SoCal Gas Agrees To $119.5-Million Settlement For Aliso Canyon Methane Leak — Biggest In U.S. History. According to Los Angeles Times, “A $119.5-million settlement announced Wednesday of claims stemming from the Aliso Canyon gas leak marks the biggest action yet to deal with the health effects and climate damage of the largest release of methane in U.S. history. The deal between Southern California Gas Co. and city, county and state officials and prosecutors will fund a long-sought health study and numerous environmental measures intended to offset the damage caused by the leak. But it leaves unresolved questions about the root cause of the leak, the fate of the storage facility outside Los Angeles’ Porter Ranch neighborhood, the state’s reliance on planet-warming natural gas and residents’ medical claims against the company. The tentative agreement will resolve agencies’ lawsuits against the utility for violating the state’s health and safety laws by failing to promptly control the leak and alert authorities. In exchange, the gas company will pay civil penalties as well as $25 million for the long-term health study and $26.5 million for greenhouse gas emissions projects. An additional $45.4 million will fund other environmental projects — some of them far from the site and unrelated to greenhouse gases. State Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra said the leak ‘undermined our crucial work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and protect our people and the environment. If approved, this settlement will go a long way in addressing the short- and long-term harms.’” [Los Angeles Times, 8/8/18 (=)]

 

California Utility To Pay $119M In Penalties Over Aliso Canyon Leak. According to Politico, “Southern California Gas Co. will pay $119.5 million in penalties under a settlement with California and Los Angeles over the 2015 Aliso Canyon gas leak that spewed 109,000 tons of methane into the atmosphere, the state announced today. The tentative settlement includes $25 million for a long-term health study on the effects of the leak. Another $3 million is earmarked for an air monitoring network in Porter Ranch, the adjacent community that suffered the worst health effects from the leak, state officials said. The company, a subsidiary of Sempra Energy, will set up an internal safety committee and hire a third-party ombudsman to oversee its work and report on it to the public. And a three-year fence line air quality monitoring program at the gas facility has been extended to eight years. … California Attorney General Xavier Becerra noted that while this deal will settle a variety of public nuisance, health and safety, reporting and business code violations, SoCalGas still faces other legal issues. Thousands of people are seeking personal injury and property damages from the company, and the California Public Utilities Commission is investigating the accident’s root case, which could lead to enforcement actions later. WHAT’S NEXT: The settlement is open for public comment for 35 days and then must be approved by a state court.” [Politico, 8/8/18 (=)]

 

AP | $120M Settlement Reached In Huge 2015 Los Angeles Gas Leak. According to The Washington Post, “A nearly $120 million settlement has been reached in litigation stemming from a blowout at a Southern California storage field where a massive methane release forced thousands from their homes three years ago, a utility announced Wednesday. Southern California Gas Co. said the settlement delivers on its commitment to the state following the October 2015 well leak at Aliso Canyon in Los Angeles. The leak lasted nearly four months and prompted many health complaints. It was the largest single release of methane in U.S. history. Under the settlement, SoCalGas will reimburse local, county and state governments for costs associated with the blowout. In addition the utility will fund local environmental benefit projects and establish a program with the California Air Resources Board to mitigate the methane emissions from the leak. Attorney General Xavier Becerra, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and other officials planned to discuss the agreement at a Wednesday press conference. ‘There is no excuse for what happened,’ Becerra said in a statement. ‘For over four months, this leak exposed our communities to natural gas emissions that resulted in adverse health impacts and disrupted the lives of tens of thousands of Californians — displacing two area schools and driving residents from their homes.’” [The Washington Post, 8/8/18 (=)]

 

Utility Agrees To $120M Settlement For Giant Methane Leak. According to E&E News, “Southern California Gas Co. has agreed to a nearly $120 million settlement with California after a 2015 well leak at a storage field caused a massive methane release. The leak lasted almost four months and forced thousands from their homes around Aliso Canyon in Los Angeles. It was the biggest single release of methane in U.S. history. Under the settlement, SoCalGas will reimburse local, county and state governments for the costs associated with the leak. The utility will also pay for local environmental projects and create a program with the California Air Resources Board to address the methane emissions. ‘There is no excuse for what happened,’ state Attorney General Xavier Becerra said in a statement. ‘For over four months, this leak exposed our communities to natural gas emissions that resulted in adverse health impacts and disrupted the lives of tens of thousands of Californians — displacing two area schools and driving residents from their homes.’ A court must approve the settlement before it is final.” [E&E News, 8/8/18 (=)]

 

Trump Officials Open Door To Fracking In California. According to The Hill, “The Trump administration is starting the process of opening up large swaths of land in California to hydraulic fracturing. In a notice issued Wednesday to the Federal Register, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) said it intends to analyze the impact of hydraulic fracturing, known as fracking, on publicly owned land throughout the state. The area in question spans 400,000 acres of public land and 1.2 million acres of federal mineral estates throughout a number of California counties including Fresno, San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara. The notice of intent says BLM will begin the scoping process for a supplemental Environmental Impact Statement, which will determine the effects of fracking on the environment. Fracking is a technology used to release oil and gas from land. The administration’s intent is to eventually open up public land to new lease sales. The announcement follows a 2017 lawsuit brought by the Center for Biological Diversity. That lawsuit challenged a 2015 attempt by the federal government to finalize a resource management plan that acknowledged fracking. In its settlement, BLM promised that it would first provide an environmental impact statement before considering fracking. The agency’s notice of intent to conduct an environmental impact statement is open for public comment.” [The Hill, 8/8/18 (=)]

 

Governor Hopeful Criticizes BLM's Climate Studies. According to E&E News, “Wyoming Republican gubernatorial nominee Mark Gordon this week slammed a recent ruling that forces Bureau of Land Management decisions to consider climate impacts when assigning new oil, gas or coal leases in the Powder River Basin. He said the decision places ‘unjustified burdens’ on state industries. U.S. District Judge Brian Morris shot down an effort by green groups to stop new leases in the region pending a review but ruled that each new lease needs a climate change evaluation (Greenwire, Aug. 3). This holds for Wyoming and Montana. The Powder River Basin mines about 40 percent of the country’s thermal coal and is a new hub for oil and gas drilling. The state is working through a list of more than 10,000 drilling applications, and industry complains that federal regulations are stifling growth. The state gets up to 70 percent of its revenue from fossil fuel development. Gordon is a front-runner in a close and packed GOP primary. The candidates are vying to prove who is most loyal to extractive industries, and Gordon denies that climate change is happening. Current Gov. Matt Mead (R) has been far more measured on the topic, arguing that the state needs to deal with the market impacts of climate change.” [E&E News, 8/8/18 (=)]