Los Angeles City Councilman Mitchell Englander on Tuesday demanded that air quality regulars increase the amount of money for a health study included in the $8.5 million settlement of a lawsuit filed against Southern California Gas Co. over a massive methane leak at its Aliso Canyon storage facility above Porter Ranch.
The settlement calls for the South Coast Air Quality District to get $5.65 million in emission fees.
The agency will spend $1 million on a health study, and some of the money will go toward air-quality monitoring and pay for a renewable natural gas production project. The remaining $4.65 million will go into the AQMD’s general fund.
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Now Englander, whose district includes Porter Ranch, wants the entire $5.65 million spent on the health study.
“This settlement agreement completely ignores the needs of the communities directly affected by this disaster,” said Englander in a statement. “It is imperative that the proceeds of this settlement benefit those most affected by the Aliso Canyon gas leak — those whose lives were upended by relocation, illness, school closures and business hardship.”
At Tuesday’s council meeting, Englander submitted a resolution to the City Council asking that it support any administrative action by the AQMD that would increase the amount for the health study.
The leak began in late October 2015 and lasted for 112 days, pumping more that 100,000 metric tons of methane, a greenhouse gas, into the air above the community.
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Matt Pakucko, president of Save Porter Ranch, said that his group has a meeting set for today with Los Angeles County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl’s environmental deputy, Katy Young, to discuss the health study funding. Kuehl serves on the AQMD board.
“It has to be a lot more money. To come out with $1 million is a joke,” Pakucko said of the current funding level.
Kuehl seems to be in agreement.
“I want to make sure that the county does what it can to ensure that SoCalGas adequately funds a robust, long-term health study,” said Kuehl in a statement. “I do not believe that the $1 million that was identified in the settlement between the AQMD and SoCalGas is sufficient to fund a proper health study, so I intend to continue looking for other ways to fund this study.”
Supervisor Kathryn Barger, whose district also includes Aliso Canyon, criticized the settlement and said she supports Englander’s resolution.
“The AQMD settlement failed to adequately address the needs of our residents in impacted communities when it comes to funding for the long-term health study. The county will pursue all avenues necessary to see that the long-term health study and all safety reviews are conducted and that the gas company provides funding,” she said in a statement.
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