Gas Leak a Catastrophe Not Seen Since the BP Oil Spill

Since October, residents of Porter Ranch California have been exposed to dangerous contaminants from a massive natural gas leak that continues to seep into the air, causing a catastrophe the scale of which has not been seen since the 2010 BP oil spill.

After only a week of visiting families in Porter Ranch, I am already experiencing the headaches, nausea and congestion that have plagued this community living at the center of one of the most significant environmental disasters in recent history.

Southern California Gas Co., or SoCalGas, has essentially ignored the impact to victims and its actions have instead added to their suffering.

Gas Leak a Catastrophe Not Seen Since the BP Oil Spill

Since October, and it won't be until at least March before they are able to stop this enormous leak.

The enormity of the Aliso Canyon gas leak cannot be overstated. Gas is escaping through a ruptured pipe more than 8,000 feet underground, and it shows no sign of stopping. As the pressure from weight on top of the pipe causes the gas to diffuse, it only continues to dissipate across a wider and wider area. According to tests conducted in November by the California Air Resources Board, the leak is spewing 50,000 kilograms of gas per hour — the equivalent to the strength of a volcanic eruption.

At this rate, in just one month, the leak will have accounted for one-quarter of the total estimated methane emissions in the state of California.
So it is no surprise that residents here feel sick. While I can escape to my home to recover from my symptoms, this community wakes up to conditions that cause vomiting, nosebleeds and serious respiratory issues daily. And no one really knows the potential long-term side effects of benzene and radon, the carcinogens that are commonly found in natural gas.

Carcinogen... yet the residents are not relocated.

The Los Angeles city attorney’s office sought a court order Tuesday to move Porter Ranch residents into temporary housing more quickly to avoid fumes from a massive natural gas leak.

With 2,684 families of the northwest San Fernando Valley community awaiting relocation, the city wants a “special master” appointed to oversee the task, which is currently in the hands of Southern California Gas Co. The gas company owns the well in Aliso Canyon that has been leaking massive amounts of methane since Oct. 23.

The restraining order sought by City Atty. Mike Feuer would require gas company officials to relocate residents within 48 hours of their requests. A hearing is scheduled for Wednesday morning.

Wired

The state should handle the relocations NOW and then bill the gas company if the gas company doesn't respond by the deadline.

It seems this has been ordered, that the gas company relocate people, but they didn't do it.

This is awful.

I hope people are able to get moved. Messed up situation. I would imagine the gas company would have bigger losses if they dont get the people out.

Woah, it said this leak accounts for 25% of daily greenhouse emissions in ALL of California, WTF!? And NASA wants the only exclusion to the No Fly Zone they just declared. ! Did they not just declare one earlier this year near another strange geological incident??? And Ban images in a whole state's national parks???

I am going to just calm down, and relax. I am sure they will eventually fix it, whoever they are. Humans always find a way to fix everything (short of death). Fukushima is coming along ok I think for most places outside of Japan should be ok. Our Gulf here seems fine now to me. The Bay is getting much better. Even Chernobyl was handled decently by the Russians. Im sure we can fix this too. Were all pretty badass when we work together.

Here is their plan so far


I am still curious as to Nasa's true motives to need an exclusion for the No Fly Zone.

The gas levels are too low for long-term health effects, according to health officials, but the odor is hard to ignore.

Thats a plus I suppose.

a reply to: earthling42

A couple of things. I live less then 15 miles from where this is taking place fortunately, for me, the pedaling winds blow away from my poorer section of the San Fernando Valley. I've lived here 25 years and this a close neighboring communities have always been prone to, what I thought were, 'sewer gas', events. I thought it was mostly poor planning and execution when storm drains went into old areas and poor sewers on new construction. This may have been going on a lot longer then just the last few months.

This is an upper middle class neighborhood, homes from the low $800,000's to 1.5 million, thousands of them.

SoCal Gas is using old oil wells on top of a fault to store natural gas. These old wells were not properly reinforced to hold natural gas and the area (the mountains rose 6" in the 1972 quake and 18" in the 1994 one) is not stable nor suitable for underground storage of anything volatile or toxic.

I have to wonder - if this would have even made the news if it was happening in a poor neighborhood.

I don't know exactly what is going on but it is horrendous and, once again, the powers vested in protecting the public have no idea what to do. When will we learn not to believe the energy barons who keep telling us not to worry the technology is fail-safe.

Regarding relocations - where? 1500 families have already moved. Where in LA are we going to put up those people, privileged people in a manner to which they feel entitled - I don't think they will live in FEMA trailers - but who knows?

originally posted by: AmericanRealist
Woah, it said this leak accounts for 25% of daily greenhouse emissions in ALL of California, WTF!? And NASA wants the only exclusion to the No Fly Zone they just declared. ! Did they not just declare one earlier this year near another strange geological incident??? And Ban images in a whole state's national parks???

I am going to just calm down, and relax. I am sure they will eventually fix it, whoever they are. Humans always find a way to fix everything (short of death). Fukushima is coming along ok I think for most places outside of Japan should be ok. Our Gulf here seems fine now to me. The Bay is getting much better. Even Chernobyl was handled decently by the Russians. Im sure we can fix this too. Were all pretty badass when we work together.

I am slightly amused by your confidence
Fukushima continues to bleed contamination on a global scale into the oceans, greenhouse gases are still depleting the ozone according to scientists,
The gulf will take decades to recover, it may never
Chernobyl is still a no go zone and will remain so for centuries

Reality is far different to confidence.

a reply to: Raggedyman

Well, the waters in my part of the gulf have never been as vibrant and pristine as ever. I tend to go snorkeling at Howard Park Beach in Tarpon Springs, its awesome out there.

Fishing is as good as its ever been. Im still paying a fair price for shrimp and fresh gulf catches.

I figured the heavy isotopes from Fukushima just sink into the sediment off shore no??

a reply to: reldra

Sounds like they are trying to force the gas company to speed up repairs by giving them the bill to move people. My guess is the gas company will be footing the entire bill for the displaced.

originally posted by: Xcathdra
a reply to: reldra

Sounds like they are trying to force the gas company to speed up repairs by giving them the bill to move people. My guess is the gas company will be footing the entire bill for the displaced.

I hope so!

originally posted by: Raggedyman

originally posted by: AmericanRealist
Woah, it said this leak accounts for 25% of daily greenhouse emissions in ALL of California, WTF!? And NASA wants the only exclusion to the No Fly Zone they just declared. ! Did they not just declare one earlier this year near another strange geological incident??? And Ban images in a whole state's national parks???

I am going to just calm down, and relax. I am sure they will eventually fix it, whoever they are. Humans always find a way to fix everything (short of death). Fukushima is coming along ok I think for most places outside of Japan should be ok. Our Gulf here seems fine now to me. The Bay is getting much better. Even Chernobyl was handled decently by the Russians. Im sure we can fix this too. Were all pretty badass when we work together.

I am slightly amused by your confidence


I think he wrote that to get our attention, that the opposite is actually what is happening. And the Japanese is the ones that help build the container around Chernobyl, not the Russians.
Fukushima continues to bleed contamination on a global scale into the oceans, greenhouse gases are still depleting the ozone according to scientists,
The gulf will take decades to recover, it may never
Chernobyl is still a no go zone and will remain so for centuries

Reality is far different to confidence.

Yeah...so radon...

Lung cancer - from second hand gas

...joe everyday-smoker can be legislated to the toenails...but release toxic gases into the atmosphere, and it's business as usual...

Å99

Since people there can afford to sue, guess what. A limitation law will be filed to limit the liability. Life, you just can't trust the other guy when they do wrong.

a reply to: earthling42

Well, well, well...what a sorry state of affairs!

The fact that this has been going on for months is outrageous. The very second this plume started kicking out, a thousands strong team of geologists, gas mining experts, and grunts, should have been assembled, and deployed to the region to get the thing killed and capped, until a slow release method can be devised to reduce the pressure down there under ground in a safe manner.

This work should have been begun and finished in the first month.

Bloody slackers.

I wonder if it would have been possible to shut down the well? But I guess the well is fractured at the location of the seal with the reservoir, so they can't shut it down.

Here's a lint to another article.
This one has more info.

www.laweekly.com...

right? and how about the cumulative effects. I'm sure that corexit crap from the bp spill is still out there killing ocean life

a reply to: Raggedyman

originally posted by: AmericanRealist
a reply to: Raggedyman

Well, the waters in my part of the gulf have never been as vibrant and pristine as ever. I tend to go snorkeling at Howard Park Beach in Tarpon Springs, its awesome out there.

Fishing is as good as its ever been. Im still paying a fair price for shrimp and fresh gulf catches.

I figured the heavy isotopes from Fukushima just sink into the sediment off shore no??

Have to agree Fred Howard is pristine. In fact I have a tank full of live rock from just offshore there that is teaming with life!..

originally posted by: TrueBrit
a reply to: earthling42

Well, well, well...what a sorry state of affairs!

The fact that this has been going on for months is outrageous. The very second this plume started kicking out, a thousands strong team of geologists, gas mining experts, and grunts, should have been assembled, and deployed to the region to get the thing killed and capped, until a slow release method can be devised to reduce the pressure down there under ground in a safe manner.

This work should have been begun and finished in the first month.

Bloody slackers.

But...but...profits. Maybe after the big shareholders are able to divest their shares it will make sense to stop the murderous rampage.

a reply to: FyreByrd

But Methane is colorless and odorless.



The big government failures are not.

Think about all the MILLIONS of dollars my State (CA) has spent to fight Greenhouse gas emissions, and then think of those Millions just disappearing overnight.

ONE event can undo years of 'work' fighting "Climate Change". Which shows the futility of it.