Methane Leak Spurs Call For Pipeline Oversight

Published January 20, 2016 at 12:40 PM CST

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A woman holds a sign while attending a public hearing before the South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) regarding a proposed stipulated abatement order to stop a nearby massive natural gas leak, on January 16, 2016 in Granada Hills, near Porter Ranch, California. More than 80,000 metric tons of methane gas have spewed from the Aliso Canyon natural gas storage facility since October 23, causing thousands of Porter Ranch residents to leave their homes, and the closures of two schools where students are being bussed to campuses farther away from the gas. State officials are now concerned that a seventh attempt to plug the well may have increased the chance of a blowout, which would greatly increase the release of gas as well as the risk of a massive well fire if ignited by a spark. The Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas) hopes to repair the leak by sometime in March. (David McNew/Getty Images)

The broken natural gas well in Los Angeles has been pouring methane into the air for nearly three months now. It’s estimated the Aliso Canyon leak has pumped 4.6 billion cubic feet of potent greenhouse gas into the atmosphere – as much as 1.3 million cars would in a year.

Now the spewing gas is sparking calls for a new watchdog system for methane. Ingrid Lobet of the investigative nonprofit inewsource reports.

Read more on the Los Angeles methane leak

Reporter

Ingrid Lobet, investigative reporter for inewsource. She tweets @YeyeLobet.