Thousands Gather for Porter Ranch Town Hall Meeting
December 18, 2015
This Thursday, Porter Ranch residents attended a town hall meeting to address important issues involving the Aliso Canyon gas well blowout. Experts in medical, legal, and environmental fields were present to talk to attendees about the effects of the blowout on their families, pets, and community.
The event was a success with more than 1500 people in attendance. It was held in Shepherd of the Hills Church in Porter Ranch, CA. Attorneys involved in the lawsuit were present and talked to residents about what they may be able to recover compensation for.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., nephew of president John F. Kennedy, discussed the detrimental health effects the gas may have on Porter Ranch residents. “We’re being told methane gas doesn’t hurt you. Benzene may be leaking and is carcinogenic,” he said. “The gas company is not fully disclosing what is being leaked from their well above Porter Ranch.”
On October 23, 2015, Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) discovered a massive gas blowout in their Aliso Canyon facility. The facility is located approximately a mile away from the town of Porter Ranch. According to R. Rex Parris, Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) did not have permission to use 76% of the wells in the facility. The company has allegedly been storing large volumes of methane gas in those wells illegally.
Thousands of families have been affected by the gas, and have evacuated to temporary housing and hotels. People are experiencing health problems because of the components in the gas. SoCalGas is currently providing relocation options for residents.
We would like to thank our panel of experts, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., R. Rex Parris, Dr. H. Ronald Fisk, Dr. Richard J. Kang, Dr. Brooks Michaels, Dr. Anthony Reading, and Dr. David Smith, for participating in the event and keeping residents informed about the SoCalGas crisis.
For more information about the event, check out the event page.
