One of the worst environmental disasters in recent years was quietly discovered in California’s Porter Ranch, a community about 25 miles north of Los Angeles. After a well owned by Southern California Gas Company was mysteriously damaged, it began to leak and is reportedly spilling nearly 1,200 tons of methane, and other gasses, per day into the atmosphere. This leak is currently uncontrolled and ongoing.
To give you an idea of the magnitude of this disaster (Duration October 23, 2015 – present):
- The gas this well is leaking in a month is the equivalent of what 200,000 cars will emit in a year.
- County health officials have received reports of residents experiencing nosebleeds, dizziness, nausea and headaches linked to the leak.
- About 11,296 people had been temporarily relocated, more than 6,500 families have filed for help.
- Los Angeles County and the Los Angeles school board began moving students out of two schools in the neighborhood.
Governor Jerry Brown has declared a state of emergency in the Porter Ranch / Aliso Canyon community over this massive gas leak that has been spewing fumes into the affluent California neighborhood since October 2015.
It is critical to know if the property you want to buy is near an oil or gas well. Property I.D. has been disclosing the existence of Oil & Gas wells and Oil and Gas Field Administrative Boundaries in its Natural Hazard Disclosure (NHD) Reports since the latter part of 2007. You won’t see these disclosures in other NHD reports because all NHD reports are different, and no other NHD is as complete as Property I.D.