California Senate moves to keep gas company from using wells near Porter Ranch
Source: LOS ANGELES TIMES
ALICE WALTON, Paige St. John
January 28, 2016, 6:39 p.m.
The state Senate voted unanimously Thursday to order Southern California Gas Co. to stop using its wells at Aliso Canyon until they have been determined to be safe.
The moratorium would prevent the gas company from injecting gas into the underground storage reservoir until all 115 wells have been inspected. The legislation, which now moves to the Assembly, also would halt any withdrawals of gas from 18 of the wells that, like the leaking one, are among the oldest at the facility.
<>
In the hope of preventing similar leaks in the future, Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Sherman Oaks) announced Thursday that he and Vice President Joe Biden would work together on new federal safety standards for the storage of natural gas. The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration within the U.S. Department of Transportation has the authority to regulate such standards.
"The Porter Ranch gas leak, the largest in U.S. history, occurred due to negligent operations," Sherman said. "But apparently, SoCal Gas complied with the weak state regulations and nonexistent federal regulatory efforts."
Read more: http://touch.latimes.com/#section/1780/article/p2p-85728084/
