US regulators to propose rules after gas leak

Rep. Brad Sherman, a Democrat who lives in the Porter Ranch neighborhood, announced Tuesday that he’s introducing legislation aimed at preventing future gas leaks by directing the federal Pipeline Hazardous Materials Safety Administration to set safety standards for natural gas storage facilities.

Attorney General Kamala Harris is seeking an injunction, civil penalties and restitution in her office’s lawsuit against the utility and the state Air Resources Board. “This gas leak has caused significant damage to the Porter Ranch community as well as our statewide efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and slow the impacts of climate change”.

The leak from a well at an underground storage facility owned and operated by Southern California Gas Co. was discovered October 23.

But it failed to let state emergency officials know until October 26, Attorney General Kamala Harris said in the latest of more than two dozen lawsuits filed against SoCalGas.

The lawsuit alleges that Southern California Gas Co. violated state health and safety laws by failing to promptly control the release of the natural gas and report the leak to authorities.

“We are working hard to both stop the leak and to address our neighbors’ concerns”, the company said in a statement, adding it would “respond to the lawsuit “through the judicial process”.

“The impact of this unprecedented gas leak is devastating to families in our state, our environment and our efforts to combat global warming”, Harris said.

District Attorney Jackie Lacey said the charges aren’t a solution to the problem, but Southern California Gas Co. needs to be held responsible for the leak that has uprooted more than 4,400 families.

In January, Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency over the colossal leak near the Los Angeles suburb of Porter Ranch.

To stop the leak, SoCal Gas contractors are drilling a relief well to intersect with the base of the ruptured well more than a mile and a half below ground. And the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is finalizing new regulations to limit methane emissions at each stage of the oil and gas production and transportation system-but those rules will cover only new installations, not existing facilities.

“Between the kids and my wife feeling some of the side effects that we’ve heard about in the news, and just not taking any chances with three little ones, we’re temporarily dislocated”, he said.