SO CAL GAS ADMITS MASSIVE BENZENE CONTENT OF SAN FERNANDO VALLEY GAS !
AND THEN THEY LET IT BLOWOUT INTO LOS ANGELES FOR 4 MONTHS!
Here is the entire deposition and court documents regarding Benzene, and other sworn testimony, by SoCalGas employees.
AND…Because of improper conduct by SoCalGas attorneys, the judge has now required future depositions to be held IN COURT!
The testimony here is just the tip of a huge iceberg as to how dangerous their San Fernando Valley gas facility, Aliso Canyon, is. And the extend of how it has contaminated the Valley and beyond.
SO CAL GAS THEMSELVES admit that the levels of Benzene (known carcinogen) in the gas they stored there were 1000-10,000 times the level where it can cause negative health impacts! (per the state of CA).
EVEN HIGHER LEVELS IN THE YEARS BEFORE THAT !!!
AND THAT IS JUST THE BENZENE!
There were vast amounts of other chemical and toxins stored with the gas and released, unannounced, on unsuspecting residents. That is normal in gas operations…it’s no secret. Exactly what those chemicals are and were, and how badly it contaminated Los Angeles is just now beginning to be revealed.
Yet our elected officials
CONTINUE TO ALLOW THEM TO STORE VAST AMOUNTS OF THIS GAS
IN THE SAN FERNANDO VALLEY!!!
Let’s really turn up the fire on these corrupt SOBs!
AND on our own Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.
THEY KNOW the ongoing dangers and the ongoing health problems and
TO THIS DAY have NOT done a damn thing about it!
The Health Dept. is under direct control of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors:
Kathryn Barger, Sheila Kuhel, Hilda Solis, Mark Ridley-Thomas, and Janice Hahn
Save Porter Ranch wonders how many of them are part of the coverup of this disaster. Along with the City of Los Angeles, Jerry Brown and a host of other elected officials!
To learn about Save Porter Ranch,
a California Non Profit, read below.
For up-to-the-minute action
YOU can take, CLICK HERE
(Then scroll down. Info changes daily)
For current events , CLICK HERE
Get involved: CLICK HERE
SO many people STILL getting SICK! VIDEOS HERE
Long Before Celebrities, Lawyers and Politicians Arrived We Answered the Call to Save Porter Ranch
Since October 2015's Aliso Canyon gas leak, Save Porter Ranch has served on the front lines of community stewardship as media subject matter experts, advising and informing local/regional/ state/national elected officials to effectively meet community needs, holding regulatory and corporate interests accountable, and serving as One Stop Shop for questions about the SoCalGas Blowout for the general public. Our expertise, experience and resources have been managed at great personal cost since we are also residents impacted by this leak. We've managed to serve the Porter Ranch and greater Los Angeles community while balancing our family relocations amid limited resources. But we continue to serve the greater Los Angeles community by maintaining Save Porter Ranch social media and website, developing outreach materials to educate at community forums and keep area residents updated on the latest critical information for our health and safety.
Save Porter Ranch was the established, credible media subject matter expert immediately after the gas blowout because we identified the problems and proactively led informing elected officials, local agencies and boards, and the public at large long before methane gas escaped into the atmosphere. We've dedicated hundreds of unpaid man hours attending meetings, making public comment, including advising a panel about the liabilities Los Angeles has now accumulated to a hearing panel about the Hidden Creeks Estates project. Save Porter Ranch was a leader in identifying information gaps, filling those gaps and serving as community leaders to navigate the real destruction our community was dealt since October 2015 (and prior). Before the lawyers, before the celebrities, before politicians, Save Porter Ranch organized with the goal to warn and deter harm to the Los Angeles community from this storage facility, oil driling, and dangerous, unregulated environmental policies endangering residents.
Save Porter Ranch as Media Subject Matter Experts
SPR served as subject matter experts quoted in LA Times, New York Times, Newsweek, Los Angeles Daily News, CNN, Rachel Maddow Show (MSNBC), BBC, KCET, all local Los Angeles broadcast stations and social media via Facebook, SavePorterRanch.com and Twitter.
Save Porter Ranch (SPR) Advocacy and Community Leadership
2014
April 2014
Save Porter Ranch (SPR) was created right after the presentation of Termo Company for 12 new oil well in Aliso Canyon Field at Porter Ranch Neighborhood Council meeting. Immediately started informing residents about the danger of oil drilling and fracking door to door with the help by Food Water Watch (FWW).
July 27, 2014
First SPR media coverage (first ever to discuss about the health impact to the community in Porter Ranch from oil/gas operation in Aliso Canyon Field)
July 29, 2014
Mitch Englander, Los Angeles City Council District 12, Councilman sponsors Resolution for an EIR for the Termo Company Project.
August 23, 2014
SPR First Public Forum with FWW in Porter Ranch to educate public on fracking, enhanced drilling techniques, Termo’s plan for expansion, and what is going on in the hills behind Porter Ranch.
Sept, Oct, Nov 2014
SPR continues to meet with staff of Supervisor Michael Antonovich to discuss who to call when we smell gas, and discover we are to call AQMD at 1-800-CUT-SMOG. SPR disseminates this information to our community. We discuss health issues residents are having such as headaches, nosebleeds, and smell of gas now and then.
November 20, 2014
1,000 signature petition are presented to Michael Antonovich at the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Meeting by SPR demanding a full assessment and EIR for the proposed Termo Project.
2015
February 7, 2015
SPR attended March for Real Climate Leadership in Oakland to join over 8,000 people to demand real climate leadership.
April 6, 2015
County requires Termo to do a full EIR.
April-May 2015
SPR & FWW conduct meetings to educate ourselves on what to ask for in the EIR and at the EIR Scoping meeting. We bring in geologist to advise us. We post information on SPR website and FB as to how citizens can submit comments and questions regarding what they want included in EIR.
May 6, 2015
SPR attended PRNC meeting along with Termo Oil representative.
May 20, 2015
Over 140 residents and concerned citizens attend the EIR Scoping Meeting for the Termo Project. SPR verbally ask questions and request specific information be included in EIR. SPR sends our questions in writing as well, and they are submitted to County per EIR Scoping process.
June 16, 2015
SPR participated Public Hearing for Hidden Creeks Estates to provide testimony and consult hearing panel of the danger of building new development right next to oil/gas field.
August 15, 2015
SPR calls for a city and/or County to do a complete Health Study and has a hike/protest in over 100 degree heat. Residents have been complaining of headaches, nosebleeds, and other symptoms.
September 27, 2015
SPR elects Directors & officers
October 7, 2015
Official SPR Articles of Incorporation received from state
October 8, 2015
DOGGR concedes it has serious lapses in its regulation and monitoring of oil & gas fields. SPR posts this on Facebook page.
October 24, 2015
Porter Ranch residents smell strong gas (mercaptan odorant added to gas) late evening. SPR called 911, AQMD, Antonovich’s office and post in social media. AQMD takes air samples.
October 25, 2015
AQMD was called again and they come out and tell residents there is a gas leak in injection well #SS25 in Aliso Canyon Gas Storage Facility.
October 25, 2015
SPR organized Porter Ranch Community Forum. First community forum since gas blowout discovered to inform to call AQMD (“Smell something, Say sometihng”)
October 26, 2015
SPR calls the 2 elementary schools, Castlebay Elementary and Porter Ranch Community School and informs them about the gas leak. No one had contacted them. SPR follows this up with emails to the principal of each school, and includes documentation of the health impacts of being exposed to mercaptan.
October 26, 2015
SPR attends So Cal Gas “open house” and ask about the health effects of mercaptan, which is the odorant added to natural gas so we can smell it. So Cal Gas representatives tell SPR “that is a good question. Why don’t you look it up?”
October 30, 2015
SPR and FWW organize a protest at corner of Tampa & Rinaldi and then march over to Castlebay to protest So Cal Gas injection well blowout and gas traveling down into our community. School children are complaining of headaches, nausea, bloody noses, and more.
November 4, 2015
SPR attends PRNC meeting and asks questions to So Cal Gas and LA County Health officials. SPR brings documentation from Center for Disease Control (CDC) on the health effects of mercaptan, and the document from CDC stating there have been no studies of the long term impact of even low level of mercaptan exposure.SPR hands out CDC information to Los Angeles County Board of Health and to attendees and take informal health survey of health symptoms. Save Porter Ranch holds regulators and SoCal Gas accountable for the data distributed among our community to empower residents to make informed decisions.
November 14, 2015
SPR has a community forum at Castlebay Elementary School where we bring in experts to discuss a Health Survey, Air Quality Monitoring, and effects of urban oil & gas drilling on a community’s health. We discuss gas leak and how to call 1-800-CUT-SMOG and the fact that we need 3 people to call in 1 hour before AQMD will come out to do an air sample. We encourage people to use this avenue to document what we are smelling, going through and to document their physical symptoms.
November 19, 2015
Los Angeles County Health Dept. determines the mercaptan odor is a public health issue, and now requires So Cal Gas to pay for relocation for people affected by the mercaptan.
November 20, 2015
Residents call So Cal Gas and employees know nothing about relocation order or who to talk to. Later that day SPR talks to So Cal Gas representative at their gate at Tampa & Sesnon and their website it then updated with the correct call in # for relocation.
November 23, 2015
SPR organizes 200 individuals, families and children Protest at corner of Tampa & Rinaldi. Media coverage.
November 24, 2015
SPR attended LA County Board Of Supervisor’s meeting and gave testimony.
November 27, 2015
SPR selects R. Rex Parris law firm for class action lawsuit.
December 1, 2015
SPR & FWW organizes protest outside LA City Council Meeting and testified at the meeting.
December 2, 2015
Earthworks, an environmental group sends two operators to hike with SPR & FWW and got FIRST FLIR camera footage of the gas blowout.
December 6, 2015
SPR approves bylaws at Board of Directors meeting.
December 6, 2015
Community Meeting in Porter Ranch held organized by SPR & FWW. FLIR Camera footage is shown to the public FOR THE FIRST TIME and explained by Earthworks representative. Global Community Monitoring discusses air quality sampling. R. Rex Parris law firm explains the situation regarding the gas leak/well blowout and how class action lawsuits work.
December 12, 2015
Red Line Protest at gates of So Cal Gas, corner of Tampa & Sesnon. We call on Gov Brown to shut the facility down. We have testimonies from residents. We have media coverage.
November & December 2015
SPR continues to do interviews with media to get the word out about relocation. SPR continues to meet with elected officials.
December 21, 2015
SPR meets with Senator Fran Pavley. We made it clear that our goal is to shut the SoCalGas storage facility down, and urged them to require a review of the facility by CPUC (California Public Utilities Commission) to do just that. We also asked them, at the behest of Porter Ranch residents, to urge the Governor to come to Porter Ranch and meet with all of us himself.
December 23, 2015
SPR meets with Assemblyman Scott Wilk.
December 31, 2015
SPR meets with Congressman Brad Sherman, and Mr. Sherman sends letter to Governor Brown requesting a State of Emergency be issued for this gas leak.
2016
January 6, 2016
Governor Brown declares State of Emergency for Aliso Canyon So Cal Gas injection well blowout.
January 9, 16, 20, 23, 2016
SPR, FWW, STAND LA, Sierra Club join forces for a rally/protest before the SCAQMD meeting. Generated lots of media coverage. SPR gave testimony as to devastating health effects and impacts & why this facility should be shut down.
January 11, 2016
SPR is asked to speak at Senator Pavley’s press conference to introduce the bill SB380 for tighter regulation for Aliso Canyon Field.
January 15, 2016
SPR, attend the public Town Hall Governor’s Office of Emergency Services. SPR asked questions and gave testimony.
January 21, 2016
SPR meets with Supervisor Michael Antonovich to discuss Aliso Canyon Field to shut it all down.
January 28, 2016
SPR meets with Eric Garcetti with our demands for SoCalGas and the future vision of Porter Ranch. We agree that we need to transit to a post gas future and 100% clean energy.
February 4, 2016
SPR meets Los Angeles City Council Mitch Englander to discuss Aliso Canyon Field to shut it all down.
February 12, 2016
SPR meets US Senator Barbara Boxer to discuss Aliso Canyon Field to shut it all down.
February 20, 2016
SPR attended AQMD progress hearing and gave testimony.
February 22, 2016
SPR attended Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee hearing for SB380 in State Capitol Sacramento and gave testimony.
February 26, 2016
SPR held community rally
March 4, 2016
SPR held community rally to voice health impact
April 9, 2016
SPR held community forum
May 14, 2016
SPR participated March to Break Free from Fossil Fuels in downtown LA, which is a part of the global event to demand to end neighborhood drilling and eliminate the oil and gas extraction practices that threaten people’s health.
May 15, 2016 and beyond:
We have been very busy working to #ShutAlisoDOWN and have not updated this page to reflect. Check out our Facebook page for all the updates!
