California regulators vote to delay closure of gas storage facility, site of worst US methane leak

LOS ANGELES — California regulators have approved a controversial proposal to delay the closure of the Aliso Canyon Natural Gas Facility, the site of the nation's largest known methane leak, which forced thousands of families from their Los Angeles homes in 2015.

The California Public Utilities Commission on Thursday voted 4-0, with one commissioner recused, to approve a judge's proposed decision that Aliso Canyon should remain open for the time being, the Southern California News Group reported.

But commissioners said the vote created a pathway to lowering or eliminating reliance on Aliso Canyon in future years by establishing a target for the level of demand for natural gas in Southern California that can be met without the need of the facility.

''This decision puts forward a path to the closure of Aliso Canyon that is achievable, realistic, and protective of families and businesses who are struggling to pay energy bills,'' CPUC President Alice Reynolds said in a statement. ''Huge progress is underway to bring online clean energy resources and drive down demand for natural gas-fired power plants."

Opponents of the facility want it closed immediately. Craig Galanti, a Porter Ranch resident living near Aliso Canyon, was unhappy with the commission's vote.

''Am I surprised? No. Am I disappointed? I'm exceedingly disappointed,'' he told the news group. ''The CPUC continues to support the best interests of the utilities at the expense of the community's health and safety.''

The 2015 Aliso Canyon gas leak, which took four months to control, released more than 120,000 metric tons of methane and other gases into the atmosphere over communities in the San Fernando Valley.

Thousands of residents were forced to move out of their homes to escape a sulfurous stench and maladies including headaches, nausea and nosebleeds. SoCalGas and its parent company, Sempra Energy, agreed to pay up to $1.8 billion in settlements to more than 35,000 victims in 2021.

Last year, the company reached another settlement with the utilities commission, agreeing to pay more than $70 million to the Aliso Canyon Recovery Account to address the impacts from the leak on air quality and public health.