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.
California, LA county and city settle Aliso leak lawsuits with SoCal Gas
This photo from a report of the Interagency Task Force on Natural Gas Storage Safety shows the damage to Aliso Canyon gas well SS-25 after a massive leak was plugged.
(
Interagency Task Force on Natural Gas Storage Safety
)
Listen
0:58
California, LA county and city settle Aliso leak lawsuits with SoCal Gas
Nearly three years after a massive leak broke out at a gas storage field near Porter Ranch, several local government agencies announced they have settled their lawsuits against Southern California Gas Co. The company will pay out nearly $120 million under the agreement.
If approved by a Superior Court judge, the settlement will end the cases that the city of Los Angeles, Los Angeles County and the state of California brought against SoCal Gas.
The agreement earmarks up to $34 million to offset the environmental damage caused by the methane that leaked from a broken well at the Aliso Canyon underground gas storage field.
It funds a $25 million health study of Porter Ranch residents, part of a larger $45.4 million package of environmental spending. There is $21 million in civil penalties that will fund consumer protection programs, and $19 million to cover the government plaintiffs’ legal costs.
But the settlement is silent on closing the gas field forever.
"I’m not satisfied with where we are with the regulators in the state of California in terms of closing this facility down," said City Councilman Mitchell Englander, who represents Porter Ranch and other San Fernando Valley areas.
Shutting down the gas field will be up to the state Public Utilities Commission. Gov. Jerry Brown has called for the field to close by 2027. Read more on LAist.
This story is part of Elemental: Covering Sustainability, a new multimedia collaboration between Cronkite News, Arizona PBS, KJZZ, KPCC, Rocky Mountain PBS and PBS SoCal.
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.
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.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
