California faces a new environmental catastrophe after a massive methane gas leak 25 miles northwest of Los Angeles that lasted for months. Environmentalists and state officials are concerned about the long term environmental impact of the leak and many have wondered how this disaster will affect President Obama’s greenhouse gas emission reduction goals. Methane gas is a greenhouse gas with massive global warming effects that surpass those of carbon dioxide in the first two decades of its lifespan. Representatives from the Environmental Defense Fund warn that the emission of just a small amount of methane gas significantly impacts the rate of climate change.
The rupture occurred in the town of Porter Ranch when a massive underground containment system released methane gas that was stored from extractions from locations as distant as the Rocky Mountains and the Midwest. The dangerous gas seeped into the air at an alarming rate- more than 150 million pounds of methane poured into the atmosphere since late December. It took months to stop the leak. The 1000 foot deep leak required constructing a relief well to control the leaking gas. Meanwhile, thousands of residents were evacuated from their homes and treated for illness caused by inhalation of the gas.
The underground tanks are the property of the Southern California Gas Company, and contain billions of cubic feet of natural gas that are delivered to approximately 20 million customers. While the Aliso Canyon leak is one of the most significant in history, methane leaks are fairly common at most stages of the oil and gas supply chain. This problem is largely a result of faulty oil and gas pipeline infrastructure and weak supervision by the oil and gas industry. The absence of adequate federal and state standards for pipeline maintenance has left production companies with minimal to no regulation. Methane gas leaks are often undetected due to the odorless and colorless nature of the gas.
Contact Shane Coons at 949-333-0900 or visit his website at www.ShaneCoonsLaw.com to find out more about his practice.