Families have temporarily moved out and schools have closed as a massive amount of methane continues to spew out of SoCalGas’ Aliso Canyon facility. “The residents of the San Fernando Valley have suffered too much for too long”.
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Groups like the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), which released a spooky aerial infrared video of the methane plume last month, have said that the Aliso Canyon leak underscores the fact that there are gas leaks on a smaller scale every day due to old infrastructure that utilities fail to replace in a timely fashion.
The Porter Ranch gas leak may not stop until February or March. The storage field’s owner, Southern California Gas, is already facing legal action including a lawsuit filed by the city of Los Angeles.
Crews work on a relief well at the Aliso Canyon facility above the Porter Ranch area of Los Angeles in early December. Residents have suffered headaches, nosebleeds, shortness of breath and nausea. She called on Brown to shutter the storage facility for good.
Thousands of families fleeing the ongoing gas leak near Porter Ranch for temporary homes have new problems: a low housing supply and sky-high rents.
On Monday, a constituent affairs representative with Brown’s office told Common Dreams that he was unaware of any plans to declare a state of emergency, stating, “I think maybe he wants to wait until the situation develops a little bit more … state of emergencies are a pretty big deal”. A division of the California Department of Conservation will investigate the leak and monitor the energy company’s efforts alongside a panel of experts.
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Brown issued the declaration shortly after the conflict of interest charges began making the rounds, with a Wednesday statement from his office stating that a declaration “directs further action to protect public health and safety, ensure accountability and strengthen oversight of gas storage facilities”. The SoCal Gas Company is being sued for not quickly informing nearby residents of the leak. “The California Air Resources Board is measuring the leak rate and estimating total methane emissions over the duration of the leak and is using ground-level monitoring, specially equipped airplanes and satellite information to provide updates of emissions”, Brown said. Rodger Schwecke, a SoCalGas executive, confirmed to L.A. Weekly that the company was not required by law to have one in place because the well was not “critical” – a formal definition that means it’s close to residences or roads. The sandstone storage area for the natural gas is located 8,500 to 8,700 feet beneath the ground. Such chemicals are commonly used to aid in leak detection.
