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After methane leak, Newport Beach residents are now allowed home
A sailboat passes by as motorists and pedestrians load onto the Balboa Island Ferry on Balboa Island in Newport Beach Tuesday, April 25, 2023.
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Allen J. Schaben
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Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
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Topline:
Residents of seven Newport Beach homes evacuated due to a methane leak last Thursday have been given the all-clear to return home.
The leak: City officials think the leak is coming from an uncapped oil well underneath a home in the area. Residents of the home moved out several months ago after crude oil began seeping up through the home’s foundation.
The home has been red-tagged by the city.
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Newport Beach declared a local state of emergency due to the leak on Wednesday. An evacuation order was issued a day later.
What’s next: Officials say they will continue to monitor the leak and it’s up to the property owner to decide how to proceed.
“This type of situation, you would have to dig down, re-drill, take a look at what’s going on down there, and then figure out how to address it,” John Pope, public information officer for Newport Beach, told LAist.
The backstory: City crews used vertical pipes to vent the explosive methane from underground on Thursday and Friday. They left a supplemental ventilation system in place for any additional gas too.
Residents were allowed back beginning Friday afternoon, Pope said.
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