Disturbing new video shot with a highly specialized Optical Gas Imaging camera on Monday night (December 7) reveals an ominous cloud of methane gas hovering over the community of Porter Ranch following the Southern California Gas Company’s leak which was discovered in October.
The chilling video, along with a panel of experts, will be presented to residents today at a community meeting scheduled for 6 p.m. at the Odyssey Restaurant in Granada Hills. This meeting is intended to offer residents affected by the ongoing gas leak the opportunity to ask questions to independent environmental experts and city officials. Local residents seeking to have their many questions answered are encouraged to attend.
“This video looks like something out of a science-fiction horror movie,” said Brian Panish. “It’s blatantly apparent SoCalGas has not lived up to their promise to deliver clean, safe and reliable natural gas to its customers. Instead, they’ve exposed them to potentially harmful levels of methane and varying amounts of other gases, to what extent we’re still investigating.”
Environmental lawyer and activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will be one of several speakers in attendance to address residents’ concerns and offer strategies on how best to engage the government in hopes of bringing an expedited end to this ongoing environmental nightmare.
Kennedy, along with Attorneys Brian Panish and R. Rex. Parris filed an 85 page class action lawsuit last week on behalf of dozens of plaintiffs and Save Porter Ranch who have been deeply impacted by the illegal gas storage well leaking in Aliso Canyon. The unprecedented leak has unleashed an continuous flow of gases including methane, mercaptans, and aromatic hydrocarbons. The California Air Resource Board estimates the amount of methane being released from the faulty injection well is upwards of 50,000 kilograms per hour, potentially accounting for one-quarter of California’s total methane emissions every day the leak continues.
Paul Rosenfeld, PhD, Co-Founder and Principal Environmental Chemist at SWAPE (Soil/Water/Air Protection Enterprise), has over 20 years of experience conducting risk assessments and developing cleanup programs for sites containing airborne contaminants.
Having reviewed sampling data collected and recently released by SoCalGas, Dr. Rosenfeld will speak to residents about his findings that determined excess levels of serious contaminants, such as hydrogen sulfide, that continue to be disbursed into the community. Porter Ranch Estates and Porter Ranch Community School have shown the highest level of contamination.
“Let there be no mistake about the impact this leak is having on the community of Porter Ranch. 700 families have had to relocate during this holiday season and over 1,000 remain on a waiting list. Children and adults suffer from regular nosebleeds, headaches, nausea and vomiting. Residents are afraid to open their windows, forced to perpetually run their air conditioners, and are finding oily residue in their swimming pools,” said R. Rex Parris. “The families in this community live here because it is supposed to be safe, and now it is not. They have a right to live without toxic poisoning of their neighborhood.”
Los Angeles City Councilmember Mitchell Englander will so be on hand to speak on the effects the gas leak is having in his district. The District 12 representative and San Fernando Valley native will be joined by former state regulators who will explain how federal and state laws are being violated and will shed sobering light on how the danger to the hard working families in Porter Ranch is not over, even after this leak is plugged.
“The massive uncontrolled gas leak is expected to cost Sempra Energy (NYSE:SRE) shareholders over $1 billion dollars,” said Parris, who will discuss litigation strategies at the community meeting. “Sempra and SoCalGas must be held accountable for their negligence.”
The community meeting is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. at the Odyssey Restaurant located at 15600 Odyssey Drive, Granada Hills, CA 91344.
For more information and to view the video, visit www.porterranchlawsuit.com