SoCalGas Halts Capture of Natural Gas from Leaking Aliso Canyon Well

(LOS ANGELES – January 19, 2016) Environmental Defense Fund responded today to the announcement by Southern California Gas Company that it would discontinue efforts to capture leaking natural gas at the site of a ruptured storage well in Aliso Canyon. The leak, which first began in October, is one of the largest natural gas leaks ever recorded. Initial estimates showed it was emitting as much as 62 million cubic feet of the greenhouse gas methane into the atmosphere each day, which is equal to the daily near-term climate damage caused by the emissions from over 7 million cars. The leak has also forced the relocation of more than 2,000 nearby households.

“The abandonment of a short-term plan for cutting pollution from Aliso Canyon is more bad news for the community and the climate. But, we understand the decision given safety concerns. At the same time, it emphasizes the importance of California continuing to survey how much methane escapes and to calculate the leak’s climate damage. EDF also supports the call by community groups to step up local air monitoring and exposure assessments to protect the health of the nearby residents and workers on the site.”

·         Tim O’Connor, Director of the California Oil and Gas Program at Environmental Defense Fund