An environmental disaster is playing out in the small town of Porter Ranch, Calif., which is north of Los Angeles, as a ruptured gas well in the Aliso Canyon is spewing a torrent of methane into the air, forcing thousands to evacuate.
The Environmental Defense Fund, working along with conservation firm Earthworks, recently released aerial footage of the leak, which required infrared technology to make the clear gas visible.
"What you can't see is easy to ignore. That's why communities that suffer from pollution from oil and gas development are often dismissed by industry and regulators," said Earthworks spokesman Alan Septoff in a statement. "Making invisible pollution visible shows the world what people in Porter Ranch have been living with every day for months."
SoCal Gas Company, which owns the gas facility where the leak is occurring, first noticed the leak coming out of the ground near well SS-25. So far, all attempts have failed to contain the leak, and methane continues to pour into Porter Ranch. More than 6,500 families have filed for help, but only 2,200 have been relocated.
The company had its workers drill a relief well nearby as part of its attempt to fix the problem once and for all. Workers were able to locate the leaking well more than 3,000 feet below the ground using magnetic technology, but now need to drill an additional 5,000 feet where they'll intersect the well and pump it with mud, water and cement, according to Phys.
However, even under the plan, which is expected to be complete by February/March, SoCal will still need to determine what caused the leak and how much gas escaped.
"Once the leak is stopped, we will be able to evaluate what caused the leak and we will be able to evaluate how much natural gas escaped," said SoCal gas spokesman Mike Mizrahi, according to CBS News.
In a statement, SoCal President and CEO Dennis Arriola said: "As a native Southern Californian, and head of a company that has worked diligently to safely and reliably provide natural gas to SoCal communities for the past 140+ years, my most urgent and highest priority is to stop the leak at our Aliso Canyon Storage Facility above Porter Ranch. We are making good progress and will continue to keep our Facebook community updated."
