2/3: SoCalGas’ 48-hour deadline to return home angers Porter Ranch-area evacuees
February 03, 2016SoCalGas’ 48-hour deadline to return home angers Porter Ranch-area evacuees
Residents who have relocated out of the Porter Ranch area at Southern California Gas Co.’s expense due to a massive natural gas leak will have 48 hours to return home once oil and gas regulators certify the leak is stopped, according to the company’s plan. Read more about the company’s plan here.
The Massive Environmental Disaster in California Just Took a Criminal Twist
The legal case against the California natural gas company responsible for a massive, months-long methane leak ramped up on Tuesday. Prosecutors in Los Angeles filed criminal misdemeanor charges against Southern California Gas Co. for failing to immediately report the leak in October. Read more about the charges here.
L.A. leaders want someone overseeing oil operations in the city full time
Los Angeles, a metropolis studded with hundreds of active oil and gas wells, is supposed to have someone who handles a long list of duties tied to petroleum, according to city codes. Yet for decades, no one has held the job full time. Find out why here.
Utilities overspend and get rich in plain sight
From the cradle onward, we are told to be thrifty. Unfortunately, public utilities do the reverse. They fatten up their bottom lines spending gobs of money on things they don’t need. Pro-utility, anti-consumer regulators reward the profligacy. The overspending begets overproduction of energy. But utilities’ revenue, profits, and stocks go up. Everybody is happy except ratepayers, who pick up the tab. Read about how utilities get rich in plan sight here.
Porter Ranch gas leak: How officials are testing the air
As the massive leak at the Southern California Gas Company facility in Porter Ranch continues to spew methane into the air, local public health officials say the levels of toxic compounds and other chemicals measured so far appear to pose no elevated risks for long-term health effects. Learn about the air testing process here.
Southern California lawmaker seeks to dissolve state utilities regulator
A Southern California lawmaker said Wednesday that he will seek to bypass Gov. Jerry Brown and ask voters to break apart California’s utilities regulator after allegations of wrongdoing. Assemblyman Mike Gatto, D-Glendale, said the California Public Utilities Commission as it is currently known would cease to exist in 2018 if voters approve his plan. Read about his plan here.
L.A.’s Slow-Moving Oil and Gas Disaster
In affluent Porter Ranch, the worst gas leak in U.S. history continues to pose health concerns. But in lower-income neighborhoods acrossLos Angeles, drilling has been making people sick for years. Read more about oil drilling in low-income neighborhoods here.
Aliso Canyon gas leak prompts new proposed state regulations
The natural gas leak in Aliso Canyon continues to reverberate in Sacramento, where air pollution officials are proposing new rules to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from oil and gas facilities. The state Air Resources Board is considering rules establishing new monitoring requirements for natural gas storage sites, quarterly inspections for leaks and needed repairs and a prohibition on venting and flaring. Read more about the board’s proposal here.
Porter Ranch gas leak: Legal woes mount for SoCalGas
Tuesday brought a double dose of legal trouble for the Southern California Gas Company as the company was notified of potential criminal charges and a civil lawsuit brought by the state’s attorney general. Get the full story on both charges here.
Knight introduces natural gas storage safety bill
A bill introduced Tuesday would create federal guidelines for natural gas storage areas with the goal of preventing leaks like the one near Porter Ranch that has forced thousands of people from their homes just south of the Santa Clarita Valley. Find out more about the proposal here.
SoCalGas methane leak: 102 days & counting, eco-groups target it for attack on fracking
Since October 23, a massive methane leak from a well in an underground natural gas storage field in southern California’s Aliso Canyon has spewed 91,625 metric tons of the potent greenhouse gas into the atmosphere, according to a counter at the website of the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF). That has the same impact on our climate as 7.7 million metric tons of carbon dioxide. Get more facts on the gas leak here.
SEMPRA ENERGY TO RELEASE QUARTERLY EARNINGS
According to a group of experts covered in Zacks Research poll, Sempra Energy (NYSE:SRE) is projected to post earnings of $1.5 in its recent quarter. It plans to release quarterly numbers on or around 2016-02-25. The projections as given by First Call and the estimates of Zacks may vary as they survey different group of brokers. Read more about Sempra’s upcoming quarterly report here.
Angry Customers Accuse SoCal Gas Company Of Raising Bills In LA
The legal fight continued to grow Wednesday against Southern California Gas Company. On Tuesday evening, dozens of Porter Ranch residents — many who have been affected by the ongoing natural gas leak — attended a packed meeting where accusations of price gouging were made against the gas company. Read more about the citizens accusation’s of price hikes here.
It’s past time for L.A. to seriously regulate its oil and gas wells
For decades, city officials in Los Angeles have taken a hands-off approach to oil and gas drilling, allowing companies to operate and even expand near homes and schools with little scrutiny. Now faced with increasing pressure from community and environmental groups, elected officials are beginning to step up their oversight of roughly 1,000 active wells within the city limits. Read about what elected officials are doing to regulate oil and gas wells here.
