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U.S. NEWS Thursday 20 July 2017

Gas storage field that leaked

methane gets reopening OK

By AMANDA LEE MYERS
ROBERT JABLON
Associated Press
LOS ANGELES (AP) — California state officials on
Wednesday cleared the way for resumption of natu-
ral gas pumping into an underground storage facil-
ity where a blowout spewed methane for nearly four
months, sickening Los Angeles residents and driving
thousands of families from their homes.
After 17 months of testing and inspections, state
engineering and safety enforcement experts con-
cluded the Aliso Canyon facility “is safe to operate
and can reopen at a greatly reduced capacity in
order to protect public safety and prevent an energy
shortage in Southern California,” according to a joint
statement from the Division of Oil, Gas and Geother-
mal Resources (DOGGR) and the California Public
Utilities Commission.
“I’m confident that the field is safe and can be re-
opened safely,” said Ken Harris, the state’s oil and
gas supervisor and head of DOGGR. In this Nov. 2, 2016 photo, protesters demonstrating against the expansion of the Dakota Access
The vast field will be restricted to about 28 percent of pipeline wade in cold creek waters confront local police near Cannon Ball, N.D. Industry officials
say protests like the one involving the disputed pipeline may be commonplace in the future.
its massive capacity, storing up to 23.6 billion cubic (AP Photo/John L. Mone)
feet of natural gas, officials said.
Operations could resume in a week or two, said Tim Panel:
Sullivan, the PUC’s executive director.
Aliso Canyon, nestled in the mountains above the Dakota Access-style protests may continue
San Fernando Valley, is the biggest natural storage
facility west of the Mississippi River. An October 2015 By JAMES MacPHERSON protest it. “The opponents debate,” Stevens said. The
blowout of an underground storage well led to the Associated Press will not rest,” said Craig Dakota Access pipeline
largest-known release of methane in the U.S. and BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — Stevens, a spokesman for began moving North Da-
widespread complaints of nosebleeds, nausea, Well-funded and organized Grow America’s Infrastruc- kota oil to Illinois on June
headaches and other symptoms that persisted even protests like the one involv- ture Now, a pro-pipeline 1. But a judge has ordered
after the leak was capped a year ago. ing the disputed Dakota coalition of businesses, the Army Corps of Engi-
The announcement was met with scorn by some who Access oil pipeline may trade associations and la- neers to do more study on
want to see the field shut down permanently. become commonplace, bor groups. Stevens called its impact on the Standing
Scott Kuhn, principal deputy county counsel for Los officials said Wednesday such protests the “new nor- Rock Sioux tribe, which be-
Angeles County, said the county planned to seek as they urged the industry mal” and the “new cost of lieves the pipeline threat-
a court injunction as early as Friday to block the re- to prepare for such activity. doing business.” He said ens sacred sites and the
opening, noting that the cause of the blowout is still The struggle over the re- pipelines will be targeted Missouri River that provides
under investigation. “I think it’s absolutely ludicrous cently completed $3.8 bil- by those wanting to stop drinking water for millions
that they’re claiming this facility is safe,” said Alexan- lion pipeline was discussed the use of fossil fuels, by at- of people. Texas-based
dra Nagy of Food and Water Watch, a group oppos- at an annual oil industry tempting to “kill the heart developer Energy Transfer
ing the field’s existence. “From my perspective this conference in Bismarck, by cutting the veins.” Ste- Partners maintains it’s safe.
facility will never be safe.” with a panel dissecting vens said the oil industry Troy Eid, a former U.S. attor-
The PUC is determining whether the storage facility what the industry learned. must battle what he called ney in Colorado who spe-
is necessary or should be closed but it could take Native Americans and misinformation about pipe- cializes in Native American
another year or year-and-a-half before the “ulti- other opponents worried line projects while touting law, said tribal consultation
mate fate” of the field is determined, Sullivan said at about the pipeline’s effect benefits, such as jobs. “It is is key in building such proj-
a news conference. California Energy Commission on the environment estab- important for us to engage ects and something the
Chair Robert B. Weisenmiller said Gov. Jerry Brown lished a massive encamp- the opposition ... and pro- industry must take “much
has asked him to plan for such a closure. q ment in North Dakota to vide context to the overall more seriously.”q