Porter Ranch area residents say they are still getting sick in the aftermath of the largest gas blowout in U.S. history that drenched nearby communities in methane gas, mercaptans, benzene and other toxins from a Aliso Canyon facility for four months.
After being disappointed by the unfavorable LA County Superior Court ruling regarding the length of time and amount of cleanup of people’s homes by the Southern California Gas Company, angry residents were again making their voices heard.
On Wednesday, Sept. 14, a rally was held the Porter Ranch Community School, one of the two facilities where students were relocated due to the methane gas leaks. They demanded the permanent closure of the Aliso Canyon storage facility.
Over the previous weekend, residents from Northridge, Chatsworth, Granada Hills and Porter Ranch smelled mercaptans coming from the Aliso Canyon storage facility. Residents experienced another flare up of symptoms as residents reported vomiting, nosebleeds, headaches and migraines on social media.
Residents learned of the cause when SoCalGas reported a “small” leak that was fixed by early evening Monday, Sept. 12. According to SoCalGas “at no point was there a threat to public safety.”
On Tuesday, SoCalGas began an acid maintenance job at the Porter 69J well at the Aliso Canyon storage facility. Acid maintenance requires the use of hydrochloric acid, xylene, ethylbenzene, toluene, which are classified as serious air toxins and and carcinogens.
Even typical operations such as maintenance activities can pose major health threats to nearby neighbors who are extremely vulnerable due to long term exposure to the four-month gas blowout, activists said.