WOODLAND HILLS >> Residents and public officials expressed grave concerns about the safety of the Aliso Canyon gas field on the second day of a state hearing to discuss its potential reopening.
The hearing, which was disrupted by protesters on its opening day at the Hilton Woodland Hills, settled into a sober groove Thursday night as residents and local leaders asked state officials to put the brakes on reopening the gas field that a year ago spewed gas for months, causing thousands to get sick and leave their homes.
They urged state oil and gas regulators that before heeding a SoCalGas request to refill the Aliso Canyon Storage Facility with gas to first determine what caused the leak. They also called for a seismic safety review, completion of a required community health study and for a risk management plan in the event of a future blowout.
“The facility is a clear threat to public health and needs to be retired,” said Issam Najm, president of the Porter Ranch Neighborhood Council, who received a standing ovation. “This solution is feasible.
“It only needs my government to want it.”
The two-day public hearing hosted by state oil and gas regulators aimed to outline sweeping safety measures conducted at the Aliso Canyon gas field near Porter Ranch and seek public feedback on the feasibility of resuming gas injections.
Required by law by the California Public Utilities Commission and the Department of Conservation’s Division of Oil, Gas & Geothermal Resources, the hearing comes before a decision on whether to permit reopening.
Those wishing to submit written comments can still do so at conservation.ca.gov/dog before 5 p.m. Monday.
A decision by the division of oil and gas on whether to allow the Aliso Canyon Storage Facility to reopen could come as early as next week, officials say. State utilities commissioners will then weigh in on whether to issue a permit for the gas field north of Porter Ranch.
Regulators already have approved nearly a third of the 114 former oil wells in the Santa Susana Mountains as safe enough to refill with gas and help supply fuel for an energy hungry Los Angeles. Another third have completed all the required tests.
Safety measures include 50 miles of new steel pipe limited to gas injection and withdrawals, with casing around tubes for extra protection.
The public hearing waived an expected presentation by the state oil and gas division on a sweeping safety review and reduced pressure limits set for Aliso Canyon. Instead, it allowed residents and public officials to speak.
“I’ve been a judge about 10 years, and I’m here to listen,” said Timothy J. Sullivan, executive director for the CPUC.
SoCalGas applied last fall for a permit to reopen the gas field it says is safe enough to use again after having conducted comprehensive safety improvements to strengthen wells, monitor pressure and update residents.
The utility claims the field is needed to help prevent blackouts during peak summer and winter energy demand at power plants, businesses and millions of homes across the region. Business leaders also have called for a reopening of the gas field.
During a blackout caused by gas shortages, businesses bear the brunt of outages first.
“Our association is concerned that, without Aliso Canyon, our members will be at great risk of gas shortages and energy loss,” said Marcel Rodarte, executive director of the California Contract Cities Association, which represents dozens of cities and 7 million residents.
The two-day hearing comes nearly a year after a ruptured well that spewed a record 100,000 metric tons of methane into the air before it was sealed in February 2016. The faulty well has been permanently sealed.
The blowout, considered the largest in the nation, forced more than 8,000 families and two elementary schools to relocate at gas company expense. Thousands complained of nosebleeds, nausea and headaches.
The leak also resulted in an avalanche of local, state and federal natural gas regulations, as well as hundreds of civil lawsuits and penalties against SoCalGas.
Local, state and federal officials from the San Fernando Valley and beyond have called for a delay in refilling the 3,600-acre underground gas field until the cause of the four-month leak is determined.
A law proposed by Sen. Henry Stern, D-Canoga Park, calls for extending the moratorium passed by his predecessor, former Sen. Fran Pavley, whose bill required this week’s hearing. His Senate Bill 146 calls for determining the cause of the leak and informing the public before Aliso Canyon can reopen. It’s scheduled to be heard in a natural resources committee next week.
Others have called for more stringent safety measures.
Rep. Brad Sherman, who lives in Porter Ranch, reiterated in a statement that Aliso Canyon was “too big to fail, too big to exist.” He said unless underground safety valves are put in place to stop potential blowouts, which SoCalGas has declined to do, it should not reopen.
“You should not consider giving SoCalGas what they want now, unless you also act simultaneously to require the expeditious implementation of the toughest, reasonable mandatory safety standards, including deep subsurface safety valves,” said Sherman, D-Sherman Oaks.
It was unclear how much political pressure will bear on the SoCalGas permit application.
Many experts were concerned about future earthquakes, which weren’t factored into a state safety review.
“Our concerns revolve around the completion of a root-cause analysis, a seismic safety analysis and a risk management plan — and should be completed before gas is reinjected,” said Bill Jones, chief of the Hazmat Division for the Los Angeles Fire Department. “We want to make sure SoCalGas has these plans in place should this happen again.”
A lead attorney for Los Angeles County said that a reopening should be subject to state environmental laws and reviews. He also said SoCalGas should be investigated for its two-day release of gas during a cold spell on Jan. 24 and 25.
Meanwhile, Residents and environmental activists repeated their demand that Gov. Jerry Brown retire the Aliso Canyon gas field for good.
“We are tired of being sick,” said Patricia Larcara, 67, of Porter Ranch, who had evacuated her home of 28 years for six months. “We are tired of not having any response from Jerry Brown, because his sister serves on the board of directors for Sempra Energy.”
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