Statement Issued by Southern California Gas Company

From Dennis Arriola – CEO of Gas Company – Regarding Emergency

Dateline:  Porter Ranch

Dennis Arriola, CEO of Gas Company
Dennis Arriola, CEO of Gas Company

“SoCalGas has been communicating with the Governor’s Office and other state agencies from the outset and appreciate their continued support as we work as quickly and safely as possible to stop the leak.

“Our focus remains on quickly and safely stopping the leak and minimizing the impact to our neighbors in Porter Ranch. SoCalGas reaffirms our prior commitment to mitigate the environmental impact of the actual amount of natural gas released from the leak.  We look forward to working with state officials to develop a framework that will achieve this goal.”

Gas Company Offering Free Air Filters

Air Filtration & Air Purification: To help with the odor problem, SoCalGas is offering air purification and weatherization services at no cost to residents in the Porter Ranch Community. The air purification units provided by SoCalGas incorporate activated carbon/charcoal filters to remove the natural gas odorant from your home and are certified by the California Air Resources Board (ARB). ARB has provided a website specifically for the Aliso Canyon event where residents can review the technologies and models available for air purification. Residents may choose either of the following:

  • Plug-In Portable Air Purifiers.  SoCalGas will provide ARB-Certified plug-in portable air cleaners that incorporate activated carbon/charcoal filters to remove the natural gas odorant from your home.  If you wish to purchase a certified California Air Resources Board (ARB) certified system separately, SoCalGas will fully reimburse you, but we ask that you please email SoCalGas at AlisoCanyon@SoCalGas.com for preapproval.
  • In-Duct Air Purification.  SoCalGas’ licensed Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) contractor will provide whole-house air purification by replacing the standard air filter(s) in your HVAC system with a specially designed activated carbon filter that can remove the compounds found in natural gas and its odorant from the air in your home. In addition, the HVAC contractor will install a non-ozone generating air scrubber(s) in the HVAC plenum.

For more information, to schedule installation or delivery of Air Filtration and Air Purification, or to schedule weatherization services, please call the SoCalGas Aliso Canyon hotline at 818-435-7707 or email us at AlisoCanyon@SoCalGas.com.

For further information regarding technical specifications of air purifiers, you can email ARB ataircleaners@arb.ca.gov or call ARB at 916-445-0753.

Free Relocation Service

Temporary Relocation: For residents in the Porter Ranch community who wish to relocate, we are providing free, temporary housing accommodations, including locations that can accommodate residents with disabilities and people with access and functional needs. And for residents with pets, we have arranged pet-friendly locations. For more information, please call us at 877-238-9555 and indicate that you are a SoCalGas customer calling about an Aliso Canyon claim.

For those residents who have been temporarily relocated, you can download a reimbursement package.

For residents temporarily located, and staying with friends or family, please download the following information package.

General Claims: If you feel you have suffered harm or injury as a result of this incident, please complete thisonline form or call us at 213-244-5151  and one of our claims processors will help you.

As we have since this incident began, SoCalGas stands willing and ready to cooperate with the Governor’s office, all state and local officials, and regulatory agencies.

Posted from the Gas Company website as a public service by Uncle Paulie.  See our in-depth Documentary Series Poisoned Paradise (at the top menu bar) which documents previous gas blow outs in the Los Angeles area.  Also click on “Oil & Gas” in Categories to view other relevant stories including the big gas blow out in Playa del Rey.

unclepaulie@rocketmail.com

 

 

Emergency Proclamation Explained By Governor’s Office

The Nuts and Bolts of the State of Emergency

Dateline:  Sacramento

The Methane Volcano
The Methane Volcano

SACRAMENTO – Given the prolonged and continuing duration of the Aliso Canyon gas leak and at the request of residents and local officials, Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today issued a proclamation that declares the situation an emergency and details the administration’s ongoing efforts to help stop the leak. The order also directs further action to protect public health and safety, ensure accountability and strengthen oversight of gas storage facilities.

Earlier this week, Governor Brown met with Porter Ranch residents and toured the Aliso Canyon Natural Gas Storage Facility, including the site of the leak and one of the relief wells.

Today’s proclamation builds on months of regulatory and oversight actions from seven state agencies mobilized to protect public health, oversee Southern California Gas Company’s actions to stop the leak, track methane emissions, ensure worker safety, safeguard energy reliability and address any other problems stemming from the leak. Actions include:

– The Governor’s Office of Emergency Services established an incident command structure, including a physical post on-site at Aliso Canyon to better coordinate the local, state and federal response and information sharing and is maintaining a public webpage to provide real-time information regarding the state’s multi-agency response and air quality monitoring.

– The Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources is investigating the leak and overseeing Southern California Gas Company’s efforts to stop it, including issuing emergency orders in November and December directing Southern California Gas Company to halt gas injections into the storage facility, immediately work on alternatives to stop the leak and provide testing results, data, daily briefings and a written plan and schedule for sealing the well. The Division also established a panel of experts from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and the Sandia National Laboratory to provide independent monitoring and technical expertise and review Southern California Gas Company data and information reported to the Division.

– The Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment is reviewing air quality measurements, evaluating public health concerns from the gas leak and assisting other state agencies in determining whether additional actions are needed beyond those already required by local public health agencies.

– The California Public Utilities Commission is investigating the gas leak to determine its cause and any possible violations and is collecting information about the costs of responding to and fixing the leak. The Commission and Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources also directed Southern California Gas Company to retain and pay for an independent, third party to perform a technical analysis of the well failure and its cause and share the results with regulators and the public.

– The California Air Resources Board is measuring the leak rate and estimating total methane emissions over the duration of the leak and is using ground-level monitoring, specially-equipped airplanes, and satellite information to provide updates of emissions.

– The Division of Occupational Safety and Health is ensuring on-site worker safety at Aliso Canyon.

– The California Energy Commission is coordinating with California Public Utilities Commission to maintain energy reliability during this incident.

Last month, the Governor sent a letter to the CEO of Southern California Gas stating that the company’s response has been “insufficient” and must be sped up, while noting that state agencies’ multiple ongoing investigations will be coordinated with the California Attorney General’s Office.

Today’s proclamation implements the following key orders:

– Stopping the Leak: All necessary and viable actions will be taken to ensure Southern California Gas Company: maximizes daily withdrawals of natural gas from the Aliso Canyon Storage Facility for use or storage elsewhere; captures leaking gas and odorants while relief wells are being completed; and identifies how it will stop the gas leak if relief wells fail to seal the leaking well, or if the existing leak worsens.

– Protecting Public Health and Safety: The state will: continue its prohibition against Southern California Gas Company injecting any gas into the Aliso Canyon Storage Facility until a comprehensive review of the safety of the storage wells and the air quality of the surrounding community utilizing independent experts is completed; expand its real-time monitoring of emissions in the community; convene an independent panel of scientific and medical experts to review public health concerns; and take all actions necessary to ensure the continued reliability of natural gas and electricity supplies in the coming months.

– Ensuring Accountability: The California Public Utilities Commission will ensure that Southern California Gas Company covers costs related to the natural gas leak and its response, while protecting ratepayers; and the state will develop a program to fully mitigate the leak’s emissions of methane funded by the Southern California Gas Company.

– Strengthening Oversight: The state will promulgate emergency regulations for gas storage facility operators throughout the state, requiring: at least daily inspection of gas storage well heads using gas leak detection technology such as infrared imaging; ongoing verification of the mechanical integrity of all gas storage wells; ongoing measurement of annular gas pressure or annular gas flow within wells; regular testing of all safety valves used in wells; minimum and maximum pressure limits for each gas storage facility in the state; a comprehensive risk management plan for each facility that evaluates and prepares for risks, including corrosion potential of pipes and equipment. Additionally, the Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources, the California Public Utilities Commission, the California Air Resources Board and the California Energy Commission will submit to the Governor’s Office a report that assesses the long-term viability of natural gas storage facilities in California.

Under today’s declaration, and at the direction of the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, all state agencies will utilize state personnel, equipment, and facilities to ensure a continuous and thorough state response to this incident. The Governor’s Office of Emergency Services will also provide frequent and timely updates to residents affected by the natural gas leak and the appropriate local officials, including convening community meetings in the coming weeks.

posted by Uncle Paulie

unclepaulie@rocketmail.com

 

 

 

State of Emergency Declared in Los Angeles County

Governor Brown Finally Acts But Over 2 Months Have Passed

Here is the Complete Text of the Declaration

PROCLAMATION OF A STATE OF EMERGENCY

Gov Brown

WHEREAS on October 23, 2015, a natural gas leak was discovered at a well within the Aliso Canyon Natural Gas Storage Facility in Los Angeles County, and Southern California Gas Company’s attempts to stop the leak have not yet been successful; and

WHEREAS many residents in the nearby community have reported adverse physical symptoms as a result of the natural gas leak, and the continuing emissions from this leak have resulted in the relocation of thousands of people, including many schoolchildren; and

WHEREAS major amounts of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, have been emitted into the atmosphere; and

WHEREAS the Department of Conservation, Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources issued an emergency order on December 10, 2015 prohibiting injection of natural gas into the Aliso Canyon Storage Facility until further authorized; and

WHEREAS seven state agencies are mobilized to protect public health, oversee Southern California Gas Company’s actions to stop the leak, track methane emissions, ensure worker safety, safeguard energy reliability, and address any other problems stemming from the leak; and

WHEREAS the California Public Utilities Commission and the Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources–working closely with federal, state and local authorities including the California Attorney General and the Los Angeles City Attorney–have instituted investigations of this natural gas leak and have ordered an independent, third-party analysis of the cause of the leak; and

NOW, THEREFORE, given the prolonged and continuing duration of this natural gas leak and the request by residents and local officials for a declaration of emergency, I, EDMUND G. BROWN JR., Governor of the State of California, in accordance with the authority vested in me by the State Constitution and statutes, including the California Emergency Services Act, HEREBY PROCLAIM A STATE OF EMERGENCY to exist in Los Angeles County due to this natural gas leak.

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED THAT:

1. All agencies of state government shall utilize all necessary state personnel, equipment, and facilities to ensure a continuous and thorough response to this incident, as directed by the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services and the State Emergency Plan.

2. The Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, in exercising its responsibility to coordinate relevant state agencies, shall provide frequent and timely updates to residents affected by the natural gas leak and the appropriate local officials, including convening community meetings.

STOPPING THE LEAK

3. The California Public Utilities Commission and the California Energy Commission shall take all actions necessary to ensure that Southern California Gas Company maximizes daily withdrawals of natural gas from the Aliso Canyon Storage Facility for use or storage elsewhere.

4. The Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources shall direct Southern California Gas Company to take any and all viable and safe actions to capture leaking gas and odorants while relief wells are being completed.

5. The Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources shall require Southern California Gas Company to identify how it will stop the gas leak if pumping materials through relief wells fails to close the leaking well, or if the existing leak worsens.

6. The Division shall take necessary steps to ensure that the proposals identified by Southern California Gas Company pursuant to Directives 4 and 5 are evaluated by the panel of subject matter experts the Division has convened from the Lawrence Berkeley, Lawrence Livermore, and Sandia National Laboratories to evaluate Southern California Gas Company’s actions.

PROTECTING PUBLIC SAFETY

7. The Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources shall continue its prohibition against Southern California Gas Company injecting any gas into the Aliso Canyon Storage Facility until a comprehensive review, utilizing independent experts, of the safety of the storage wells and the air quality of the surrounding community is completed.

8. The California Air Resources Board, in coordination with other agencies, shall expand its real-time monitoring of emissions in the community and continue providing frequent, publicly accessible updates on local air quality.

9. The Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment shall convene an independent panel of scientific and medical experts to review public health concerns stemming from the gas leak and evaluate whether additional measures are needed to protect public health beyond those already put in place.

10. The California Public Utilities Commission and the California Energy Commission, in coordination with the California Independent System Operator, shall take all actions necessary to ensure the continued reliability of natural gas and electricity supplies in the coming months during the moratorium on gas injections into the Aliso Canyon Storage Facility.

ENSURING ACCOUNTABILITY

11. The California Public Utilities Commission shall ensure that Southern California Gas Company cover costs related to the natural gas leak and its response, while protecting ratepayers.

12. The California Air Resources Board, in consultation with appropriate state agencies, shall develop a program to fully mitigate the leak’s emissions of methane by March 31, 2016. This mitigation program shall be funded by the Southern California Gas Company, be limited to projects in California, and prioritize projects that reduce short-lived climate pollutants.

STRENGTHENING OVERSIGHT OF GAS STORAGE FACILITIES

13. The Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources shall promulgate emergency regulations requiring gas storage facility operators throughout the state to comply with the following new safety and reliability measures:

a. Require at least a daily inspection of gas storage well heads, using gas leak detection technology such as infrared imaging.
b. Require ongoing verification of the mechanical integrity of all gas storage wells.
c. Require ongoing measurement of annular gas pressure or annular gas flow within wells.
d. Require regular testing of all safety valves used in wells.
e. Establish minimum and maximum pressure limits for each gas storage facility in the state.
f. Require each storage facility to establish a comprehensive risk management plan that evaluates and prepares for risks at each facility, including corrosion potential of pipes and equipment.

14. The Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources, the California Public Utilities Commission, the California Air Resources Board and the California Energy Commission shall submit to the Governor’s Office a report that assesses the long-term viability of natural gas storage facilities in California. The report should address operational safety and potential health risks, methane emissions, supply reliability for gas and electricity demand in California, and the role of storage facilities and natural gas infrastructure in the State’s long-term greenhouse gas reduction strategies. This report shall be submitted within six months after the completion of the investigation of the cause of the natural gas well leak in the Aliso Canyon Storage Facility.

I FURTHER DIRECT that as soon as hereafter possible, this proclamation be filed in the Office of the Secretary of State and that widespread publicity and notice be given of this proclamation.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of California to be affixed this 6th day of January 2016.

__________________________
EDMUND G. BROWN JR.
Governor of California

ATTEST:

__________________________
ALEX PADILLA
Secretary of State

 

posted by Uncle Paulie

unclepaulie@rocketmail.com

Gas Leak Blew Up John F. Kennedy High School in Bronx, NY

No Wonder Bobby Kennedy Jr. Is Fighting Mad About Gas Industry

Dateline: Porter Ranch

NY Daily News photo shows some of the damage to JFK High School.
NY Daily News photo shows some of the damage to JFK High School.

Well, now we know one reason why Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is so mad at the gas industry.  Looking back into the archives of the NaturalGasWatch.org, we find that the New York City High School named after his uncle, former President John F. Kennedy, was partially blown up back in August of 2015.  The gas explosion was allegedly the result of a contractor setting off the explosion by using a blow-torch while installing new gas lines.  Several contractors and plumbers suffered major burns over their bodies, one man had burns over 90 percent of his body.  The Plumbers Union is demanding documents and reports from the Fire Marshall, but the City of New York is dragging its feet.  What are they hiding?  Or, maybe the question should be who is New York Mayor Bill de Blasio protecting?  Click Here to read the whole story.

Caroline Kennedy Visited the High School in 2003

Back in April of 2003, Caroline Kennedy, JFK’s daughter, visited the school named after her father.  She spent the day supporting the students and faculty.  By her side was another famous woman, the beautiful singer Thalia, who was named “Principal of the Day” for the school.  These two high-powered women put their love into supporting that school, and we can understand how shocked they were to hear that a part of the school was blown-up due to a gas leak.  It proves the point on just how dangerous gas can be, and could also explain why the Porter Ranch Gas Blow-Out is sort of personal to Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., after seeing the John F. Kennedy High School suffer so much damage.

Caroline Kennedy is presently the United States Ambassador to Japan, an amazing achievement since her father, JFK, was a veteran of World War II, and fought the war as a Commander of a PT Boat.  How proud would he be, were he alive today, of his daughter Caroline and his fighting nephew, Bobby Kennedy, Jr.

Posted by Uncle Paulie

unclepaulie@rocketmail.com

M.I.A. – Where Is Jerry Brown?

Porter Ranch Needs Disaster Declaration by Governor

Dateline: Porter Ranch

The growing concern over the massive leak of methane gas and other harmful chemicals at the Aliso Canyon facility of the Southern California Gas Company has become urgent.  The methane, leaking since at least late October of 2015 constitutes a dire threat to global warning, pumping an estimated 55,000 kilos of methane into the atmosphere every hour.

Calls for Governor Brown to declare a State of Emergency have gone silent.  Recently, at a mass-meeting of residents at a Porter Ranch church, Attorney Robert F. Kennedy, Jr publicly called for Gov. Brown to declare a State of Emergency in the area, and begin evacuations of the population until the dangerous leak is stopped.

Kennedy to Gas Company:  “We’re Going to Have a Fist-Fight”

Kathleen Brown, the Gov's Sister
Kathleen Brown, the Gov’s Sister

Kennedy, with other attorneys, are in the process of filing lawsuits against the Gas Company.  He challenged Gov. Brown, a fellow Democrat, to come out of hiding and declare the area a disaster. He questioned that Brown’s continued silence could be because he takes a lot of money from the oil and gas industry?  Or is it because his sister, Kathleen Brown, sits on the Board of Sempra Energy, the parent company to the Gas Company?  Kennedy and others want the entire Aliso facility shut down for safety concerns.

Gas Stored Deep Below the Earth

This call for the complete shut-down of the gas injection facility could have far reaching implications.  The Gas Company uses a geologic formation deep beneath the earth to store the gas, where it is injected under tremendous pressure and compressed so that a lot of gas can be stored there.  There is usually something like 85 billion cubic feet of gas pumped into the formation.  From there, pipelines carry the gas all over Southern California, from Bakersfield to San Diego, where the population depends on gas for heating, hot water, and cooking.  Closing the facility without some form of replacement, could be life-threatening or at the least life-changing for millions of Californians.  The magic of turning on your stove to heat up your dinner, or take a hot shower, or be warm on a cold night would be gone.

Situation Goes Back to World War 2

The use of these underground geologic caves and domes goes back to the days of World War 2.  The United States War Department used these formations to store gas to keep it below the surface in case of air attacks from the Japanese Empire.  After the war, the U.S. War Department “transferred” their rights to the Gas Company for the dome under Playa Vista.  The problem is that it was never legally and full permitted and processed by relevant authorities on the State level, meaning that since the war, all this has been basically illegal, or at best in a “grey area” of legality.  These geologic formations were places that oil had been pumped out, leaving a sort of empty cavern that the War Department and then the Gas Company thought would be fine for the storage of natural gas.  There are many problematic questions about this that have never been answered.

The first question is regarding these caverns.  It was long assumed and propagandized to the public that oil comes from the decay of dead dinosaurs.  Some oil companies, like the old Sinclair Oil Company actually used replicas of dinosaurs in their advertising. New theories, however, claim that the creation of oil is “abiotic”, and is continuous, a result of various chemicals and minerals deep in the earth that are continuously going through a process under tremendous heat and pressure that is creating oil and gas. This would explain why some oil wells that are “worked out”, suddenly become active again.  If this theory is indeed true, then new oil would be seeping back into the old wells.  As we know, some of the chemicals in oil are extremely hazardous to human health.

Some areas of Southern California are still full of working oil fields.  The area was, and continues to be, a bonanza of wealth for the oil companies.  Thousands of wells were punched into the landscape on the west side of Los Angeles.  Venice, the Marina area, even Beverly Hills had hundreds of them.  Many of the old ones were not properly capped off, and were just abandoned, or capped with old technology that would be illegal today.  This lets oil and gas to percolate through the area, sometimes causing death and destruction.

Poisoned Paradise Documentary Series on This Website

At the top menu bar on this website you can view our 4 part documentary series on the entire history of oil and gas in Southern California, going back to the days of the Spanish colonial period.  It covers the drama and the deadly consequences of pumping oil in an urban environment, and how various authorities, including the State of California and the City and County of Los Angeles have turned a blind eye to the problems, and have allowed illegal and non-permitted wells, have approved massive apartment and condo projects without E.I.R. filings, and have put a large part of the population in danger of their lives.

This is Not the First Blow-Out for the Gas Company

In our Documentary series you will see the big Playa Vista blow-out, where a huge flame a hundred feet to two hundred feet high blew from their other injection facility on the West side of Los Angeles.  The Playa Vista area has another one of the underground caverns where gas is pressurized, but when things aren’t done right, the blast can be seen for miles.  Could the methane leak explode at Porter Ranch?  Yes, of course it could.  It is so dangerous that the crews cannot work at night because the lights and generators could spark a massive methane explosion.  The F.A.A. has already banned any aircraft from flying over the area, due to the potential of an explosion.  A video recently posted on youtube shows an infra-red video of the gas leak (methane is odorless and colorless so a regular camera cannot view it).  It will shock you to see just how much methane is pouring out, it looks like a volcano of methane.  Remember that this has been going on at least since October 25th.

Mandatory Evacuation Now!

Many are now calling for the complete mandatory evacuation of the Porter Ranch area.  This is due to several factors.  First, of course, is the possibility of a huge methane explosion, that could literally take out a big part of the area.  The second problem is from the deadly and dangerous chemicals that are possibly being released along with the methane. A list of cancer-causing chemicals would include benzine, and toluene, and even possibly hydrogen sulfide, which can cause brain-damage and even death.  A major worry is that the gas is not just coming up the main pipe, which was sealed at the top.  The gas is leaking deep at the 8,000 ft level, and possibly spreading out and coming up from deep below the earth into any area that it can find a path.  This could include aquifers and underground water streams, meaning that the water would become poisoned and the gas could travel and pop up somewhere else.  This has happened many times before in our recent past.  Remember how methane from old oil wells seeped into the basements of department stores in the shopping center at 3rd and Fairfax in the Hollywood area?  One spark ignited the methane, which blew up and killed and wounded several people.  Methane had seeped under the parking lot and the flames were coming up from cracks in the parking lot.  It was like hell was coming to the surface.  The schools in Porter Ranch have now been closed by the Los Angeles Board of Education.  It took them 2 months, but at least they have done it now.  The Gas Company is making a half-hearted effort to voluntarily relocate residents, but the process is flawed because they want you to pay first and then get reimbursed.  How about the Gas Company pay hotels or apartments directly?  They caused this problem.  How can it be expected that a resident, still paying a mortgage on his house, now has to come up with money for a temporary place to live?

Months of Pain Ahead 

Nice New Building for the Oil and Gas Folks
Nice New Building for the Oil and Gas Folks

This story is far from over.  The Gas Company estimates that it will take months for them to fix this one well.  And that does not make the public rest easy, since there are over 100 more wells in the field.  How many of them are up to code?  How many do not have complete concrete casings, and have disintegrating pipes due to the corrosion of chemicals like hydrogen sulfide?  They need to fix these wells, at their own expense, not through hiking rates.  Sempra Energy just moved into their new snazzy 120 million dollar headquarters building in San Diego.  We are so happy for them, making so much money that they can afford such luxury for their executives.  Meanwhile, the hard-working middle class folks in Porter Ranch are seeing their businesses, their homes, everything they worked so hard for, going up in a cloud of methane gas. It just ain’t right.

Posted by Uncle Paulie

unclepaulie@rocketmail.com

“Mr. X” on the Playa Vista Gas Explosion

Dateline: Playa Vista

Inside Scoop on the Recent Gas Explosion at Playa Vista Bluffs

Latest Information on this Disaster!

Claims Thousands of People Possibly Poisoned By Toxic Gas and Will Suffer Permanent Brain Damage

On Sunday January 6, 2013, something went terribly wrong at the Southern California Gas Company’s Plant below the bluffs of Playa del Rey. This is the unlicensed plant that compresses gas into a huge underground cavern under tremendous pressure. A huge fireball shot into the sky, over 100 feet, and burned for about an hour. Meanwhile an unknown amount of gas spread over the area for miles, forcing some people to evacuate their homes. Our whistle-blower, “Mr. X” lays out what is known at the present time about this massive blow-out that is being downplayed by the rest of the media. Get the real story here at Southland News Bureau.

“Mr. X” says that if the released gas contained Hydrogen Sulphide, then possibly thousands of people will suffer permanent brain damage.  According to the CDC in a U.S. Government document, (http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaqs/tf.asp?id=388&tid=67) even a brief exposure to high concentrations (greater that 500ppm) can cause a loss of consciousness and possible death.  Environmental groups are calling for more oversight of the Gas Plant, some are even asking that the Plant be closed down because gas is always leaking from the underground caverns.  This is occurring because hundreds of old oil wells in the area have most likely punctured the geologic formation and are allowing the gas to continuously seep out.  Watch the series “Poisoned Paradise” for more information on this subject.

Playa Vista Gas Plant Explosion

Dateline: Playa del Rey

The Southern California Gas Company Plant That Compresses Gas Into the Underground Caverns Storage Suffers an Explosion.

Flames Shoot 100 Feet into the Air

Explosion Rocks Playa Vista – Gas Spreads for Miles Around

The Southern California Gas Company, in one of their most spectacular spins of all time, claimed that the disastrous explosion and possible valve failure that spread gas across the south bay was an “unplanned” release of gas.  Using this spin/propaganda word so the public will associate the word “unplanned” with “unscheduled”, a simple mistake to “burn off” unwanted gas, the Gas Company has now reached the propaganda pinnacle of Nazi Spin Docktor Herr Joseph Goebbels, who tried to convince the German people that Adolf Hitler was just a choirboy.  The question of what exactly is an “unplanned release” should be answered in a rational world.  When your family is all sitting around the dining room table having Thanksgiving dinner and old grandma lets rip a loud fart, it would be polite to call that an “unplanned release of noxious gas”. The event of last Sunday was nothing more than a major blow out, spewing poisonous and dangerous gas for miles around.  It is a miracle that the gas did not ignite in a bigger way and blow the entire plant into a million pieces.  Here’s some photos and videos of the plant and the event, as we know it at this moment.  Shame on the Gas Company for trying to hide behind spin instead of telling the truth.

NBC Playa Vista Expose’ Disappears From Net

Dateline Playa Vista

The Award Winning Report on the Gas and Cancer-Causing Health Hazards of Playa Vista Has Disappeared From the KNBC Website Completely.

Does Anyone Have A Copy?

Back in 2005 KNBC aired part 1 of a series on the gas and cancer-causing health problems at Playa Vista, called “Burning Questions”.  This was a long report for a local station, something like 9 minutes.  Some wags say that 9 minutes challenges the attention span of the average viewer, who can’t focus on anything more than 30 seconds.  This series of 3 reports and 2 updates won the Peabody Award for excellence in television broadcasting.  If you don’t know what the Peabody Award is, here’s the Wikipedia definition:

The George Foster Peabody Awards (Peabody Awards) recognizes distinguished and meritorious public service by radio and television stations, networks, producing organizations and individuals.

Part 1, the main report has disappeared from the KNBC website.  We couldn’t find it on the net, even the great Grassroots Coalition links from their website are broken.  In addition, the video from the 2 follow-up updates are also gone, although the transcripts are still there.

So here is another burning question:  Why doesn’t KNBC keep their video on the net for this great report?  One thought is that they are “out of room on their website”.   If that is the case, why not delete some fluff, which they have plenty of these days, and keep the Peabody Award report on forever, especially now when the Playa Vista story is heating up again?  In fact, the Playa Vista story is literally exploding, the gas flames shooting up 100 feet or more in the air and sending gas fumes out for miles, scaring residents of the area.  Southland News Bureau is posting the video of Part 2 and Part 3 of the KNBC reports and is looking for a video clip of Part 1.  Meanwhile, follow our own Southland News special reports on Playa Vista and other Los Angeles Oil and Gas hot spots.

Summary

Links to the NBC Stories on Burning Questions

Part 1 Aired May 25, 2005 Video Removed from KNBC site.

Part 2 http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/June_2005_Burning_Questions_Part_II.html.  Available here on Southland News.

Part 3 http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/August_2005_Burning_Questions_Part_III_.html. Available here on Southland News.

Burning Questions Update July 28, 2006 http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/Burning_Questions_Investigation_Update.html(no video, only text)

Burning Questions Followup October 27, 2005 http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/October_2005_Burning_Questions_Followup.html(no video, only text)

 

Old NBC News Reports Exposed Gas Dangers Part 2

Old NBC News Reports in a Series called “Burning Questions” Exposed Potential Dangers at Playa Vista Part 2

Click here for direct link to KNBC video or watch embedded video on this site.

An NBC series called “Burning Questions” from 2009 exposed many of the potential hazards of dangerous chemicals at the Playa Vista site.  Here is Part 2 of that excellent series.

View more videos at: http://nbclosangeles.com.