Environmental Disaster Happening In California Nobody Cares

[Iamwhomiam]

Thanks for posting that article, Burnt Hill. The sidebar has a few more interesting videos.

The last line of your posting has a typo. It should read ''...this many months into the crisis."

[Burnt Hill]

Thanks for posting that article, Burnt Hill. The sidebar has a few more interesting videos.

The last line of your posting has a typo. It should read ''...this many months into the crisis."

Yes- not my typo though, that's the way it was written- so I sicced it.

[Iamwhomiam]

Yes, I imagined it was. No stalking intended!

[smoking since 1879]

USSR used nuclear bombs to stop gas well blowouts

In September, 1966 the former Soviet Union suffered blowouts on five natural gas (methane) wells and despite their best efforts, including hydraulic fracturing, were unable to quench the flames.

full article and video here:
http://www.coal-seam-gas.com/accidents/ ... pqIJBgrIsm

let's hope it doesn't come to this.

[Iamwhomiam]

It would be madness to try to seal the Porter Ranch well with a nuclear bomb or any other type of high yield explosive and any attempt to pursue this tactic alongside the San Andreas fault will surely have catastrophic consequences .

[Burnt Hill]

LA gas well has ‘destabilized’, large crater develops in area — Officials: “Could be catastrophic” — TV: Risk of massive fire, possible explosion — Expert: “If wellhead fails, the thing is just going to be full blast… a horrible, horrible problem” — Company refuses to provide photos or media access

http://enenews.com/la-gas-destabilized-officials-could-be-catastrophic-tv-experts-highly-flammable-gas-creating-risk-massive-fire-explosion-professor-wellhead-fails-going-be-full-blast-itll-be-horrible-horrible-pr

Los Angeles Times, Jan 15, 2016 (emphasis added): Efforts to plug Porter Ranch-area gas leak worsened blowout risk, regulators say — Southern California Gas Co… is trying to avoid a blowout, which state regulators said is now a significant concern after a seventh attempt to plug the well created more precarious conditions at the site. If a blowout occurs, highly flammable gas would vent directly up through the well… rather than dissipating as it does now… State officials said a blowout would increase the amount of leaked gas… That natural gas also creates the risk of a massive fire… The risk of fire already is so high that cellphones and watches are banned from the site… [The gas company's attempts to stop the leak] expanded a crater around the wellhead, state and gas company officials said. The crater is now 25 feet deep, 80 feet long and 30 feet wide, those officials said… [The gas company] declined repeated requests from The Times… The gas company would not provide current photos of the site or allow media access… In one internal state report obtained by The Times, an agency official described [one] kill effort as a “blowout to surface.” “A large column of gas, aerated mud, and rock formed a geyser around the wellhead,” the state observer wrote.

Scott McGurk, senior oil and gas field regulator assigned to daily watch at Aliso Canyon, Jan 15, 2016: The site and wellhead were made more unstable by the gas company’s attempts to stop the leak by pumping a slurry directly into the well… The wellhead sits exposed within the cavernous space, held in place with cables attached after it wobbled during the plugging attempt… During one of [the plugging] attempts Nov. 13, a hole in the ground opened 20 feet north of the well… Gas that had seeped through diffuse rock fissures on the western side of the narrow ridge began streaming instead from the new vent… the vent allowed a “serious amount of gas” to escape.

Gene Nelson, a physical sciences professor at Cuesta College, Jan 15, 2016: “If the wellhead fails, the thing is just going to be full blast… It will be a horrible, horrible problem. The leak rates would go way up.”

Don Drysdale, California Department of Conservation spokesman, Jan 15, 2016: The possibility of fire [is] “a concern” even without a blowout.

Los Angeles Times, Jan 16, 2016: [There's] new evidence the [Puclic Utility Commission] is concerned that the compromised well site in Aliso Canyon is vulnerable to either a blowout… an explosion, or both… PUC includes a warning that damage to the well system, which was subjected to two months of aggressive high-pressure pumping to try to plug the leak, might now permit air to mix with methane in a way that “could be catastrophic.”… [T]he utility began a series of increasingly aggressive attempts to plug the well with heavy mud… those efforts instead scoured a 25-foot-deep crater around the well, blew out a large vent from which gas could escape more freely, and threatened the stability of the wellhead itself… The Department of Conservation says those facilities present “a direct and ongoing threat to public health, safety, and the environment”…

NPR, Jan 15, 2016: Adding to concerns over the disaster, efforts to stop the leak appear to have destabilized the well, the Los Angeles Times reports, raising the risk of a blowout… SoCalGas’ efforts to cap the well have actually increased the risk of a blowout. Seven attempts to plug the leak have made the area less stable… even without a blowout, the leak could catch on fire.

FOX LA transcript, Jan 16, 2016: “Trying to avoid a blowout, state regulators say it’s now a big concern after SoCalGas has tried to plug a leaking well near Porter Ranch seven times. If a blowout happens, experts say highly flammable gas would go up the well, creating a risk of a massive fire — possibly even an explosion.”

[stillrobertpaulsen]

"They say the fuckin' smog is the fuckin' reason you have such beautiful fuckin' sunsets."


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ry0g4W0_ZI

Just want to add some levity, since this shit is gettin' real and scaring me. Shout-out to all Los Angeles RI members: have you been noticing how much prettier our fuckin' sunsets have become lately?



Could the fuckin' methane be the fuckin' reason?

[seemslikeadream]

I've heard that this is all a good thing...the poisoning of all the residents so then maybe they'll get some help

why do I keep thinking of that Bowie quote?

[smoking since 1879]

"They say the fuckin' smog is the fuckin' reason you have such beautiful fuckin' sunsets."


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ry0g4W0_ZI

Just want to add some levity, since this shit is gettin' real and scaring me. Shout-out to all Los Angeles RI members: have you been noticing how much prettier our fuckin' sunsets have become lately?



Could the fuckin' methane be the fuckin' reason?

Nope, it's Cesium from Fukushima, enjoy

[Iamwhomiam]

They should light it up, for safety's sake, before it explodes uncontrollably.

[seemslikeadream]

5 Disturbing Things Porter Ranch Methane Leak and Flint Water Crisis Have in Common

Lorraine Chow | January 21, 2016 9:24 am | Comments



They might seem different, but the ongoing disasters in Michigan and California are two sides of the same tragic coin: as Flint drinks toxic water, Porter Ranch breathes toxic air.

These two areas highlight the abysmal failure of utilities and lawmakers as thousands of local residents continue to suffer. What’s important to remember, however, is that these travesties aren’t just isolated incidents—they might be much closer to home than you think.


1. Both areas were in dire emergency long before official declarations

Flint: Local and state-level declarations of emergency were made by Flint Mayor Karen Weaver and Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder in December 2015 and January, respectively. However, the problem started way back in April 2014, when an unelected state official switched the city’s main water supply from Lake Huron to the Flint River to save money. On Jan. 16, President Barack Obama declared a state of emergency in Flint. Such a declaration allocates up to $5 million in federal funds to the city. It also authorizes the Federal Emergency Management Agency to galvanize supplies and distribute water bottles, filters and other supplies.

Porter Ranch: Compared to poverty-stricken Flint, government action has been noticeably faster for the affluent Los Angeles neighborhood. Following months of pressure from activists and residents, California Gov. Jerry Brown issued a state of emergency on Jan. 6 over the gas leak—the biggest in U.S. history—that has spewed 86,000 metric tons of methane and counting into the atmosphere since Oct. 23, when the leak was first reported. The order means “all necessary and viable actions” will be taken to stop the leak and ensure that the Southern California Gas Company (SoCal Gas), which owns the leaking natural gas injection well, is held accountable for the damage. A federal state of emergency has yet to be declared.


2. Environmental contamination and noxious greenhouse gases spell trouble for the planet

Flint: Research has found that the water in the Flint River is 19 times more corrosive than Lake Huron’s water, causing the city’s aging pipes to degrade and leach lead into the water. Water samples indicated an average lead concentration level of 2,000 ppb (parts per billion) with the the highest level recorded at 13,200 ppb, The Guardian reported, putting lead levels 200-1,300 times higher than the World Health Organization standards of 10ppb. When used for irrigation, lead-contaminated water can cause toxicity levels in garden and urban soil and cause poisoning if it enters the food chain through fruits and vegetables.


Porter Ranch: The leak, deemed the worst environmental disaster since the BP oil spill, has since spread across the Los Angeles San Fernando Valley, according to new research from Cambridge-based nonprofit, Home Energy Efficiency Team. The Los Angeles Times reported that “the leak is so large it will measurably set back not just the city’s but the entire state’s greenhouse gas emission targets, effectively erasing nearly a decade’s worth of statewide emission reductions.” Methane is a dangerous greenhouse gas that accelerates climate change.

3. Many people, especially children, have suffered from health problems

Flint: Lead, which has no safe blood level, has been entering the city’s drinking water through corroded pipes and plumbing materials. Exposure to this toxic metal is considered most harmful to children and fetuses because they absorb lead more easily than adults. Lead can damage people’s kidneys, blood, and nervous system and progress to coma, convulsions or death, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Nearly 27,000 Flint children have been exposed to lead in the city’s water, according to The Detroit News. Additionally, 87 people have been diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease. Ten of those who were sickened have died.

Porter Ranch: More than 2,500 families have fled their homes and more than 1,000 children have been relocated to other schools. Residents reported symptoms related to the exposure of natural gas such as nausea, vomiting, headaches and respiratory problems. Not only that, a Los Angeles city councilman called on SoCal Gas last week to extend residential relocation assistance to residents in Granada Hills, Chatsworth and Northridge who live near the Aliso Canyon gas leak above Porter Ranch. Even pets are suffering from ailments similar to their owners, such as nose bleeds, nausea and rashes, ABC 7 reported. As residents flee, businesses in the neighborhood are also struggling to stay open.


4. A disaster in the making. Lawmakers and utilities, now facing mounting lawsuits, ignored aging infrastructure

Flint: “The fact is,” as LA Progressive wrote, “that the pipes conducting water from the Flint River are and have long been highly corrosive and have been leaching lead into the city’s potable water system. Pipes to each home and business, including sink and shower faucets, have been directly affected through both negligence and lack of regular maintenance by the city authorities.” On Tuesday, amid calls for resignation and a growing number of lawsuits, Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder apologized and admitted that he failed Flint residents. According to emails released to the public on Wednesday, Snyder was informed of Flint’s water quality issues in as early as February 2015 but his administration said the problems would eventually “fade in the rearview.” The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency also acknowledged on Tuesday it did not respond fast enough to the water crisis.

Porter Ranch: Similarly, California’s aging pipeline infrastructure and poorly managed storage facilities have been put under the microscope. “The gas leak comes from a broken well that was last inspected in 1976,” as Earthworks observed. “The LA Weekly reports that the well’s safety valve was inexplicably removed in 1979.” SoCal Gas now faces a class-action lawsuit alleging that the gas company removed safety valves on Aliso Canyon gas storage wells that lead to the massive methane leak.


5. The disasters in Flint and Porter Ranch could easily happen to your city

Beyond Flint: Think your water is safe to drink? A Vox report stated that “children in essentially every city in America are being exposed to hazardous levels of toxic lead, and very little is being done about it.” And if lead contamination isn’t bad enough, “a 2009 New York Times investigation found that more than 62 million Americans had been exposed to drinking water that did not meet some government health guidelines,” as PRI observed. “A 2011 analysis by Environmental Working Group found that more than 100 million people in 43 states were drinking water contaminated with trihalomethanes—a dangerous chemical that’s the byproduct of a chlorine reaction.”

Beyond Porter Ranch: While Porter Ranch has everyone’s attention, natural gas leaks are persistent and widespread across the country. A team from Environmental Defense Fund found an average of about one natural gas leak for every mile driven in New York City’s Staten Island, one leak for every 200 miles in Indianapolis and one leak for every three miles in Chicago. “Events of this size are rare, but major leakage across the oil and gas supply chain is not,” Director of Environmental Defense Fund’s California Oil & Gas program Tim O’Connor said in a statement. “There are plenty of mini-Aliso Canyons that add up to a big climate problem—not just in California, but across the country.”

[Iamwhomiam]

The Oil And Gas Industry's Exclusions and Exemptions to Major Environmental Statutes

http://www.shalegas.energy.gov/resources/060211_earthworks_petroleumexemptions.pdf

Physicians for Social Responsibility:

Environmental Pollutants and the Immune System
excerpted:
"Pollutants Can Disrupt Immune System

Our laboratory has shown that two classes of common pollutants, aromatic hydrocarbons and phthalates, disrupt B cell education. Hydrocarbons are ubiquitous and are produced every time something organic is burned - from fossil fuels in our cars and coal in our power plants, to charcoal broiled steaks. Phthalates, which leach from hundreds of common products containing plasticizers (e.g. medical tubing, plastic bags, cosmetics), can also be found throughout our environment.

The effects of these chemicals on immature B lymphocytes are dramatic. Hydrocarbons, many of which are carcinogenic, prematurely induce bone marrow B cells to initiate the cell death program. Notably, the doses of hydrocarbons required to suppress B cell development are significantly lower than those required to induce cancers. Consequently, estimates of hydrocarbon exposure risks, which generally involve cancer as an endpoint, may underestimate the dangers of pollutant exposure."

http://www.psr.org/chapters/boston/resources/environmental-pollutants-and-the-immune-system.html (2015[?])


Center For Biological Diversity:

Natural Gas Operations from a Public Health Perspective (2010)

http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/campaigns/fracking/pdfs/Colborn_2011_Natural_Gas_from_a_public_health_perspective.pdf


Pacific Southwest, EPA Region 9

Serving: Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Pacific Islands, Tribal Nations

http://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/epa-region-9-pacific-southwest

http://www3.epa.gov/region9/air/

http://airnow.gov/index.cfm?action=airnow.local_state&stateid=29&mapcenter=0&tabs=0




Capping the Porter Ranch gas leak isn't enough

http://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-porter-ranch-gas-leak-20160124-story.html

[Nordic]

The skies in LA have been unusual lately. I have friends who are really into the chemtrails theory who are all spooked at the moment (I am not one of them) but I figure it's El Niño and the climate change. The weather in 2015 was decidedly abnormal here, on what felt like a very fundamental level. It was the first time I thought "wow you can really feel it changing" and fast.

I wouldn't be surprised if some of the strange skies the past few days were in part because of the gas leak. It wouldn't surprise me. The air here can get pretty locked in. You can see it when you fly in -- the air in the entire LA basin being its own thing.

As far as the disaster, I'm just glad, again, that I don't live in The Valley.

[Iamwhomiam]

Google Earth view of Aliso Canyon Gas Storage Fields

37.407229, -122.107162

This area looks the same as any targeted and "developed" by the oil and gas industry.

Nice the way they get you to pay them well for your own natural resources. You pay them to find it, extract & transport it, and then you pay them once again for the privilege of using your own natural resources. "Reasonable" is a word rarely used in conjunction with "Profit."

Expect a few million dollar fine, paid to the government, for your care from harm from their pollutants.

Thank Bush & Cheney for their immunity from your prosecution.

[backtoiam]

Breaking: They may have “entirely lost control of entire field” involved in LA gas disaster, and it’s coming up everywhere… We learned there’s many other leaks -Attorney — Officials: Loud sound of gas escaping heard half mile away… It’s a “mini-Chernobyl” — AP: Leak “out of control” — TV: Amount released “seriously underestimated” (VIDEO)

…..loud sound of natural gas escaping that you could hear quite loudly from over half a mile away.”

“This is a mini-Chernobyl,” Mike Antonovich, the LA county supervisor, told a public hearing at the weekend… [It] is the largest leak of… methane known to experts.

[SoCalGas’ admission that they] underestimated the number of times the cancer-causing chemical benzene has spiked.

Rob Jackson, an environmental scientist at Stanford University, said he wasn’t sure why there was a delay in setting up better monitoring equipment, but that it had undermined the ability to measure health impacts.




http://enenews.com/breaking-company-ent ... ntrol-tv-a