CA Declares Porter Ranch-Area Gas Leak Capped, But Uncertainty Remains

"State officials formally declared the Aliso Canyon gas leak capped Thursday, but uncertainty remains about the future of the facility and the residents who live around it.

The capping of the leaking well ends four months of foul air that sickened many Porter Ranch residents and forced thousands to flee their homes. Crews reached the leak last week and injected heavy fluids and then cement to seal it.

Residents who moved out of their homes were notified by phone, text and email Thursday morning that they had eight days to vacate temporary housing that Southern California Gas Co. has been paying for. By early Thursday, residents of 1,800 households had returned to their homes, said Gillian Wright, vice president of customer service for the utility; 5,774 households remain in temporary housing."

Alice Walton, Hailey Branson-Potts, and Louis Sahagun report for the Los Angeles Times February 18, 2016.

SEE ALSO:

"California’s Gas Gusher is Stanched, But Where are Tougher U.S. Rules on Leaks?" (Dot Earth/New York Times)

"Los Angeles-Area Methane Leak Declared Permanently Sealed" (Reuters)