Methane seepage at Aliso Canyon poses no risk, gas company says
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Southern California Gas Co. has detected methane gas seepage near the massive Aliso Canyon underground gas field, but a spokesman said the “very, very small amount” is odorless and poses no health hazard to residents.
The seepage, which gas company spokesman Chris Gilbride described as the equivalent of “the wisping vapors of a single table candle,” is believed to consist of residual traces of methane trapped in the soil and released by the weekend’s heavy rain, he said.
The seepage was first detected by infrared cameras on Saturday, and continued intermittently through Monday.
The release is a mile from homes, and has not affected overall methane levels. It poses no risk of environmental damage, Gilbride said.
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A major leak that was detected at the site in October 2015 and lasted until February became the largest recorded methane release in U.S. history, prompting thousands of nearby Porter Ranch residents to leave their homes as officials struggled to cap a faulty well.
Residents complained of headaches, nosebleeds and nausea, short-term symptoms associated with an odor-causing additive in the natural gas.
Southern California Gas Co. agreed in September to pay $4 million to settle criminal charges over its failure to notify authorities of the massive leak, but still faces potentially costly civil lawsuits from residents and regulators.
Gilbride said the utility notified regulators, local elected officials, a community advisory board and its database of 60,000 residents about the seepage as part of a “robust” communications plan set up after the leak.
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