On Tuesday, prosecutors from Los Angeles filed misdemeanor charges against a utility for failing to report immediately a leak caused by a natural gas that has been gushing every day for nearly 4 months. Reports say the 4,500 families were forced to relocate because of the leak, which is the biggest in the state's history.
ABC News said that the suit alleges the Southern California Gas Company violated state safety and health laws by not taking immediate actions when the leak was detected back in October. Attorney-General Kamala Harris said that the impact of this unprecedented natural gas leak was devastating not only to the state but also to the families and environment. The lawyer insisted that Southern California Gas Company must be held accountable.
Many residents from Porter Ranch joined a class of action suit filed against the company. One of the residents said that the methane spewing from a broken pipeline would severely affect California's efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Methane is known to be more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide.
District Attorney Jackie Lacey said in a written statement that neither civil lawsuits nor criminal charges will offer families of Los Angeles County a complete solution, as reported by Reuters. Attorney Harris' move came on the same day that District Attorney Jacky Lacey sued Southern California Gas Co. The criminal complaint charges the gas company with one count of discharge of air contaminants and three counts of failing to report the release of a hazardous, as reported by Al Jazeera.
Necessary steps were made to mitigate the leak and prevent future discharges, however, these attempts failed. Southern California Gas hopes to plug the leak by the end of February through a relief well. Southern California Gas Co. said that it will defend itself in the court. If convicted, the company could be fined up to $1,000 per day for air pollution and $25,000 for each three for not reporting the leak to the state Office of Emergency Services.
