California gas leak is so bad that governor evacuates 30000 people

Yielding to the request of residents and local officials, Gov. Jerry Brown on Wednesday issued an emergency proclamation regarding the Southern California Gas Co. leak above Porter Ranch that is dumping massive amounts of methane into the atmosphere above the community.

Residents have complained of headaches, nosebleeds and nausea, and two nearby elementary schools have shut down.

First detected on October 23, the leak emanates from a gas storage well owned by Southern California Gas (a subsidiary of Sempra Energy) in Aliso Canyon, located in the San Fernando Valley region of Southern California.

SoCal Gas maintains more than 160 of the roughly 340 active gas storage wells in the state, some at other facilities in Santa Clarita, Goleta and Playa del Rey. Methane is a known greenhouse gas and traps heat at a rate of 20 to 100 times greater than carbon dioxide.

The leak isn’t tidy, an expert explained to Lobet: The escaping gas can’t simply be siphoned off. And as the Los Angeles Times detailed earlier this week, the pressure of the escaping gas makes it impossible to stop the leak by filling the well from the top.

The gas company is now working on drilling a relief well, which would allow them to plug the leaking well, but that won’t be complete until March.

The well is spewing about 30,000 kilograms of methane per hour, according to the most recent estimates available by the Air Resources Board. The Los Angeles City Attorney has filed suit against the gas company, stating it failed to immediately report the leak and is not adequately equipped to contain it. The City also alleges the leak will significantly add to global warming and increase its burden on residents of Los Angeles. Construction crews are installing mesh screens to prevent an oily mist at the leaking well from drifting into Porter Ranch.