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Aliso-Canyon gas leak

Virtually exactly two years ago, a well owned by the Southern California Gas Company began dumping huge amounts of methane into the atmosphere. The leak wouldn't be capped until February 18, 2016, and would eventually release 107,000 tons of methane and 8,000 tons of ethane. SoCalGas didn't exactly cover itself in celebrity with its business for residents during this time period; the company didn't admit that a major gas leak had occurred until Oct 28.

Later investigations demonstrated the pipes in question were sometime–technically it was a blowout, rather than a leak. They were besides not sheathed in concrete, and lacked rubber valves, since only pipes within 100 anxiety of a road or park or 300 feet of a dwelling were required to have safety valves. Now, a follow-up medical study comparing blood, urine, and health outcomes of residents of Porter Ranch, California has released its results–and they're not great.

Dr. Jeffrey Nordella, who practiced medicine in Porter Ranch before and after the 2015-2016 leak, presented his findings in a packed Hilton Hotel this past weekend. The Pasadena Star News reports:

  • Of 106 patients whose urine was tested, 31 percent had a presence of styrene at higher than average levels.
  • Of the get-go 51 patients Nordella followed just after the gas leak, 34 pct experienced nosebleeds. Of the 72 he followed months later the leak was capped, 31 per centum—nearly the same number—still experienced nosebleeds.
  • In 26 homes, lithium was detected in the LADWP water supply, while in non-LADWP h2o, there were no detectable levels of lithium.

Urine samples showed elevated levels of styrene, a relative of benzene and known carcinogen, likewise every bit ethylbenzene. Pilus samples showed higher-than-average levels of uranium. According to Nordella, the differences were statistically significant and demonstrated the residents of Porter Ranch, well-nigh Aliso Coulee where the leak occurred, clearly had been exposed to substances other people in areas of Southern California had non been exposed to.

Health agency officials in California didn't request doctors to perform whatever kind of analysis on individuals, and instead relied on air quality tests over a month after the well was capped. Interior dust sample tests "establish testify of metals that were consistent with those found at the natural gas well that blew out near their neighborhood," according to the Pasadena Star News.

GasLeak2

The presence of lithium is a bit of a puzzle, since it wasn't known to exist contained in the gas storage facility. Its presence could reflect a localized source, or contagion from a different event. Long-term exposure to lithium at sufficient doses can cause a range of mental and concrete wellness bug, including dementia and death. Office of the concern here is that mass evacuations weren't ordered until over ii months after the leak had begun, leaving many residents with potentially significant long-term exposure to the chemicals and substances in question.

In July, SoCalGas was cleared to resume injecting gas into nearby wells for long-term storage, a motility opposed by various public health advocates and the residents themselves. Nordella'south findings led him to oppose the reopening of the Aliso Coulee Gas Storage facility, and to phone call for long-term monitoring of potentially afflicted individuals.