Justice for Porter Ranch
by Kaya Allan Sugerman
Last month, I spoke at a public hearing to oppose a proposal to re-open the Aliso Canyon natural gas storage facility. You may recall Aliso Canyon was the source of the largest methane leak in US history. You can read more about the facility and why it should not re-open in this op-ed in today’s Los Angeles Times.
Aliso Canyon sits directly above the community of Porter Ranch, where residents have suffered from the facility’s pollution for years even before the 2015 leak. About a year before the blow out, residents of Porter Ranch contacted CEH for help with a health study, in order to determine the extent of the risks from the plant. In addition, earlier this year, CEH agreed to joined a lawsuit against SoCalGas, the operator of Aliso Canyon, asserting that the company violated California law by failing to warn residents about the health risks from its toxic emissions.
In my testimony at the hearings (see the video, below), I spoke about CEH’s work with the community and the failure of regulatory agencies to address the urgent health and safety concerns.
CEH will remain engaged with the Porter Ranch community and will continue to pursue legal action and other support of their efforts for justice and health.