Porter Ranch residents are having to evacuate the area due to physical health effects caused by the leak.

The Situation and its Effects on Residents:

It was only a matter of time before the methane gas leak, in Southern California, began to cause some serious health problems for the residents in the area.  The residents of Porter Ranch in Aliso Canyon have been dealing with the ill effects of the leak since October 2015.  Some of these effects include: headaches, dizziness, nosebleeds, and an upset stomach, not to mention the revolting egg-like smell that the gas is emitting.  The problem has now gotten so bad that the people in this area are now having to leave their homes to avoid being affected further by this ongoing problem.

Environmental Impacts:

The Environmental Defense Fund has stated that the leak has spewed so much methane into the air that it now accounts for 2% of the country’s annual methane emissions.  This number is expected to increase as Southern California Gas, the owners of the facility that is causing the leak, are saying the leak may not be fixed until March 2016. 

This is a problem which is sure to have some very negative effects on our environment, as methane is one of the most powerful global warming pollutants on the planet.  Although methane only stays in our atmosphere for a couple of decades, it is considered to be at least 80 times more powerful than carbon dioxide in terms of its ability to warm the planet.

            Mitchell Englander, the Porter Ranch representative on the Los Angeles city council says “This is the equivalent of the BP oil spill, except it’s on land, in a populated community. This is one of the most disruptive, catastrophic environmental events that I’ve seen.  It’s a truly chaotic crisis.”

What the residents have to say:

Many of the residents who have been affected want to know why it is taking so long to get this leak fixed. There are concerns that residents very well may try to sue Southern California Gas for the problems they have been dealing with since the leak was discovered on the 23rd of October. There are actually a few suits already filed by residents, as well as the Los Angeles attorneys.

What the company has to say:

The company has offered little in the way of answers, regarding how much they have spent trying to repair the leaking methane storage facility.  However, the company has explained why they can’t get the leak fixed quickly. Due to a lack of a subsurface safety valve, the company has had to call in engineers from other parts of the world to help them dig an 8,000 foot relief well, so that they can inject liquids into the leaking methane storage container, and hopefully permanently seal off the leak with cement.

According to the gas company, they are working 24/7 to get this problem dealt with as soon as possible.  For the residents affected by this catastrophe, “soon” couldn’t be soon enough. They have had to leave their homes and their lives behind for the time being, for fear that they may become sicker.  Let us all hope that the Southern California Gas Company can get it fixed before it becomes a major, long term concern to our environmental health as well.