The California State Senate has voted to prevent Southern California Gas Co. from using its wells at Aliso Canyon until the facilities are declared safe by the Division of Oil, Gas & Geothermal Resources (DOGGR). This vote follows the nearly four month-long battle to stem a leak that has emitted large amounts of methane in the Porter Ranch community and resulted in thousands of residents evacuating the region. The Assembly will now vote on the legislation, which many consider inadequate to address the scope of the natural disaster caused by the Aliso Canyon Storage Facility leak. Residents of the community have called for a permanent closure of the gas storage facility to prevent future leaks from these wells.
Under the legislation, Southern California Gas Co. is required to halt its injections of gas into the underground reservoir until DOGGR completes inspection of all 115 wells and is prohibited from withdrawing gas from 18 of the oldest wells at the facility. The well that is currently leaking is one of the oldest at the facility, dating back to 1953. In addition, DOGGR and the utilities commission have ordered Southern California Gas Co. to submit records in connection with the Aliso Canyon area incident.
The utilities commission has simultaneously instructed all underground gas storage facilities throughout the state to perform inspections to detect possible leaks in wells and pipelines. In addition, a California Congressman has declared his intent to partner with the Vice President of the United States to implement federally mandated safety protocols for storing natural gas under the auspices of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.
Currently there is no comprehensive federal regulatory scheme to monitor underground storage facilities. Gas companies, however, have voiced concerns over several years about the lack of safety standards for storage wells. In 2014, Southern California Gas Co. warned state regulators of deficiencies that required broad inspection of its 229 storage wells, particularly older wells. Similarly, Pacific Gas & Electric initiated measures to monitor its own storage wells in the absence of stringent safety guidelines.
Contact Shane Coons at 949-333-0900 or visit his website at www.ShaneCoonsLaw.com to find out more about his practice.