Los Angeles county filed order request to block reopening of Aliso Canyon natural gas storage field
In a filing in the Los Angeles Superior Court, lawyers for the county said tDepartment of Conservation, Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources (DOGGR) had not satisfied the necessary conditions to show the safety of the facility, and that its approval of injections violated its duties under California law.
Last week, California state inspectors announced that the Aliso Canyon facility was safe to operate, allowing SoCal Gas to resume operations at a reduced capacity. Inspections of the site were conducted by DOGGR.
In October 2015 a leak was discovered at the Aliso Canyon facility, which released approximately 4.6 Bcf (130mn m?) over a period of four months. The leak was successfully sealed in February 2016.
Los Angeles county argued that before the prohibition on gas injections can be lifted, SoCal Gas must show, and DOGGR must determine, that all necessary steps to ensure the safety of Aliso Canyon have been completed.
This includes the completion of a full health and safety review, and the development of a risk management plan that properly addresses the seismic risk at Aliso Canyon.
In the filing Los Angeles county notes that experts acknowledge the substantial likelihood of a significant earthquake along the Santa Susanna fault, which crosses all of the gas wells at the facility, within the next 50 years.
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