With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today during our fall member drive.
Explosive methane piped out from under Newport Beach home after prompting evacuations
Listen
• 0:44
Residents had left the home where the methane was discovered months earlier because oil was found seeping up around their foundation.
(
CBS News Los Angeles
)
Topline:
City crews installed pipes to vent methane from a Newport Beach neighborhood after a gas leak was discovered Thursday. Seven homes were evacuated on Balboa Peninsula over worries about the risk of an explosion, city spokesperson John Pope said.
The leak: City officials aren’t sure exactly where the methane is coming from, but the leading theory is that it’s seeping from an orphaned oil well that was capped in 1929. The peninsula had approximately a dozen oil wells, which were capped and decommissioned by the 1930s.
The backstory: The homeowners had moved out of their house months ago because of crude oil oozing up around the foundation of the home. They called officials when they visited the house and smelled what they believed to be methane. An investigation confirmed high levels of the gas coming through a crack in the cement.
Support for LAist comes from
Listen
• 0:44
Explosive methane piped out from under Newport Beach home
What’s next: According to the city, crews have completed venting operations and will likely let people back into their homes by the end of the weekend. As there’s no company to take responsibility for the orphaned well, it will be up to the homeowners to decide what to do next, Pope said.
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
The study found recipients spent nearly all the money on basic needs like food and transportation, not drugs or alcohol. -
Kevin Lee's Tokyo Noir has become one of the top spots for craft-inspired cocktails. -
A tort claim obtained by LAist via a public records request alleges the Anaheim procurement department lacks basic contracting procedures and oversight. -
Flauta, taquito, tacos dorados? Whatever they’re called, they’re golden, crispy and delicious. -
If California redistricts, the conservative beach town that banned LGBTQ Pride flags on city property would get a gay, progressive Democrat in Congress. -
Most survivors of January's fires face a massive gap in the money they need to rebuild, and funding to help is moving too slowly or nonexistent.
Best of LAist