Methane leak puts California in a state of emergency

California governor Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency last Wednesday evening, January 6, due to an ongoing gas leak at a Southern California (SoCal) Gas Company storage site. The site is located in the Aliso Canyon, just north of Los Angeles.

The leak began on October 23 and was reportedly spewing out methane at a rate of tens of thousands of kilograms per hour.

The state of emergency now requires that SoCal start daily inspections and use infrared technology to detect leaks. The declaration mandates SoCal to halt gas injections into the storage facility, immediately work on alternatives to stop the leak and provide testing results, data, daily briefings and a written plan and schedule for sealing the well. SoCal estimates that it could take up to four months to plug the leaking well.

However, the Californian government will not offer funds to stop the leak but will “ensure that Southern California Gas Company covers costs related to the natural gas leak and its response, while protecting ratepayers.”

Meanwhile, SoCal is already installing mesh screens over the site to prevent the mist of brine from spreading to residential areas. According to the Los Angeles Times, Porter Ranch residents “are finding droplets of dark brown residue on their homes, vehicles, fish ponds and gardens. Some are collecting samples on dinner plates, then forwarding photographs of the material to their lawyers.”

The gas company has relocated thousands of Porter Ranch residents so they can escape the health hazards of the colorless, odorless greenhouse gas.