Court bars Aliso Canyon SoCalGas storage facility from reopening after massive blow out forced thousands from their homes and the “regulator” authorized reopening. When will Canada develop courts courageous enough to justly, fairly and honestly stand up to the oil & gas industry?

Court bars natural gas plant from reopening by Brian Melley, Associated Press, July 29, 2017, sfgate.com

LOS ANGELES — A California appeals court judge temporarily blocked a Los Angeles natural gas storage facility from reopening a year and a half after a major blowout spewed methane that drove thousands of families from their homes.

The order late in the day Friday by Associate Justice Lamar Baker of the 2nd District Court of Appeal came after Los Angeles County lawyers unsuccessfully tried to get a lower court to stop Southern California Gas Co. from resuming operations at Aliso Canyon.
State regulators recently gave approval to allow the company to pump gas into underground storage wells after an overhaul and rigorous testing. The county said it feared operations would resume Saturday.

The facility above the San Fernando Valley has been largely out of commission since an old well failed in October 2015, unleashing methane for nearly four months and leading 8,000 families to evacuate.

The utility said in response to the appeals court order that it has met and sometimes exceeded the state’s safety requirements [Isn’t that what oil and gas companies always say, no matter how much documentation exists proving them breaking the law?] for the field, and that “unnecessary delays will challenge our ability to meet” the inventory requirements regulators are asking for to avoid an energy shortage.

The blowout released the largest-known amount of climate-changing methane in U.S. history and led to widespread complaints of nosebleeds, nausea, headaches and symptoms that persisted even after the leak was capped last year.

The county’s effort to keep the facility closed hinges on a claim that the state’s extensive safety review did not take into account the risk of an earthquake from a fault that runs through the field. [Cumulative risks with all the fracking going on in the field as well?]

In rejecting the county’s petition earlier in the day, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge John Wiley said he didn’t have authority to overturn orders by the California Public Utilities Commission. [Rendering holy “Judicial Review” useless?]

County lawyer Skip Miller disagreed and said the county would file a last-minute request for a stay with the higher court.

The county’s appeal said it needed to block operations because it was notified the company planned to resume operations Saturday, and if that happened its legal bid would be moot.
Many residents want to see Aliso Canyon permanently shuttered. They have held boisterous protests at the facility’s gate, at public meetings and demonstrated in T-shirts Friday that said “Shut it down.” [Emphasis added]

[Refer also to:

2016 05 13: SoGalGas massive well blowout at Porter Ranch: Barium, vanadium, manganese, lead, strontium and aluminum may be causing health symptoms suffered by residents even after leak plugged

2015 Map of Socalgas Co injection wells, half mile to residents at Porter Ranch

2015 Map of Socalgas Co injection wells at Porter Ranch

After Massive Environmental Debacle, SoCalGas Tries to Dictate Terms for Cleanup, Also questioning whether California has legal authority to force it to do any specific mitigation

SoCalGas Co spewing oily gas (and mystery frac chemicals?) poisoning 1.8 Million people across LA’s San Fernando’s valley. Is frac’ing or fluid injection to enhance oil recovery partially to blame for Porter Ranch disaster?

What took Governor Brown so long? California governor declares state of emergency over huge gas leak suffocating community of Porter Ranch, Los Angeles neighbourhood

“My Kids Aren’t Guinea Pigs,” Says Parent Affected by Massive Porter Ranch Gas Leak. German firm sues Baker Hughes over defective safety valves, steel in massive underground gas storage field under Etzel, Germany. Is Canada next, or already there?

Regulatory Failure, Corporate Failure, Inspection Failure, Integrity Failure, Casing Failure, Safety Failure, Greed Trumps All: Regulator & SoCalGas Co. knew casing was corroding, failing with major leakage problems at Porter Ranch gas storage facility more than a year before catastrophic leak

2,258 families in temporary housing, 111 staying with family or friends, 3,162 in placement process. Growing environmental disaster in LA: Monster industry-created methane leak revealed in new aerial infrared video. What happens if SoCalGas can’t fix their leak? Was the leaking gas frac’d? Is it radioactive?

Industry’s Massive Natural Gas Leak Into Porter Ranch Community to Be Declared Local State of Emergency, More than 1,000 households moved out, another 1,379 leaving

Public and Corporate Health Fraud? Where’s the regulator? Huge natural gas leak in California has impact of burning 300 million gallons of gasoline, is sickening residents, could take months to fix, class action lawsuit filed

L.A. city attorney sues SoCal Gas over gas leak making Porter Ranch homes “unlivable.” Why isn’t Alberta’s Attorney General suing Encana & AER for illegally frac’ing a community’s drinking water supply, then engaging in Charter violations, fraud to cover it up?

First 30 families relocated out of California Gas Co’s catastrophic gas storage leak in community of Porter Ranch, then 170, then 300, then 800, now 600 more asking to leave ]

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