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Calif. governor declares state of emergency over massive gas leak

For close to three months, Southern California Gas Company’s ( SoCalGas) Aliso Canyon underground storage facility in the Porter Ranch neighborhood of Los Angeles has been leaking a noxious plume of natural gas into the soil and air.

The gas leak was first described as being the largest on record, even bigger than the BP Gulf oil spill. Now, it is considered a national disaster, with CBC News reporting on Jan. 3, that a mother of an ill child said, “My kids have had nosebleeds, I’ve been nauseous. I’ve felt lethargic. We are a living science experiment I believe.”

Infrared image of natural gas leak in Porter Ranch  California.

Infrared image of natural gas leak in Porter Ranch, California.
CBS News


According to a National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) blog, the human elements of this environmental disaster are becoming more pressing. Besides the over 2,000 residents that have been forced to evacuate and two schools closed, there are now hundreds of illnesses being reported, ranging from nausea and vomiting to headaches and respiratory problems.

The LA Times reports that in declaring the state of emergency, Governor Brown cited the widespread disruption the gas leaked has caused, reassuring Porter Ranch residents of the state’s ongoing efforts to respond to the incident.

Under the order, “all state agencies will utilize state personnel, equipment, and facilities to ensure a continuous and thorough state response to this incident,” according to a statement released by the governor. Brown’s statement cited a number of action items the state is undertaking.

The first priority is stopping the leak. On Saturday, Dec. 26, the company told state regulators the drilling of the primary relief well, to intercept and plug the leak, would be finished by Feb. 24, although repairs could take an additional month, according to Digital Journal on Dec. 29.

The governor said all viable actions and possible solutions will be taken to ensure the well is plugged if relief wells fail to seal the leaking well, or if the existing leak worsens.

As for public health and safety concerns, this is also a top priority, says the governor. The state will continue with its prohibition of the injecting of any gasses by SoCalGas into the Aliso Canyon storage facility until a full and comprehensive investigation is made into the safety of the storage wells and the air quality of the surrounding community.

SoCalGas will also be held fully accountable for costs related to the natural gas leak and its response, including protecting ratepayers. As for oversight, the state is setting forth emergency regulations for gas storage facilities throughout the state, something that should have already been in place.

The regulations include daily inspections of gas storage well-heads using gas leak detection technology, continuing verification of the manual integrity of all gas storage wells, as well as regular testing of valves, minimum and maximum pressure limits, and other very specific evaluations at all the state’s gas storage sites.

Specifically, the statement requires: “The Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources, the California Public Utilities Commission, the California Air Resources Board and the California Energy Commission will submit to the governor’s office a report that assesses the long-term viability of natural gas storage facilities in California.”

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We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of our dear friend Karen Graham, who served as Editor-at-Large at Digital Journal. She was 78 years old. Karen's view of what is happening in our world was colored by her love of history and how the past influences events taking place today. Her belief in humankind's part in the care of the planet and our environment has led her to focus on the need for action in dealing with climate change. It was said by Geoffrey C. Ward, "Journalism is merely history's first draft." Everyone who writes about what is happening today is indeed, writing a small part of our history.

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