E. 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. Bay Area Concrete opened a dump in Paradise to take the waste from the cleanup. You can cancel at any time. The blaze grew into the most destructive wildfire in state history and destroyed the town of Paradise. "You need to know what you need to do to control this dust. Bauters spoke in defense of Bay Area Concrete, arguing that city staff had not responded to the company's attempts to come into compliance. Huggins did not respond to written questions mailed to his home in Auburn. Ownership of that new company was later transferred to a PG&E employee who oversaw Bay Area Concrete's work in Paradise. Meanwhile, competing companies lost work with PG&E. Bay Area Concrete appealed to continue operating, but it was unanimously rejected by the Hayward Planning Commission late in 2018. "At the end of the day, this is really an illegal business that's asking to continue operating," Commissioner Gary Patton said at the meeting, "and it's been illegal since 2013.". 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. Neither the memos nor media reports identified the employees. 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. In 2019, they leased land on Treasure Island in the San Francisco Bay for concrete recycling. 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 pair were careful to keep Bay Area Concrete's purchase orders low enough that Huggins would not have to seek approval from his supervisors. The county cited the company for illegal importation of dirt used in construction. In November 2013, Hayward officials received a complaint alleging that Singh and Johal had ignored the city and begun operating the recycling facility without a permit. 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. 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. 6 Cabo hotels for your spring break vacation, Your Privacy Choices (Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads). Four days later, he retired. PG&E alleges that in exchange for these kickbacks, the employees provided lucrative clean-up jobs to Hayward-based Bay Area Concrete Recycling. In business meetings, Singh tends to take the reins, while Johal listens quietly, occasionally asking a question. The company is owned and managed by the husband-wife team Yadwinder "Kevin" Singh and Preet Johal, according to local and state documents. In 2014, the company was connected to an illegal dumping operation on federally protected wetlands in Newark. Bay Area Concrete's contract with PG&E was terminated, and the company is under criminal investigation. 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. In 2019, they leased land on Treasure Island in the San . He argued that there were legitimate differences in opinion over what zoning allowed for the site in Hayward. PG&E bankruptcy filings from March 2019 showed that the utility owed Bay Area Concrete nearly $4 million. It paid a low hourly rate, but it was a steady contract that soon expanded to include sweeping PG&E sites from Sacramento to Monterey and east into the Central Valley. In 16 years, the pair's. "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. 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. "It was definitely a battle with the city the whole time," Packal said. "We built that site in Paradise for [PG&E], growing an entire site dedicated to rebuilding Paradise," Packal said. "We will pursue every available action to remedy the situation and do right by those that we have the privilege to serve," Noonan said. Dawn Sweatt, an attorney for Bay Area Concrete, said her clients vehemently deny the allegations by PG&E. In October, the Washington Department of Ecology ordered the company to keep its site clean and halt discharge of wastewater to storm drains. The accused PG&E employees, Ronald Huggins Jr. and Ryan Kooistra, did not respond to requests for comment. In late 2019, PG&E learned of the alleged fraud and launched an 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 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency opened an investigation. PG&E alleges that Huggins was aware of Kooista's actions and did not disclose them. Some of those sites ran afoul of regulators as well. 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. Singh and Johal's companies also have a history of not cooperating with inspectors. But Singh wanted $5.5 million about $1 million more than the assessed value and Rossi said he eventually realized that he'd never be able to buy the house back. 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. A powerful vacuum sucks up the slurry created in the process. 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. The company is owned and managed by the husband-wife team Yadwinder "Kevin" Singh and Preet Johal, according to local and state documents. The new court filings show that PG&E had a longer business relationship with Bay Area Concrete than previously known. - California utility PG&E, facing billions of dollars in potential liabilities over its role in. The blaze burned for weeks, destroyed 18,804 structures and killed 85 people. 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Now, an investigation by the Bay City News Foundation and ProPublica has revealed for the first time a multimillion-dollar real estate transaction linking one of Bay Area Concrete's owners,. Dr. Yadwinder Singh is a Internist in Circleville, OH. 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.. Circleville, OH . Dr. Kevin Patrick Oreilly, MD . Bay Area Concrete opened a dump in Paradise to take the waste from the cleanup. 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. As a result, the value of Bay Area Concretes contracts with PG&E increased exponentially over a period of four years, the lawsuit said. According to PG&E's complaint, CCI did hauling work for Bay Area Concrete, which would submit invoices directly to PG&E. 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. (Another skier died on the same slope that same weekend.) The wildfire grew rapidly, driven by winds that fanned flames across the region. After the site was shut down, Singh and Johal hired Olivero to be the CEO of Bay Area Concrete. It turned out to be a lucrative business opportunity for Bay Area Concrete - thanks to Pacific Gas & Electric, the giant Northern California utility company whose electric lines had caused the conflagration. 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. 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. 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. Bay Area Concrete has denied the allegations of fraud and bribery in Paradise. 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. The accused PG&E employees, Ronald Huggins Jr. and Ryan Kooistra, did not respond to requests for comment. 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. View the profiles of people named Yadwinder Singh. In a statement posted to the company's website, he accused PG&E of falsifying accusations to avoid paying bills. My Official Page - Yadwinder Singh #14 Power Forward for Indian Senior Men's Basketball Team;. PG&E alleges that Kooistra and Huggins steered PG&E contracts to Bay Area Concrete and other companies controlled by Singh and Johal. 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. {{start_at_rate}} {{format_dollars}} {{start_price}} {{format_cents}} {{term}}, {{promotional_format_dollars}}{{promotional_price}}{{promotional_format_cents}} {{term}}, Nebraska cheerleader competes by herself at state competition, but crowd doesn't let her feel alone, Update: Highway 29, Howell Mountain Road may stay closed through weekend after Napa Valley snows, Former NFL star Chad Johnson says he saved money by living inside Cincinnati Bengals stadium for 2 years, American Canyon delays warehouse amid Vallejo concerns, Homeless people to get permanent housing at former Napa motel, A plan for paid parking set to emerge in Napa three decades after meters were removed, Two arrested in Napa after crash of stolen SUV, police say, Police: Man arrested after Napa apartment break-in, Man dies in apparent Napa County drowning, Browns Valley Road homes approved by Napa City Council, Police: Man arrested after reported knife threat in Napa, American Canyon considers Chicken Guy restaurant amid drive-thru concerns, Premiere Napa Valley fundraiser brings in $3.4 million for the Napa Valley Vintners, American Canyon police arrest Napa man on assault allegation, Catnapped: Napa pet adoption van stolen with cats inside, State, federal officials take different paths trying to stop utilities from causing wildfires, Judge fines PG&E in Camp Fire manslaughter case, laments utility 'cannot be sent to prison', PG&E pleads guilty to 84 deaths in 2018 California wildfire, Millions at Risk of Slipping Into Poverty as COVID-Era SNAP Benefits Set to End, More than 300 words have been added to the English dictionary, Citizens travel to Peru's capitol Lima to protest against Boluarte, Senators react to the end of emergency SNAP benefits. , Ronald Huggins Jr. and Ryan Kooistra, lost his yadwinder kevin'' singh over the allegations according! 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