Last weekend, several candidates vying for Jerry Brown’s position as Governor met for a public, KPCC-hosted Town Hall, held at USC. I heard about the event via Food & Water Watch California’s Facebook event, asking Los Angeles residents to show up and demand answers from the gubernatorial candidates: what is the plan to shut down Aliso Canyon for good, and will that plan become a priority on day one of their tenure, should they become Governor?
A bit of background: Aliso Canyon is a gas storage facility located in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles County. The facility started leaking in 2015, and leaked so much that it has been called the worst natural gas leak in U.S. history. Approximately 8,000 residents were told to evacuate.
SoCalGas, a subsidiary of Sempra Energy, claimed the leak was stopped, the facility was capped, residents should feel free to move back into their homes, nothing was wrong. According to the Los Angeles Times, “after a state appeals court lifted a temporary ban on operations, Southern California Gas resumed injections at the facility this past summer and has been conducting safety improvements. Use of the facility is now allowed on a limited basis, but opponents want the site shut down entirely.”
Why? Because nearby residents, three years later, report—daily—burning sensations in their eyes, headaches, nosebleeds, and off-the-charts methane levels in the air (measured using their own purchased equipment). Some say their pets have died mysteriously or from premature cancer. On a global scale, these methane emissions are contributing to greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere, accelerating climate change.
Residents of the San Fernando Valley have spent the last two years organizing, pushing Governor Brown to shut down Aliso Canyon before he leaves office.
Governor Brown's sister, Kathleen, sits on the board of Sempra, the parent company of SoCalGas. Despite the entrenched special interests in the Governor's office, Governor Brown has asked his administration to figure out how to shut down Aliso Canyon in 10 years.
There's still no plan in place for any shut down.
Live in California, and find this upsetting? Call Governor Jerry Brown and let him know: (916) 445-2841