WASHINGTON (AP) – A year after a leaking well near Los Angeles spewed natural gas for nearly four months and drove thousands from their homes, a White House task force is recommending dozens of safety changes for the nation’s 400 underground natural gas storage wells.
A report being released Tuesday recommends that operators of gas-storage facilities conduct strict risk assessments and develop robust safety procedures, including ensuring that wells have backup systems to contain gas flows in the event of a leak. The Associated Press obtained a copy of the report in advance.
The gas leak was the largest-known release of climate-changing methane in U.S. history, according to scientists. It spewed an estimated 107,000 tons of methane before being controlled in February. The blowout sickened residents in the Porter Ranch neighborhood and surrounding suburbs who complained of headaches, nausea, nosebleeds and other symptoms from the foul-smelling gas.
“Natural gas plays an important role in our nation’s energy landscape, and we need to make sure the associated infrastructure is strong enough to maintain energy reliability, protect public health and preserve our environment,” Franklin Orr and Marie-Therese Dominguez, who co-chaired the interagency task force, said in a statement.
The Aliso Canyon well operated by Southern California Gas Co. used a design that made it dependent on a single barrier to contain the gas. When that barrier failed, a blowout reported Oct. 23 spewed methane uncontrollably for nearly four months.