Bernardi Investigates Gas Leak : Councilman Seeks Task Force on Odors

Los Angeles City Councilman Ernani Bernardi called Friday for formation of a task force of city, county and state agencies to investigate unexplained odors and a gasoline leak near a drilling site in his northeast San Fernando Valley district.

Bernardi’s request, expected to be approved by the council Wednesday, follows a meeting he attended last week in which about 70 residents in the area of a Chevron drill site in Pacoima complained of headaches, eye irritation and nausea from a gas-like odor that has permeated their neighborhood several hours at a time in recent weeks.

Bernardi said the task force also should investigate the source of a gasoline leak in the sewer system that forced the evacuation of 200 people in late July from a residential neighborhood just north of the drilling site.

A Chevron worker was killed, and two others were injured, in an explosion Sept. 2 at the drilling site, at 14201 Paxton St. But, Bernardi said, government agencies have uncovered no evidence linking the gas contamination to the odors or the Chevron explosion. The explosion was determined to be accidental by the Fire Department, though the cause will be investigated by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

“Current investigations have resulted in the discovery of a leak in a wastewater tank at the Chevron site which could be one source of recent odors,” Bernardi said.

“People in the area won’t rest easy until we resolve the uncertainty,” Bernardi said. “The only way to do that is to establish a task force so that city, county and state agencies can conduct a single, coordinated investigation.”

Bernardi asked that the task force, formed under the aegis of the city’s chief legislative analyst, include representatives of the city Fire Department, city engineer, the bureaus of sanitation and street maintenance. He also invited Assemblyman Richard Katz (D-Sepulveda), the South Coast Air Quality Management District, Los Angeles County Health Department and Southern California Gas Co.

Bernardi asked the task force to report its findings within two weeks to the council’s Public Health, Human Resources and Senior Citizens Committee.