Good morning and
welcome to the Senate committee
on natural resources in water
and joint legislative committee
on emergency management's joint
legislative oversight hearing
today will be looking at what
caused. The southern California
gas companies twenty fifteen
blowout at least so canyon and
a closer look at the history of
management of that field as
well as the emergency response
efforts to start off I did want
to invite the president of our
neighborhood council to welcome
everyone and give some just
brief. Instructions ease some
nausea. Thank you and thank you
senator stern calling from
someone number Smith very much
appreciate you being here
today. Thanks everybody for
coming and participating in
this important event for our
community. Just a little bit of
housekeeping notes. The exits
are that door in that door in
case of an emergency obviously
come out. Any open door. We
have refreshments in the back
there's cold water there's
juice and their cookies and
hopefully there's enough for
everybody so please get up and
help yourself any time you
would like. And also I want to
say that there is wifi access
in the room. I should have
started with that one. Wifi
access I'm not going to go
through the instructions we
taped about ten sheets of paper
around the back with the
instructions on them so I have
to bother you too. If you need
wifi access take a moment get
up and take a look at the
instructions and if it does not
work for you Dick talk to one
of the- neighbor council
members and we'll try to help
you. Make that access work so
with that. Senator and some
members thank you very much and
it's all yours. Thank you thank
you for that welcome thank you
to all of you in attendance
today as many of you know
because we've had conversations
with you it's been incredibly
important about senator stern
myself and our colleagues from
across the San Fernando Valley
to convene a session like this
to answer a number of remaining
unresolved questions. About
what are we to do as the Ellie
so canyon facility remains open
remains a concern to the entire
community what are we prepared
for in terms of an emergency
response were there to be
another blow out was the
response across a number of
sectors governmentally and
community wide. Sufficient to
have protected the community
and but we know the answer to
many of those questions is no.
And so how do we solve it going
forward so our hope is to get
answers to some of those
unresolved questions to
continue to move this community
towards progress towards
safety. And it's a it's a
pleasure to have you all here
we do have a lot of content to
get through we are of course
welcoming robust a public
comment during this hearing but
again thank you all for being
here we appreciate your
patience with what will be
probably a very long series of.
Testimony in questioning. I
have a public comment is
currently structured for the
after the third pan after the
second panel. So you I'm sorry
after the third panel so first
we'll be looking at the root
cause analysis of the leak with
the administration and blade
energy. Second will be looking
at the response from third
parties NGOs and- the gas
company if they choose to show
up. And third will be looking
at the emergency response
efforts and public comment
would be after the at that
point. Yeah. Maybe so. So
before we do this match. Do you
want to if we want to let some
public comment occur at the
front end because I know a lot
of people are here today who
maybe have jobs. Families work
to do. And we also know that
this community has been
fighting for way too long to.
Get justice and to shut this
facility down but with with
with respect to the congressman
I did want to let him deliver
some opening remarks and then
we can figure out if there's a
structured way to make a few
comments. To the administration
at the front end. Okay okay yes
Sir yes Sir. So congressman.
I'm gonna give them might just
to simply member Reavis for a
brief opening comment if you'd
like and then we'll we'll
switch over but it's at your
discretion assembly member sure
I'm thank you senator stern and
assembly member Smith for
inviting me to this hearing I
represent the east San Fernando
Valley and while a lease so is
not in my district our
community was also affected by
this disaster so I wanted to be
here to hear for myself from
the state agencies and others
in terms of what the response
was and what we can do better
as a state. To prevent this
from ever happening so thank
you again for inviting me to
your committee. Thank you Sally
member. Congressman thank you
for taking time out of your day
well this is a state hearing.
We dearly I need your
partnership back in Washington
and I know you and congressman
hill have been on it. Did you
want to take a moment. To make
a brief opening remark we'd be
happy to welcome you. You Sir.
The I do hope we hear from the
community briefly as well
before we go to the panel is to
the suggestion I want to thank
senator Henry stern and so we
members so this myth that read
this for joining us at then
creating this hearing and I
want to thank the Porter ranch
community school for hosting us
and of course the neighborhood
council as well. Of course this
school was shut down as a
consequence of the only so
canyon blow out. Our family
lives just up the hill. Just
about as close as anyone to
well SS twenty five. Our
neighbors evacuated for months
we relied on those filters. I'm
sure they'll be some positions
here to tell us whether it was
our neighbors are ourselves and
made. The right decision. So I
can tell you from my own
experience that when people
move to Porter ranch they were
not told. That so cal gas had
neglected under ultrasonic
testing that would have
identified dangerous anomalies.
That injections were routinely
made through the two being or
the casing whatever was handy
at the time. And that the deep
subsurface safety valves that
could have stopped this
tragedy. Had been removed in
nineteen seventy nine and not
replaced. And this was a
continuing mistake as they
could have been replaced in
seventy nine. Or eighty nine or
ninety nine. Or two thousand
and nine or any day during
200-010-1112 thirteen it cetera.
In the four months that
followed the blow out more than
eating fat more than eight
thousand families were
displaced from their homes and
forced to relocate. To schools
including this one were closed
for the duration of school year
thousands affected immediate
health symptoms today many
residents faced severe health
issues we'll have to see. The
studies to see what level of.
Carnage was done to the humans
who were here. Before I
criticize the so cal gas
company though I should take a
minute to criticize the federal
government. Few months after
the blowout I was able to talk
face to face with president
Obama he made a commitment that
there would be federal natural
gas storage safety regulations
issued in twenty sixteen. And
lo and behold in December of
twenty sixteen those
regulations were in fact issue
not everything I wanted but it
for the first time federal
safety regulations. Just to be
sure. Even after I had this
promise from president Obama
worked with other members in in
June of twenty sixteen we
passed a law requiring that
there be federal regulations by
June of twenty eighteen. Of
course that standard was beaten
by a year and a half when the
Bob administration issued
regulations again in December
of twenty sixteen. The trump
administration withdrew the
regulations in twenty seventy.
And now they've told me that
they're not in violation. Of
the law that says they have to
have regulations by June of
last year because after all
they did publish regulations
they just went through them. So
for those who think that just
by watching M. S. N. B. C. you
can be aware of all the
grievous mistakes of the trump
administration you realize that
there is not enough time in a
twenty four hour news cycle to
detail the mall. Including
those that affect us here. The
state of California has issued
regulations. I in rules a-
think it's too easy under those
rules to avoid having
subsurface safety valves and I
know. That you will have other
hearings as to how tough those
regulation should be. But is a
part of the federal government
it grieves me to report. That
in other states there are no
regulations in their facilities
larger than the one we had here.
We know that this tragedy could
have been avoided. So cal gas
field conduct detailed follow
up inspections from other
previous leagues there was a
weld there was a document and
lack of unnecessary risk
assessment for the site do a
very protections were
inadequate there was
insufficient inspections prior
to twenty fifteen the company
had a lack of it of data or
even a plan to seal a potential
leak. And there was a lack of
real time surveillance of the
wells. We know that. This from
southern California gases
actions after the blowout. They
found that there were many
other wells that needed to be
shut down that S. S. twenty
five was just the first of the
time bombs to go off. So cal
gas was ordered to track all of
the costs of the lease canyon
lake including cost relocating
families medical treatment
legal fees. However the public
utilities commission is still
trying to decide whether those
costs are going to be passed
through to rate payers. The
question must be to the P. you
see not. Worth the cost
necessary after the blowout.
What was the blow out a result
of negligence. And I think
they'll find not one but a
thousand small axe medium size
extra large Jackson negligence
led to this. To do this the
largest met a leak in the
history I believe of the world.
So the shareholders should bear
the costs associated with
stopping the leak and the costs
of remediation add up. A I
think if the PC is left to its
own devices. We'll let him pass
it through they've got to hear
from the legislature I believe
you did something similar with
the fires. Today we're
discussing Elise canyon
facility that should be shut
down the in I just want to say
a facility that's too big to
fail is too big to exist. The.
The negligence shifted into a
new phase on October thirteenth
twenty fifteen and that is the
negligence of failing to even a
plan to shut down the facility.
So cal gas is dead millions of
dollars to fight efforts to
shut it down. And there were
number one argument is we have
no other plans. If we shut it
down we will be able to provide
gas they'll be blackouts will
be service interruptions. Why
do they have no other plan
because they spend millions of
dollars fighting the idea that
they should develop another
plan. This is we need to be
looking at ways to stay first
of all there are those who say
we've got to wait for the post
of fossel of fuel economy and I
look forward to a post fossil
fuel economy but I'll be if I'm
going to wait until opposed
fossil fuel economy. Before
they shut it down. Natural gas
does natural gas really need to
be stored locally in in in
these enormous quantities. Do
we want to store our natural
gas by putting it in
underground old oil fields
where the methane mix which
mixes with the witches brew of
subterranean hydro pull up way
since. Do we want to look at
liquid vacation as a way to
store natural gas. Maybe not
but we've got to look at
something and we've got a look
at the way the before we get.
To a to no natural gas we go we
have no storage of lease of gas
at least so canyon. Of love
natural gas Italy so canyon. So
I want to thank you for holding
this hearing. Thank you for
letting me speak at this time.
This is a tragedy that has hit
this community. In a continuing
tragedy that every day my kids
need to look up the hill. And
wonder what will happen next.
So when it comes to the efforts
of southern California gas to
pass these costs on to
consumers. Shut it down. And
when it comes to lease so
canyon natural gas storage
facility shut it down. Thank
you so much. Thank you
congressman I think now since
the community doesn't just want
to speak to the legislature but
also to the administration I'm
an invite up our first panel.
To be here to hear a brief
period of testimony and then
we'll continue on with the
hearing so if it this time we
could have secretary crowfoot
deputy director Marshall from
the California department of
conservation. As well as Ravi
Krishnamoorthy with blade
energy partners join us on the
first panel. We can yeah. And
I'm sorry so I was just told we
also have congresswoman hill
has a representative here as
well. Congresswoman is been a
fighter since the moment she
got in the office so if heard
district director I believe
it's Angela G. a caddy is here.
Mr Kerry did you want to make a
brief remark before we open for
a brief period of community
comment. Thank you and welcome
and thank you to the
congressman sorry thank you I'm
in thank you so much for
shedding light on this really
important issue. I am I
representing Congress I'm in
hell and we have this brief
statement on the issue so in
twenty fifteen and twenty
sixteen for a period of one
hundred and eighteen days. A
single pipe storage well at a
lease canning gas storage
facility. Link tens of
thousands of tons of natural
gas into the air. More than
eight thousand families were
forced to evacuate their homes
and many suffered health
conditions like headaches and
nose bleeds. Some suffered
worse the incident and heard
and estimated one billion in
damages and was one of the
worst environmental disasters
in history. The end the
equivalent annual pollution
output output of almost six
hundred thousand cars. Data
mandated by the department of
transportation indicates that
more than ten thousand wells
nationwide. Rely on a single
pipe design and that two
hundred and ninety six
underground storage facilities
across thirty two states
utilize such wells. We know
that these designs are not the
safest were more secure let a
lease serve as a warning. We
need to be working towards
implementing stronger solutions
in those currently operating
storage facilities. These
canyons gas leak was the worst
single gas leak in U. S.
history in terms of
environmental impact. Its
carbon footprint was larger
than the deepwater horizon leak.
The release of the full root
cause analysis was quite
concerning. Among oil and gas
production wells gas storage
wells did not continue fluid
flow to the inner tubing but
also allowed flow in the an
annual between the casing and
the two being provided no
protection from leakage in the
event causing failure casing
failure. The casing failed and
the ensuing leak poison to the
community. Processes and
procedures were not in place to
and ensure safe operation.
There were certainly
shortcomings in regulatory
oversight. Some have been
corrected and while others are
in the process of being
corrected. The California
legislature did its part with
laws like S. B. thirty eight
and ask be eight eight seven.
Establishing world leading
minimum standards for storage
wells. California has made
numerous improvements in its
storage well standards that
should be emulated in other
states. The only to the LA
county department of health and
its contractors have been
conduct have already conducted
some health study work. This is
on going through efforts of the
south. The south coast air
quality management district and
the LA county department of
health funded in part by legal
settlements. These efforts are
after the fact however. It
should have been it would it it
would have been better to
research and regulate pro
actively some of the public
health questions raised by
lease canyon may never be
answered this is not just about
the health and safety of Porter
ranch residents although that
is of critical importance to
us. This is also about insuring
that the that in the future
there are rapid response plans
in place for giant leaks no
delays in bringing necessary
equipment to stop a spotted
leak and state regulators who
take a hands on and proactive
approach and do not ignore
risks. Above all we know now
that a lease could have been
prevented we know that
countless families could have
been spared hardship and that
the rippling environmental
impacts could have been avoided
we also know that they should
never and can never happen
again. We know that we can do
better for the people who count
on us and we will. Thank you.
Thank you ms JK. And now I'd
add a difference in respect to
the community we'll take
fifteen minutes here to offer
an opportunity for a few brief
public comments so we're gonna
let you take an effort at self
organizing and up a portion
then so it's ten thirty right
now. And so depending on how
many people are going to be
speaking we can apportion the
public comments accordingly.
Let's take a look here. So
we're gonna say two minutes
each. So that would be a grand
total about seven people. I
know there are many more
stories in the room and you
will each and everyone of you
have time to tell your story.
But for the moment we're going
to ask you to limit it. To two
minutes each. Welcome and good
morning if you could start by
please saying your name and
where you're from. Okay on I'm
Patti click G. L. U. E. C. K.
and I've lived in the Porter
ranch area for about twenty
five years and I am a native
valley girl. And I wanna thank
you for holding this right here
where it happened one point
eight miles away. We're
representing the one and a half
million residents of the
northern San Fernando Valley.
Our area covers the spectrum of
these social economic scale
from apartment dwellers to
homeowners in gated communities
and for four years we've been
lied to by south all gas. The
C. P. U. C. darker the county
department of public health and
many other agencies and even
our own brave firefighters have
been lied to by cell call gas.
And public health we've been in
the day with Carson Jensen
other toxic chemicals on daily
basis with fear major
earthquakes. There's been fires
on so cal gas property over the
years and destroyed homes we
were left out of the discussion
concerning the consent decree
so dairy cal's a couple hundred
miles away. Are being used to
provide corrosive and explosive
Biomet thing to be stored right
here only self. And the
department of conservation
declared a Lisa to be safe.
Even though that was before the
root cause analysis was really
beginning am one blade energy
released its report that you'll
hear about. It said police so
have been poorly maintained and
mismanaged so our faith and
trust in the system that should
have been protecting our health
and safety. Has been vastly
compromise so I'm presenting
the state was some documents
for the record. And that
includes a series of articles
that I did for knock LA. As
testimony thank you so much
padding. Okay next thank you so
much my name is Maureen Capra I
have lived here forty five
years. I have I side of that
well from my front door. When
all this happened we've now
realize why be been so sick
I've gotten asthma the bloody
noses everything over all these
years not just then. When it
happened and everybody moved
out and then they started
coming back and they would not
clean my house because I did
not move out. I tried
everything this stuff is in my
hair it's all inside my house
and- our bodies and everything
something needs to be done to
get rid of this monster up
there we really need help and
that C. P. you say. If you're
here. They were of no help to
us at all no help. We need help
in getting this thing close so
I can stay here this one I
bought this property. To live
here for ever and you guys are
just squeezing me out. And I
don't like this please we need
your support and your health
thank you thank you so much.
Welcome good morning name and
where you're from Sherri their
honeymoon I'm a resident of
Porter ranch for fifteen years
I currently reside in Granada
hit northern Granada hills for
two years I served on the board
ranch neighborhood council
during the- three most exciting
years here in Porter ranch your
I got elected a year before the
gas leak thinking we need to
have a concert in the park or
maybe an art walk. Didn't know
I was going to get a PhD in
government. Agencies up at this
point I have a few words. At
piggy backing on Christmas
emergency. Response emergency
notification that's critical.
Nobody knew my kids school was
close we relocated we all know
the stories. But moving forward
I think it's very very
important that we have
coordination of agencies.
Communication between
departments. And putting public
safety above all else. I don't
know why. It would take nearly
four years to even start start
the committee on a public.
Safety in the study I mean is
this crazy anyway thank you
again center stern and Christy
Smith for. Doing this and we
appreciate all you do thank
you. Thanks sure. Welcome Sir
good morning. Good morning
doctor Tom Williams from el
Sereno why am I here. Because
this has been a tragedy I
started helping. Save Porter
ranch organization. In twenty
fifteen. We found out what was
wrong. Tubing flow no it was
casing flow all the time since
nineteen seventies what causes
the corrosion freezing and
thawing of the casing the one
single barrier protecting the
entire community from over two
thousand PSI gas. And the
entire field how much of the
field drained out of that one
well guess what every time is
the middle was made to doctor
and the CPUC including any
other well logs. They were
wrong they were fraudulent Lee
wrong they were done by a
contractor under gas company
authority they were submitted
by a gas company authority to
the state. Agencies that were
supposed to be regulating them
also Dogger requires that every
oil field gas field. Have an
emergency response plan which
is supposed to be approved by
the LA county fire department.
Nothing was done you put a
quarter of a million people at
risk because the gas blue well
thank god it did not explode.
Else wise you would really have
a problem however there was
only one set of samples taken
directly from the blow out.
Authorized by the LA county
fire department they sent a guy
in. With no protection. To
sample. Over the lower
explosive limit at ten feet
from the well blow out.
Unprotected another one god
help him I don't know what
happened to him so there's a
real basic problem thank you
doctor the laws that were in
force at the time. We're being.
Documented fraudulently is
there a penalty in there. For
twenty thirty forty years.
There will be I don't know.
Thank you thank you for your
money. Welcome the morning. My
name is Helen a tiny I'm it is
in the th of Granada hills for
twenty eight years I don't know
how much I can cover in two
minutes. I'm going to try. I am
very angry. I am very upset
with my. All my agencies my
government's here the health
department this doctor was
standing there to present the
health department this man
sitting here to present a
Kathryn Barker's office which
is their boss. I am not a gas
company for what they did to us
but that's a business that
running because all they think
about this money. But these
people are supposed to help
our- health. There are there to
help us they haven't done
anything to help us actually
they have been back stopping us
because this doctor sent a
letter. To all the doctors and
clinics around here. When my
daughter was in the E. R.
trailing up. Violently I also
tweet test that she protested
for toxicology and they said
this doctor has sent a letter
department of health that's on
the letter. For us not to be
tested so nothing would be
documented I am pissed I'm
upset I'm angry. And I think I
have every right to be angry my
daughter went to Santa Monica
when she's there. She's fine.
When she comes. Last night she
had such a terrible headache.
Listening I'm sorry to say this
I wasn't going to tone it last
night to three thirty in the
morning with the stomach issues
on this one goes late half an
hour for this meeting that I've
been promoting. So much because
I was sick. To be to live. We
should be living here I know I
need to move from here but
right now for personal reasons.
I cannot I have elderly parents
have to take care of. I have I
have life I know I know is a
good time for me to leave.
That's why I'm here but this is
not right they just shut down
this. Fun burger here in
Granada hills because they saw
a cockroach. They're telling me
they cannot shut down displays
the. Poisoning everybody. You
know what it does to me but I
think. This so blood disorders.
This is not just headache I'm
Illinois. It's way. Way more
than that. I need you. To
present to the one of us yeah
what did the government. Some
he told me himself personally
at USC number two one year.
When they were running for
governor he promised me himself
I have a picture with him that
he would shut this place down
when he's in office I'm still
waiting for that. Please give
him my muscles. Thank you for
coming to our coming thank you
miss it. Good morning and
welcome thank you could go on
to the twenty eight year
resident Porter ranch never
knew of the size of this field.
Or new I've ever met anybody
that knew the size of this
field. Arm there's a major
trust issue amongst the
regulators in this community.
By show of applause how many
agree with Helen that there is
just no trust with the
regulators. So. The trust is
I'm I'm I'm searching for an
answer in in business and
that's what I spent most of my
career on when there is this
much of a trust issue is
because of a misalignment
misalignment of objectives and
goals etcetera. I'm I have
spent personally more time
speaking to many of you on this
panel who I think everyone
would agree are very very busy
people with with with contents
calendars. This community has
never met with our poor
supervisor Karyn but Katherine
Barker. That is astonishing to
me. That I can have a
conversation with the state
senator about this issue. Or
Jason Marshall from pop dagr
but I can have a conversation
with my supervisor the jerk.
I've asked you many times. That
one's on you and your boss. So
the alignment issue what I
would really as an example and
I speak with with credibility
because- I have been working
with public health. For over
three years. I am on the
community advisory group to
interface with public health.
On the health study. Yep we're
very far apart and with this
community needs and deserves
and I'll study and I will wrap
this up and. And I have to
wonder why we are so far apart
so we question that deserves to
be answered in this hearing.
And let's use public health is
the example. Is why are you not
operating in the public
health's interest. What is your
charter what what how are you
being evaluated. Who gives you
directions and what does good
lookalike from those people
they give you direction because
we have a fundamental mis
alignment of objectives I'm
trying to advocate for my
community and my family on
health issues. I am not able to
do that with the present.
Obstacles that public health is
put in front of us there is
eight don't look don't find and
when you do find. I about it.
How can this community have
trust in that sort of alignment
please I would like to leave
today with an answer that
question who do you serve and
how are you evaluated. Thank
you thank you Mr Clark. Welcome
to morning good morning my name
is Alexander Nikki. California
director with food water watch
we've been working in this
community since twenty fourteen
when terminal wanted to expand
their drilling operations up
here and we went door to door
in the community and found out
pretty quickly that. What
Maureen has said is true people
had been smelling this have
been getting sick for years.
And when we try to direct the
attention to the gas company
point to that say there's
something bigger going on here.
Everyone ignored us and really
said well nobody's ever
complained before and then the
blowout happened and we were on
the ground ready to go and wait
I know that's how we met we
spoke when you were working for
the governor I brown at the
time. And you were so helpful
you were about the fresh air
and I really hope that we can
continue to work. Together now
that you're in the position
that you're in this this issue
is about two things
accountability which you've
heard a lot about. The public
agencies who failed us. Who
continue to side with the gas
company and repeat their
talking points and shutting it
down and so we really want to
know from you where is the
governor on this what are you
prepared to do what is the
plan. We also invite the
governor to come to this
community and meet with this
community you really will not
understand what this these
people have been through until
you have heard their story. And
she said that you were on site
every day during the blow out
you were there when so cal gas
failed all those kill attempts
right. And you had that
responsibility to make sure
they were doing their due
diligence. That will will will
work with the rest of this line
here so everyone can be heard
but- you've been all very up.
Yes civil so thank you so much
good morning and welcome Sir
yeah many Michael on. Yeah we
are all living on a ticking
time bomb right here. The big
gap whatever the heck you call
it you know I mean look at the
net go look it all together
places that have gone natural
gas lookout many people had
died because of. The explosion.
You know I mean we have
children let me here and we
have. The talks the you know be
had at. I think you can I
probably don't even live here
do you guys you know you do
and- we're just asking for to
be shut down I mean. Like I
said we're all seeing right now
on a ticking time bomb. There's
thousands of people who had
been killed. In those debate on.
Gas explosions. You know
because it's not right I mean.
Now thank you. Because you know
we live we have a right to live
to live without having to peer
a. Naturally blow jinshi stuff
you know and- yeah thank you
We're gonna resume this hearing.
We hope the gentleman is okay
and good health and we think
our our first responders for
attending quickly as well as-
all of our incredible public
health and other officials here
for attending to the matter.
We're gonna resume a brief
period of public comment now.
And at some point will invite
secretary crowfoot back up soon
he took a little recess himself
but we have a few more minutes
a public comment here so at
present. Please resume state
your name where you're from.
And you have two minutes Max.
Thank you for cooperating thank
you senator Henry stern and
thank you for convening this
up. Special meeting. And thank
you Brad Sherman congressman
Sherman for his comments to my
name is Robert van to hook I
grew up in the northeast San
Fernando Valley and so more
from nineteen sixties on so
I've been in the region for.
More than fifty years. I
attended to cal state
Northridge for six years and
during that time majoring in
biology and geography we had
field trips and bought me to
the Porter ranch area in the
canyons here. So I've been
exposed to the error in the
risk of flammable and explosive
possibilities. During that time.
I now live by the coast and
played a ray where there's
another gas storage field.
Which brings me to my research
and investigation there and
there is precedent for shutting
down. Gas fields of Montebello
was officially shut down with
state pushing more than twenty
years ago or approximately
that. Time and the debate at
that time was whether to shut
down play out a rate or
Montebello so both were
eligible both were considered.
And at the time they just took
that first step with one and
played a rate. Never got shut
down there's also a story of
what happens with the gas if we
don't have gas facilities will
still be able to have gas to
our homes. And to commercial
places and it'll be the way the
state of Arizona stated about
it. And the city and county of
San Diego do that with direct.
Pipeline passage without going
through a storage process and
it's purchased on the market
fairly on when gas is available
and from different angles to
the interstate pipeline so.
It's a baby step it's a small
step to eventually going off of
petroleum or- carbon fuel. US
leaking from LA counties golf
course and school and a county
park and I was assigned to that
park for a number of years and
I got sick. And some part of my
sickness was physical but I was
also feeling stressed knowing
that. At any moment the park
that I was a supervisor at
could go through a-
flammability or explosion state
depending on the percentage of
gas that's concentrated one
last. Thought I wanted to add.
Is that what I also learned is
the public utilities commission
you see. Has oversight on what
happens to the property when it
shuts down and currently we've
been noticing in playa del Rey
that. At least twenty three
properties of already been sold
to the private sector and have.
On the beach and on the
wetlands edge and they get
converted into home sites. So
we need to have a strategy
because we're going to shut
this down we're gonna shut it
all down. So we need to have a
strategy that with a law that
in reinforces the public
utilities commission to say no
to selling their gas company
lands to the private sector.
And instead go into open space
for parks and they'll be safe
because as the year goes by
with no gas being injected. The
gas slowly migrates in
evaporates into the atmosphere
to safe rate so that's really.
Nothing's been done and we're
all still up being poisoned by
so cal gas. Of first I just
wanted to say that we filed a
nuisance report against so cal
gas. Residents came to my house
as did a member of the A. Q. M.
D. Marianne fan she came but
first you have to stop it so
cal gas before she came to my
house. And she walked into my
house to take the report. And
we asked her US so why didn't
go so cal gas capture the sixty
six point six parts per
million. Blow a second league
blow out. On their monitors
when we caught them on Mars and
we have screen shots and she
calmly looked at me. Not not
batting an icing. All they told
me they turn their monitors off.
How can that happen today with
what we're all living through
and going on now they are
installing so cal gas and
starting to more monitors with.
In the neighborhood near eighty
parking one up right by there
US. Entrance. Are they going to
have turn off switches that
they can turn it off when they
don't like a number that comes
out because there's were always
dead at two at two or off so
anyways that's just one thing I
just wanted to bring to your
attention. And another thing.
Dagr Jason. We had a so cal gas
is chemical engineer mei ling
testified under oath that the
benzene in a lease canyon is a
nine hundred to a thousand
times more than what's being
reported and in fact they were
testing anymore so cal gas
benzene or for mall don't hide.
At all how nothing's been done
under oath this came out it was
publicized. We haven't heard
anything and it's still we
still get you know the with the
smell I moved in here. One was
twenty years ago and we would I
would I'm right there at the
gate practically I'd come home
at two in the morning it
roundish open the door hit by a
wall of gas. The smell this is
twenty years ago and I would
call and they say over just
venting. Nobody told us what
was in those poly toxins that
we've been breeding all right.
And we still don't know because
of the pro. Check the chemicals.
So that's another thing another
thing that's black and white
something for you wrap your
head around and take care of.
Nothing nothing's done. Anyways
those are the two things I just
want to bring your tent and I
want to introduce my father
Matt came back. Here in the
middle. He loved his community
he love Porter ranch he was a-
senior softball manager of two
senior softball teams play
twice a week. All right he
loved life he believed in his
government he believed that the
government wouldn't let
anything happen to us as did
all right that's how he raised
me. Since the blow out I have
learned differently so has the
whole community and so has the
world. Learned about are
captured regulators who are
doing nothing except so cal gas
is business. And our help
department my dad Matt. Now
doctor. My dad's doctor
wouldn't test for toxins
because nothing is harmless
because he got a letter saying
don't test. All right he came
out this is him marching with
us after he read your letter
and he realized how corrupt you
are and your- click health
department how they're running
they're doing so cal gas is
work. Not the people's work all
right that's what I wanted to
say I'm a shame I'm ashamed of
you and what you did and I'll
never forgive you my dad
passed. A year ago from one of
the many cancers that we have
in all the cancer clusters in
our community. Thank you doctor
ragged. Preaches pre sheet
that. Thank you very much and
Jared why won't Barker meet
with us what's going on where
we are in pain or community
that needs to talk they need
some help. Why she refusing to
meet with us think not one
meeting. We need to clean house
clean house thank you. Thank
you. As you can tell the
community is. Tremendously
upset this been going on for
such a long time Julie corn
Steen member no not member
retired member of the Los
Angeles board of education. I
served on the board for twenty
two years. As a matter of fact
we're this school is located
right now I was the board
member who went out with staff
to find this particular area.
For a school we look to make
sure that there weren't wasn't
any earthquake fault lines in
the area. But no one knew that
the gas company was lurking
right here in the hills behind
the school no one knew. Our
health the department that we
dealt with did not even tell us
or- possibly know about it. I
moved into the Porter ranch
area forty years ago. There was
no disclosure at all. Now what
we sell our homes we have to
disclose that this monster is
lurking in our backyard. You've
heard from so many people
already about what happened
when the disaster. You know it
fell upon this community. I was
utterly shocked and amazed I
got a phone call from the gas
company was an automated phone
call and I just said stay in
your home do not go out. I
called the gas company biz I
had no idea what was going on.
I spoke to someone that
answered the phone. They said
they didn't even know what I
was talking about had no idea I
said what could I speak to your
supervisor please supervisor
was put on the phone.
Supervisor said to me. Just
stay in your home close your
windows do not go out to you
hear from us again that's when
the explosion took place. None
of us knew what was going on no
one had any idea whatsoever. So
I said to the supervisor you
know there are people walking
around the neighborhoods
they're walking their dogs
there are people cleaning pools
there people that our gardening
they're all out there right now
you know what is happening to
them what's happening to their
health. We didn't know at the
time when they said well it was
just a little bit of math thing
there was a large explosion in
the history of the United
States. We didn't know that
there was other VOCs chemicals
benzene hydrogen sulfide and so
forth we didn't know what the
impact was we didn't know that
our animals that were outside
with that they would become ill
from at her children. We live
in an area of earthquake faults
here in Porter ranch has you
all remember the Northridge
earthquake which was. A
disaster for all of us. Not
only for the community of
Northridge but the north valley.
How do you have gas wells
operating. At and there are gas
wells that are fracking in the
area as well that could very
well cause an earthquake. And
yet we have this huge complex
the southern California gas
company. I keep looking every
week or two or a month you see
a story on TV on the news of a
of a explosion a gas pipe is
exploded and natural gas line.
You can't mix together
communities residents schools
to over schools were evacuated
because of the odor and no one
knew what was coming up out of
the wells. You can't mix the
two together does not work
there has to be another plan.
Hi we really need to get. On to
much better ways whether it be.
Wind turbine or solar or it
cetera. But they're happy this
has to stop he cannot be a part
of this community or in the
community for that matter it's
for two dangerous. I you know I
receive this every month in my
which I'm sure all of you do in
your gas bill. You know when I
read it every month and it says
it mentions a- you know
materials such as gasoline
natural gas. It's a prop sixty
five warning. It is if you or
add to or near our facilities
and work sites you will be
exposed to the substances on
the state's list of substances
known. To cause. Cancer or
reproductive toxicity. Natural
gas contains subsistence
substances on the state list.
Are known to cause cancer or
reproductive harm and would
like they don't say how close
you know is it five feet away
is it a mile away is it took
most of us are just within a
mile or two if not right in our
backyards. So anyway I employee
thank you for. Bringing this to
us today thank you scorching.
Welcome good morning. Is there
like dudes panel thank you for
having this hearing my name is
David Kerry I've been in this
area chats worse which was
actually Porter ranch. Turn in
the chats were turned in Porter
ranch back then. Up for fifty
years. My comments sequel
requires an environmental
impact report where is our E.
I. R. eight point four lethal
radiation doses from the blow
out eight point four million
not one groundwater monitoring
well. Not one surface water
pollutant discharge elimination
system system installed outfall
nothing nada. We have a massive
contaminant plume of hexavalent
chromium. That goes on charted.
One thousand eighty five chest
X. rays per year at this school
seven hundred thirty nine chest
chest X. rays per year at
castle bay elementary. These
values represent the radiation
dose from Lisa canyon. Massive
surface water contamination
running a unabated past schools
parks neighborhoods. Massive
groundwater contamination dis
charging as we speak into the
neighborhoods No radiological
survey by the federal EPA. No
independent water sampling by
non affiliated to gas company
sampling. No tracking the radio
nuclides in interstate
pipelines. No not testing the
materials in the pipelines
before there are being
deposited at the storage
facility. Multiple earthquake
faults are under where you're
sitting. This means rapid
transport of all these
contamination including strong
team ninety. I'd on one thirty
one. Radio hexavalent chromium
hydrogen sulfide in countless
untested cancer causing
chemicals radioisotopes to the
surface where people live in
this community. Earthquake
fault faults nearly one dozen
known faults exist under the
storage facility regarding the
unknown faults it is in
anyone's guess but by judging
the way the Northridge
Northridge quake originated
from an unknown fault they
should tell the panel something.
In nineteen seventy five will
fire. It was caused by sparks
from St hitting the inside of
casing and tubing a fire that
took four plus years to put out.
Today this same sand fills a
sandstone cap stores reservoir
in abundance. In nineteen
seventy nine subsurface well
safety valves were removed.
This after the well fire was
finally cap I read a dare
predecessor boots and coots
Santa's been flying up the
wells ever since. There is no
end to the sparks in fact fires
are a disaster waiting to
happen. This is new gas. Highly
corrosive highly radioactive
deadly. Harvested from uranium
shale from places like the San
Juan basin and set in New
Mexico. And the Permian basin
in the Texas panhandle. Uranium
shell gas is what is being the
positive it'll be so canyon not
somebody nine formulation from
yesterday. But the new
formulation that kills people
out right. When full with
winter storage leaks are
happening all over the place
and not at just that says
twenty five in Browns canyon
about two football fields away
from your where you sit. In
this room at least so you ram
gas floods the roots of ancient
oak trees that have tapped into
the water table for over six
hundred years in some cases.
This same gas flows out of the
canyon walls very varying
exposure points such as similar
geologic straddle layers of
rock which gas loses out
changing from liquid form. To
gaseous form. Fugitive
emissions are rife. And the
aquifer meets the surface and
multiple points and it is the
operator doctor instructs the
gas company to use. To the dump
its poisons including things
like radioactive tracers
strontium ninety tridium I'd I
one thirty one and various beta
particle radiation and alpha
radiation. Radioactive tracers
accompanied shell gas
transported here from across
the California desert and
points east. These are always
part of the gas places into
storage here. These tracers
have been sprayed all over this
community and especially during
the blow out. So any my comment.
Earthquake faults act like
freeways in that contamination
from the nine thousand foot
deep storage reservoirs
transported into neighborhoods
through a multitude of my Great
Migration pathways when a fault
line intersects the water table
methane converts from gases
phase into liquid phase benzene
and other volatile organic
compounds are then transported
into the groundwater in out to
the neighborhoods at a
multitude of seeps and springs
downslope. Radioactive
contamination then makes its
way to the surface
contaminating the water ways
when it rains the radioactive
particles spread infecting
parks schools and bedrooms when
the winds blow massive amounts
of radioactive particles in
fact the neighborhoods. Lastly
Los Angeles regional water
board reporting is inadequate.
G. O. Syntek is ran by the gas
company they're reporting is a
joke state EPA. Needs to take
over sampling. This is now an
environmental poisoning issue
cal EPA and federal EPA need to
be involved. The pipeline and
hazardous materials safety
administration needs to be
working with the state fire
marshal in providing full
disclosure on the contents of
the materials placed in the
pipes that carry gas here for
storage the state must produce
manifest of all trucks. That
carry chemicals into the
storage site several open pits
have been used for dumping
chemicals into the creeks that
flow offsite. Radiation has
been this discovered off site
in the same creeks the gas
company as open pits that
dumped directly into the creek
beds when the rays rainy season
occurs each year constituents
of concern begin to flow
downstream off the storage
facility and into the
communities thank you Sir and
if you could submit your
testimony for the record we
appreciate the thoroughness of
it we to preach. We appreciate.
Written that written testimony
certain trip thank you Sir. Hi
Nancy Hernandez I can't believe
we're still doing this hits
home for years as a joke
fiercely specially with
everything you know everything
that's been uncovered one I
guess I once a couple things
but one thing is we do need
that place that facility shut
down shut down permanently and
shut down not used for anything
else because somebody I think.
Sherman I've heard others
comment we're not gonna store
natural gas will okay no you
shouldn't store anything and it
needs to be just shut down and
not used for anything not
storing uranium not storing
lithium. If you know what I'm
getting at. Is CP you see here
I don't they are they're not up
here but there any are there
here okay well. I'm trying to
understand when the root cause
analysis just came out with
blade it's my understanding
that C. B. U. C. instructed so
cal gas. And may have been
doggerel so to find qualified
companies to perform the root
cause. So cal gas. Provided a
list. Of companies they wanted
to use to provide to perform
this root cause analysis. And
blade was chosen so at this
point I have to ask you should
we be restructuring our
judicial system. So that the
criminal standing trial can
choose his own jury. Because
really that's essentially what
you all allowed to occur. Dr
Cyrus rang in. Gosh. What else
again I was one of the first
parents to do toxicology tests
after he said you know send out
the letter don't do these
toxicology tests I went out of
state had them perform did them
again to you this was in two
thousand early two thousand
sixteen did to them again in
two thousand seventeen and
eighteen now will probably
continue to do it to see our
changes. We moved away two
years ago. And. So cal gas back
my health is in Chatsworth. I
reported the oily stains. They
sent out an inspector third
party audit the inspector came
out and I said well I didn't
say it was Elise I told them
they are stains in my house on
the outside the exterior and
the concrete of my house. Send
out the inspector the inspector
said this is all oil and I said
well I didn't think oil would
have reached all the way over
here because I am. I was
literally four miles out. He
said I'm gonna write a report
and I'm gonna present it to
them they will decline you.
Said okay. Never hear back from
them I call back several weeks
later and they said we have to
there was an issue with that
report. We're gonna send out
another inspector okay not a
third party comes out. Takes
pictures sample leave I have to
call back again obviously two
weeks later there was another
issue we're going to send a
different company so they send
out a different company and
then to so cal gas. Gentleman
come in and take samples. They
say the results we can find or
they were inconclusive or there
is nothing we are denying your
claim I said okay I contact
department of public health and
let them know what occurred
Katy Butler says I'm gonna send
one of our inspectors this is
insane I know that she said I
know that they are denying
anyone who's beyond the two
mile radius okay. She sends out
her inspector call and I
believe is his name take
samples. Wait wait I don't hear
anything back I call her and
she tells me that the results
were inconclusive I said what
can I see the data can I see
what the lab. I had to show and
she said we did not send it to
the lab. And I said what. I
told you. Exactly what I was
told it could be you guys just
announced that you found heavy
metals. She said there was
excessive higher than normal.
Amounts of dust found in your
home. Okay. So obviously you're
supposed to test that for heavy
metals right that was the
purpose of you testing the
exterior. And she said well yes
it is consistent with all the
other homes in Porter ranch so
where are the results well I'm
gonna have to ask for funds to
be able to send it to the lab.
And I just thought okay that's
just ridiculous. Of and then I
think it was a. At the Hilton
February first and second. I
did mention to the local which
is over here I let him know
this whole story and he said oh
well okay let me have doctor
ring again come over explain it
to him. Explain it to him he
said let me have your phone
number let me have your address
and I will get back to you in a
week. Well it's like two years
and I'm still waiting for that
call. I don't know what else is
going to take honestly this
thank you thank. No no I'm
sorry I'm not done sorry sorry
but I do want to ask I don't
ask him twice today and I did
it in front of you. Henry I
would like to ask doctor ring
again. If you have any amount
of decency just the slightest
compassion particularly for
children Europe pediatrician
for crying out loud. Please
present your immediate
resignation. And I will. I want
to ask the community by showing
a raise of hands if you agree
yeah. Thank you. Good morning
welcome to the Middle from
grandmother he'll United
Nations say you cannot be years
ago that we have put a year by
twenty thirty the we're on the
verge of put the goodies when
we want to release the met
paying that these in the ocean
are you getting at all if we
monitor for all your family.
You know and this is not a.
Fiction thing we already have
five month extension we already
know. Thank you pretty well.
You know the study to the but
it did. So if you with more
than two hundred years old. We
already have beeping normal
use. You're not. Back can
replace the thing if you.
Believe that these this stop.
Fiction all. Are up to month so
if you months ago. It was a
relief are indeed one of the
major newspaper that the day be
the one they bought thing. The
first and then they're going to
go from here but you're paying
in. Being paying minutes you
know. Not only can be rich but
this new form of energy. But
you have to do the research and
the call out that's not. James
Brown. It. Was working but in
the forty. Fifties you know. We
already have this kind of thing
all of you. You are all
represented you have to go on
porch don't let these big
corporation the article put you
have appeared on both the
penal. Por Exxon all of the-
investment that they haven't
but it'll that's when. They
give you money everybody. Is
not only a. Over here for. Such
a little really we have to go
for new form of energy. That
people really. In the- I'm a
big guy the- the guy the
energy. The machine is already
being invented from the- I am
fifty we already have the fans.
What we are asking you sent up
the road there. Please have
exploratory committee you know
who I'm have some people to do
the research in this new form
of energy if we let this
corporation. I club. Or funny
without having the in the
future because the methane is
it but the coming in great
quantity of fuel we want to do
that we have already. For the
doctor that would put the I'm a
food. I'm. If we let this movie
is going to be in men for
months. Let's see if I'm up
into the fifteen kilometer I
maintain that if in the ocean
we happened to be. I think it
almost Saddam also young on ten
to the twenty killer up twenty.
Two kilograms what it. You know
when you that it will be a
question you're going to be a
question we don't have any
future we will have basement
paint to come outside. So it's
up to you. I used to prevent
the new invention. To me let me
up you know. My son. Please.
Then there yes what we know
that the fit. On the doctor
over here. I discussed. With
the and you know we know that
the thing like you think see
from the safety we know that
the what is. Going on a program
that they have out hi. Ladies
guy bald. Program which in
which they both disk idea. And
that he- thought please open
your mind a little bit. The
study about nickel. Slot you
know it's funny about games the
brand that discovered young
because everything. That I can
be fifty. But we have to look
at thirteen in the night of the
money to you know yeah in the
mail you'll be. Off that you
represent us. Yeah so don't go
anymore with fourth if you. But
it is thought to do the thing
immediately you know yes we
know how much time. Thank you
very much Sir. Sorry to throw
another state hearing schedule
all off. But these people
apparently I try to self
regulate them they wouldn't be
regulated. Kinda like the same
agencies you brought here today
that refused to. Regulate but
that's your job. You guys for
coming here to hear from the
people Rackley you can have
these regulators all day long
up in Sacramento but thank you
for coming here and seeing the
problem. And having it so
poignantly. She waited by
Michael passing out on the
floor. But what really killed
us and this will really
emphasize what we're we're
dealing with with especially
the health department is all
about health. Oh sorry meant to
go president and cofounder of
say Porter ranch twelve year
resident. It's all about how it
would be here. Wasn't the issue
so seeing and I took a quick
poll when this happened. We saw
doctor. Rank in supposedly
helping out Michael on the
floor here it made us sick.
Because I don't know what his
intentions are and we don't
know what the whole health
department intentions are the
news pulling their strings so
seeing that guy here was. Very
disturbing. That your guys job
to figure the best thing the
hell out. You gonna grow all
these agencies but it's your
job to regulate these
regulators so do it thank you.
Thank you. Thank you for
Matthews number the board of
say Porter ranch and I'm also a
member of the executive board
and legislation committee of
the California Democratic
Party. On behalf of them I
would like to remind you that
the state party platform calls
for the immediate shutdown of
this facility and I would hope.
I would hope that all of our
democratic legislators would be
listening to the state party
platform. I want to thank the
legislators who are here thank
you so much for being here I
noticed that all of you who are
here are local and you are
those. Who have been hearing
again again about all of our
pain and many of you have
experienced some of that paying
yourself and- really appreciate
the support that you have given
us. But I'm also very
disappointed that we don't have
legislators from around the
state here to listen to us they
are the ones who haven't heard
our pain. They haven't heard
all these problems all of these
stories that all these people
have. And hearing that there is
not a single person here who is
calling for keeping this
facility open it's gonna be
shut down. I had a forty year
career as an engineer. Working
with toxic materials serving on
company safety teams. And it's
obvious to me as an engineer
that this facility never should
have been re opened it's a
basic engineering principle.
But when you have a major
product failure you don't start
to deliver that product again.
Until you've done the root
cause analysis and you've
demonstrated that every single
item in that root cause
analysis. You have a draft and
we didn't do that and when the
root cause analysis came out we
saw that there were a whole lot
of unaddressed problems. And
yet the facility keeps
operating and we cannot allow
that. Never should have re
opened we got a close it as
soon as we can. One of the most
important things in the root
cause analysis that I see. Is
it mentioning that the gas
company has a lack of a safety
culture. And that really is the
root cause of all of the other
root causes so we really have
to get out that. The report
says that there really isn't
any documentation that shows a
safety culture. And that really
should be emphasized a lot more
than what's in the report
because that lack of
documentation is itself proof
of the lack of safety culture.
As an example in my work on
safety teams we're going around
we saw worker had a bottle of
water to clean parts at times.
And we wrote that up because it
didn't say water on the bottle
and if somebody else came along
and accidentally spilled that
bottle they wouldn't know if
they still something hazardous.
We wrote up reports and we did
that because you need to have
the documentation of all these
things you can do. Measure them
against all of your metric see
if your metrics are actually
providing the safety you need.
Improve your process sees based
on that and without the
documentation the gas company
has not been doing anything to
its improve its processes. And
this is been going on year
after year after year. Another
example is the material safety
data sheets these are required
by OSHA and other agencies so
that when you have a spill. You
know immediately what are the
hazards what what effect is
this can have on people you can
notify all the people who. Were
exposed what it is they were
exposed to and what they need
to do about it. And what
happened after this blow out
was the gas company kept saying
there's nothing toxic here that
it's perfectly safe you don't
have to worry about. But the
gas was old arise with math
former captain and the material
safety data sheet for mark
captain rates the health risk
as four out of for. The highest
risk in sales long term
exposure causes lung damage and
all of us here. Have long term
exposure during the many months
of this blow out. They were
lying to us they were not
following the procedures that
are they are following the
documentation. The root cause
analysis also notes that
they've been reactive rather
than proactive it documents a
long history of accident after
action after accident all they
ever do is they fix that
immediate problem and they've
never looked at the bigger
problem why do they keep having
a weekly leaks. They need to be
addressing the bigger thing
being proactive to deal with
all of this. A gelling sample
that this goes way back to the
very beginning this facility
opened as a gas storage
facility in nineteen seventy
three. The very next year we
had a massive blow out and fire
that went on and on forever and
the gas company had no idea how
to put out the fire they had to
bring in. Famous oil fire
fighter reddit dear to common
to put out the fire for them.
And forty years later they
still haven't learned those
lessons. And so we need
legislation that addresses
safety very specifically thank.
Thank you. Few last sentences
we need to have legislation
that says that natural gas may
not be stored at an unsafe
natural gas storage facility
that should go without saying
how could you not to say
something like that it's so
obvious yet we don't actually
have that in the law. We should
define the natural gas storage
facility shall be deemed unsafe
if in the life of the facility
it is weak more than a ton of
gas yeah that's basically the
death penalty for a facility if
you get up to that level you've
had so many weeks that it's
added up to that much chaos.
Then you should be operating at
all we didn't leak one ton of
gas we leaked a. Hundred
thousand tons of gas during
this blow out. Facility should
be deemed unsafe for the
facility uses wells the pierced
the plane of an active. Seismic
fault. This is the two of them
the fall because the magnitude
six point seven Northridge
earthquake. The fault to
produce the magnitude six point
seven silmar earthquake both
faults come and join right
under this facility passed
straight through these wells.
And we've been warned that if
there's another earthquake on
those faults they could slice
right through them. We can have
a blow out a hundred times as
big as this. And finally the
facility should be deemed
unsafe if it does not use
subsurface safety valves they
took out the valves that they
had they refused to put them in
because they're too
inconvenient. Well our health
is not an inconvenience. To
shut it down and out thank you
thank you. Okay lastly welcome
okay my name is ed bath I've
been in since here since two
thousand one I have a very
simple question that I think
most people here to find out
and that is does the gas
company answer to the state or
does the state answer to the
gas company. That's why we
here. That's the Gansu were
trying to find out what all the
complications. That's the
answer would like to come out.
Who answers to who. Well let me
answer it on. A personal note
it is I answer to you. And we
work for you. And the
government its job is to rein
in corporate power when it is
in excess and so. This
suffering in this community is
going through which we just
heard in stark detail this
morning is the reason we're
here. There been failures not
just at the gas company but
truly within government itself.
And for that we all have to
take responsibility. You know
my opening remark today is just
gonna be that. I answers to
questions are not going to be
enough. We need results. And. I
agree with that the testimony
this morning that a lease so
canyon needs to be shut down.
That decision. Will be decided
by the public utilities
commission in the coming months
in it in the preceding operated
under is Senate bill that I
wrote for then senator Fran
Pavley Senate bill three eighty
and they're currently studying
the quote unquote feasibility
of operating without a lease so
canyon. But your gas company
your public utility certainly
does not want that to occur.
This is a very valuable
formation that is generated
hundreds of millions if not
billions of dollars in profit.
And so one of the central
questions we're gonna be trying
to drive towards today. Is if
that indeed is such a
profitable facility that the
shareholders benefit from why
not the shareholders cover the
cost. Of that facility as well.
So. The root cause analysis was
required under Senate bill
three eighty as well as a
number of other emergency
response plans. That will be
exploring in further detail
here today. But the question
that will be crucial goes
beyond this room it is not just
a matter of the people in here
suffering but is the rate
payers of all of southern
California whose pocket books
are on the line. With the
decision pending for the public
utilities commission. If the
public feel utilities
commission finds that the gas
company in the decades of
operation of this field was
prudent. And reasonable. They
can pass that cost. Almost a
billion dollars now. On to the
rate payers beyond Porter ranch
to all of southern California.
And I guarantee you they'd like
to do so based on their initial
comments back to the public
utilities commission. The
alternative path. Is that if
they were found to have been
imprudent or beyond imprudence.
Reckless knowingly disregarding
a foreseeable risk that pipes
corrode. Which I think you'll
all realize after hearing some
testimony today that doesn't
take an engineer. Or a
geologist understand that pipes
corrode over time. If that was
a foreseeable risk that was
either ignored. Or knowingly
acknowledged and set aside and
that costs cannot be passed
through to the rate payers of
southern California and the gas
companies rate payers I mean
shareholders need to take that
bill. They'll say they don't
have the balance sheet to do so
but backing them is one of the
largest corporations in the
nation Sempra energy. And
Sampras been using this field
for years as not just a way to
deliver retail gas supply to
your stoves in your heaters but
also as a hedging strategy. To
improve their stock market
rating by finding price
disparity so that they buy low
and sell high just like any
other company would. The
problem is that it's in your
backyard. And it's in all of
our backyard and I don't think
we can afford that risk. We ran
legislation the first year I
entered office to close that
facility Senate bill fifty
seven. Made failed on the
Senate floor so to the
testimony regarding the need
for other legislators in the
state of California to hear
your voices I couldn't agree
more. So lonely fight in
Sacramento sometimes and there
are many threats that they'll
take away your still at the
drive up your bills hundreds of
dollars by closing this
facility well tell you it's
fear. That's not reality the
technology exists today. To
move ourselves pass gas. To a
future that we can live for a
100% renewable energy. And I
wanna thank. I want to thank
governor Newsome to start. I
will be going to his secretary
was recently appointed and
confirmed by the Senate. The
new secretary the California
natural resources agency Wade
crowfoot. But this governor
himself who I've spoken to as
many of you have personally.
Has committed to the closure of
a lease so can you. Now the
question is how to follow
through on that commitment. And
how to overcome the political
forces in his way. I know you
all stand with him and we do as
well. But here today we're
going to be focusing on this
root cause analysis. Of the
leak itself. And why. Why that
was allowed for decades to
continue as it was. So first
off we're gonna ask US
secretary crowfoot to open up
with testimony. And then we're
going to move on to Robbie
Krishna mercy who led the blade
energy partners independence
root cause analysis as required
by law. And lastly will have
Jason Marshall here with who's
the deputy director of the
California department
conservation who is overseeing
dog at the time of. The blow
out as well as under. Current
law. So without further ado
secretary crowfoot I do want
you all to know that he himself
suggested that. We offer a
little bit different order this
morning and I know it's been a-
a re shuffling but to hear from
you first. He's been through
this too so we appreciate you
making the trip. And we know
the lift is large but please
secretary crowfoot will light
up with your testimony then
respond questions they answer
thanks so much senator stern.
Assembly members let me just
first acknowledge you know what
is clearly anger fear and
frustration from residents here
today. I think the message that.
You know your community need to
delve to lever has been
delivered and I do think it was
helpful to have the context of
public comment first. I
remember those a hundred eleven
days well but very differently
than you do. I work for
governor news governor brown at
the time in in our office I was
our point person interacting
with the agencies that were.
Working to. Stop the leak. I'm
so I came down here quite a bit
but I came down here I got on
the plane came down here this
was your backyard. Now you live
this for a hundred eleven days.
I have a five year old daughter
now. And we lived in Oakland.
This summer I when we're
dealing with the pretty toxic
fire wildfire smoke. And had to
get her the end ninety five
mask and I remember being.
Really cared about her spending
too much time outdoors. I can
only imagine what it was like
to have the apparent at that
time. Omits confusion a lack of
information and concerns about
your health. I and your kids
health so I just want to
acknowledge that. What we've
been asked to do. Here today is
talk about the set of actions
that's taken place since. You
know almost four years ago and
we're going to do that. But as
we get into the tedium of the
root cause analysis at cetera.
Just know that we get the
larger point which is your
fundamental dissatisfaction
with the actions that have
taken place. Now I believe
actually that many of the
actions that have taken place
including these regulations
that past overseeing natural
gas facilities in October
twenty eighteen are strong.
Some of it we have
characterized them as as
stronger than any other state
but again I want to acknowledge
where you come from which is
that's not enough and at least.
Help you understand that that
we understand your position.
I'm happy to opine on on the
root cause analysis any we'll
hear from experts I'll also
just mention. The priority that
I know you all share with
governor Newsome Diddy
carbonized our economy and
reduce our dependence on fossil
fuel. I think he said it you
know we were at a- oil seepage
in Bakersfield just two weeks
ago with the governor and the
governor was really clear in
the middle of the you know I'm
oil field that. You know we
believe that California's
energy future is a D.
carbonized future where reduce
dependence on fossil fuels so
we're all moving in that
direction. We want to move in
that direction the question is
what's the pathway. And that's
really I think the meat of what
you know senator stern you're
working on as it relates to the
future of this facility. So
I'll stop there and then I can
respond as as helpful to the
testimony provided. Will come
back to you with further
questions and allowed the
continuation the testimony. Mr
Krishnamoorthy do you want to
proceed next I believe a
presentation for us as well.
Okay thank you Sir. Just push
the button yeah sorry about
that. Our. Thank you at thank
you for having me here. I'm
going to be very technical in
this talk we will retain that
in ended January twenty sixteen.
Val was to leaking at that
point when we came on site. And
there was a large demon blade
dad that was working on it four
of my colleagues here bill
Randy Nigel and Greg are with
me here today. This was a long
process for us it took us
nearly. Three and a half years
and hopefully I can go to the
next slide. Yum it took us
nearly three and a half years
night it took a lot of support
from a lot of different groups
and I want to. Acknowledge Cebu
seein Dogger. We were tasked
the scope that was given to us
was independent root cause
analysis independence to us
means something. It means no
influence from anybody. And as
C. Pusey in dog are rare fully
supportive of that day's
supported us in any logistical
requirements. Through the
process. We had no input our-
our ad no nobody gives any
directions in which to take
this project and similarly I
would like to acknowledge so
cal gas. They did two things
they also provided us complete
independence. Number two will
be as you can see from the
report which I'll discuss in a
few minutes. There is an
inordinate amount of data we
collected data we treat it
quite so cal support and more
importantly we had to get
physical evidence. At that was
essential to any conclusion we
could make. So I would like to
acknowledge so cal gas and
lastly there were twenty three
service companies that work
with us for the last three and
a half years. And I'll go
through the work and hopefully
it gives you a flavor for white
took us so long and. And
hopefully it was it was a
valuable insight into what
happened. Any root cause
analysis is a systematic
process you cannot just jump in
and collect data. You start
interpreting so we developed a
phased approach we discussed
with all the parties we started
with data collection we didn't
want anything of the site
touched which was phase one we
wanted to once the weather was
successfully controlled.
Controlled was turned over to
see if you see and then no
action was taken out on
location without blades and put
on the blades it no nobody
could move anything on location
without our input so. We rent
in phase one we went to the
site collected lots of whatever
information we could we ran
some what we call at that point
there was a crater many of you
remember there was a crater we
ran some what we call to bring
logs the latest technology.
That is available in the
industry across the globe to
figure out what may have
happened before we did anything
to the location that was phase
one. Phase two was filling up
the crater phase three was
pulling everything out putting
everything out sounds simple.
But for our conclusions to be
made today. We had to get
everything in pristine form if
anything is damaged. I it's no
different than any
investigation you have to have.
Everything together to
interpret anything recognizing.
Well was flying for a hundred
and fourteen days or something.
They were killed Floyd's pumped
in Munich at night all of that
but still we wanted to and
that's Pristina form as we
could. And then the last two
phases was analyzing the data
combining the information. Oops
okay now I want everybody to
this is an important slide I
think it's on the monitor and
it's here there are three or
four things in an oil well or a
gas well this is pretty normal
the first thing I want to point
out is that it's a small thing
called surface casing which
goes to nine ninety feet that
is eleven and three quarter
inch that was partially
cemented in nineteen fifty
four. When the pump see meant
and this is common to all of us
in a lease so you lose see
meant that set and apps. The
sea meant was pretty ratty in
poor condition. And then there
is the next biggest of pipe or
OR casing that runs it's called
the seven inch casing. And what
you will notice at the bottom
there's a shaded area it is
seem ended up to seven thousand
feet. At the bottom. And then
about that is what we call
drilling mud. This was not
uncommon practice is quite
common in those days. Even
today many roles are drilled
and completed this way. And
there's drilling mud all the
way to the top. Okay and then
come inside and then the
smallest pipe there that's the
tubing. Two and seven eights.
When it was an oil well. The
tubing was used for. Producing
pumping oil. In nineteen
seventy three when the world
was converted to gas storage.
You'll see the last to add the
expanded port that there is a
parked there. We had gas would
come from there is a water into
the tubing and from the tubing
get into the seven inch casing.
And come all the way to. And
you needed that FOR William
William reasons. They were
producing through the tubing
and through the casing that was
the- modus operandi and this is
the operational style all over
the U. S. US for gas twenty
twelve this is not uncommon.
This is not unique to lease or
California. Okay the most
important thing to know about
SS twenty five was. Regulations
required noise and temperature
logs I'll touch on it in a
little bit later. But there
were no leaks or failures in SS
twenty five there is no
indication of anything
happening ever on this is
twenty five. There were other
was that had problems will talk
about that in a minute. But the
I've broken this discussion
into three portions. I will
first talk about the failure
itself then I will talk about
what happened after the
failure. And then lastly I'll
talk about how the Elise canyon
was managed as a facility. So
let's look at the office twenty
five failure this is the
condition under which we got
the well on. Middle of February
twenty sixteen. This is what
you will see at the bottom
right about there is a word
that is seen meant the weather
was controlled it was. It was
captain no no gas was coming
anywhere it was safe to get
into the well another well. And
then I point out things and
read there which are the metal
lost locations. And the one on
top at about eight hundred and
ninety feet to be interpreted
at that point was the main
failure so we knew where the
failure once. So everything we
did after that operationally
was important to protect that
location. Anything we did it
internally we talked a hundred
times acted ones. So we went
through a lot of detail work
there. So I'm gonna jump a
recognizing my time limit here
on the right side is that
option itself that shows on the
left hand side of that right
side is a picture. That shows
how the seven inch casing was
was broken up. There are two
things to notice about that
first is there is a failure of
better let that is running up
and down and I use the word
axial ruptured to describe
that. Then you will see
something broken up second.
Financially we call that second
financial parting. Axial
rupture circumferential parting
the moment we see this at the
bottom it's bunched axially. So
I know immediately that
happened first. So a lot of
things you can you can infer
from looking just looking at
the piece you can say Hey that
happen first. When you look
closely there is some corrosion
on the ordeal of the seven inch.
Not recognize the seven inches
ciment at seven thousand feet.
About that it's a drilling mud.
Drilling mud normally when you
put there from a drilling
practice point if it's what we
call high PH. Which was not
corrode corrosion should not be
a problem conventionally. Okay
so the let's let's look at this
a little bit more carefully.
Yes now I am focusing in on
zooming in on that axial
rupture where we believe the
failure origin native. And what
you will notice there. Is
technically it's a very
interesting feature there are
what we call grooves that are
running axially. And then
they'd look at its like
fractals its grooves within
grooves it's very unusual form
of corrosion. There is very
little to normal literature on
this type of this this the way
it looks then when you look at
that small piece there that are
smaller tunnels that are. That
are made into the metal. Of
course we suspected microbial
corrosion we validated as
microbial corrosion at that
point. And it is discussed in
the report. So that corrosion
there that that wall that pain
285% it was about two point one
three inches long that area.
And on the morning of October
twenty third. Sometime after
three to four AM that drop
trick that failed and that
resulted in that. That cracked
it is running in this gets up
and down I'm showing it flat is
running left to right after.
That ruptured that the event
was the first event okay we
looked at all the all the data
that we got that we carefully
collected. We could interpret
that happened and then it
stopped that happen at some
point stopped. Next gas was
leaking through that rupture
area and I'll come to the
quantity of gas. And then it
split second financially now
why can I say that I can say
that because there is very
little plasticity there. I know
the metal was extremely cold we
calculated the temperature that
it called to metallurgical Lee
and modeling lice. So we're
comfortable saying that's the
second round. So there is
strictly speaking to separate
events that combined and
because this. All of this we
believe happened on. October
twenty third sometime after
three thirty in the morning we
believe the circumferential
rupture happen sometime around
seven AM at eight AM and then
the next one happened couple
hours prior. So I'm I'm jumping
to the conclusions of the
report so there if you can
follow me one two three four
five wonder prisons nineteen
nineteen fifty four the
drilling fluid is there there
is not corrosion sh nothing
should grow at that point it
was well designed go to number
two or punitive time this is
higher density marred it drops
it leaks off it is replaced by
migrating groundwater in step
three. This groundwater had
microbes in it whether it
collected microbes are microbes
grew with it it grew. Over time
it corroded and four and five.
And what I'm not talked about
up to note is that eleven and
three quarter inch also had did
not have good seem and there
was water outside. That also
corroded. Which which was.
Which was one of the reasons
that the well was blowing on
surface the way below. So we
had a pretty clear idea how the
corrosion happened. Let me look
at the time and this time line
was at a very important to us
because- at that point we
didn't know whether they- are
one of the suspicions we had
which was wrong it was that the
killer temps cost things to get
worse. And the way we concluded
that will but I'd your physical
and actual data. Is what I'm
showing you here is the
pressure data from the
compressors called injection
header. It's about a thousand
feet approximately from SS
twenty five. And the blue line
is pressure at about two PM on
October twenty second they shut
off injection to SS twenty
five. And I know that because
the pressure drop from twenty
eight hundred to about twenty
seven eighty PSI dropped. No I
know I didn't fail during that
shut off that shut off period
from two PM in of doctor would
twenty second October twenty
third. Because if twenty five
failed that pressure would have
dropped down to five hundred
PSI. So I nor did not fail
them. Then at three between
three and four AM they started
injection back so you can see
it's back to about. Twenty
eight LBS I so I know very
clearly. That it did not happen
until. After three or four AM
in the morning of October
twenty third. Now I want we
want to do is to tighten up the
time a little bit more. You
look at the red line that is
the temperature now I know the
mosquitos cord and it split
second financially. So I know
that circumstantial split has
to happen basin the temperature
we physically estimated and
modeling estimated. That the
gas temperature was ready court
at that point and that happened
between seven to eight AM in
the morning so we know seven to
eight PM with the second
version of the rapture. An hour
before would have been the
axial rupture. So what happened
when the doctor happen this
happen sometime in the morning.
Sometime let's say six seven.
It's an estimate it's not exact
but we're pretty confident that
sometime in that period it
happened. So I'm showing you
two lines here. And we
calculated in the. Hi leave at
that that are fracture so the
formation can absorb you may
not see anything on so for that
that point and then you have
about seventy million coming
eighty seven ninety million
coming from the formation
seventy million still being
injected I don't in sixty going
through there. And at three
fifteen this melted they shut
it off and at that point of
course the seventy million went
away but the ninety from that
as work continued to be going
on. At that point it was
smiling. So the key takeaway
for us was all failures happen
one day on October twenty
third. VA before any kilograms
was started the first
collectibles October twenty
fourth. So that gives a very
good feel what happened up to
the point of incest with books.
What do you do. I'm sorry. Post
leak around so I'm not going to
jump into what happened after
the leak was discovered YA
where we interested our job was
rude because- I've already
figured out. Of because I
didn't know all of this until.
Eight months ago but- if I
figured why do I need to know
apple students posted in so
many important because-
initially they reported on
daily reports the leak was
small then. And today it was a
blow out to sort of a different
accounts we had to go by all
the records. Doggett had daily
reports Ocala daily reports
some service companies a daily
reports we looked at it. We
have to understand how how gas
Lou how much gas blue. Did they
can let them to make it any any
worse. So we did some floor
eight and I would like to call
Kim Marling I'm going to I'm
giving you a conclusion. What
we did was we looked at twenty
years of flow test data from so
cal gas. Using that we build
would be called a well inflow
and outflow. So at any point.
With the with some pressure
date I can't we can tell you
pretty acted reasonably
accurately. How much gas was
coming out of the well. So we
estimated what I'm showing you
there if you just follow the
green dots there. Basil all the
morning we did all the analysis
we did we are giving we
establish a floated every day.
Every day and it was a match to
it pressure data from an
observation while. So I know
one day one it was ninety three
million. And those red lines
are the days when they can let
them start happening so every
kill attempt either. Via a
pretty good idea what the what
was blood flowing out. No we
did a detail modeling here we
also have in the report some
back of the envelope. Quick
calculations you can do to get
approximate numbers. Bays on
pressured information. So
there's two different ways you
have to know floated. Before
you figure out how to kill a.
Sold as we probe we model this
is a commercially available
software anybody can buy the
software. This two three
different companies that sell
the software. We use a software
call drill bench remodel the
collective sui said what would
it take to kill the well. And
we also look at how we do us
the well was killed and we also
took into assumption of course
because we were doing the root
cause I knew exactly what dept
the weather was killed that so
we said we said okay I don't
know let's say a V. somebody is
in four hundred feet. Could you
have done this somebody's in
thousand feet so we did all the
scenarios. Our conclusion was
the well could have been
successfully killed. This is
we'd show we discussed with
with the expert with other
experts who have level control
experts the modeling data
confirmed it other other
similar experts confirmed it
with the modeling data that
does well could have been
killed prior to the leaf fell
into section of the wellbore
perhaps first two or three
kills your figure for getting
out what is. Happening by it
but the thing by the total for
two out for. Kilograms this
well should have been killed.
And what you see here is table
twenty one from the report.
This is sad Ken number three.
What what should have what
perhaps should have been tried.
Is a heavier mud twelve to
fifteen pounds per gallon.
Pumped at about six to eight
barrels per minute. Now the
proof for this is art by the
time they went to can number
seven. They had modeled it.
Killed two through six no
morning was done prior to kill
seven which was December twenty
second. Day model it and they
went in with fifteen pound per
gallon be nearly controlled the
route and there by a fifteen
that I forget the date there
eighteen. December it was
about. Fifteen fifty one of.
Fifty five million today was
much lower than that ninety
three. But by that time and
they got it under control the
location was in very bad shape
they were craters there. So
they had to abandon that was
really it was too risky to
continue coming up. But this
that the art analysis shows
that at a higher density an
appropriate money it could have
been killed. Okay so the last
part of my discussion here.
Lisa can encasing in that what
we were after here was to
understand. Our our edict was
will cause analysis so we
wanted to look at all the
routes however they managed.
Was some of the problems seen
another wells. Where the
exactly the same that was an
intent when we took this on.
And of course this is in the
report there is a history of
casing leaks in in a diesel.
And there is no relationship
with age this is not a function
of age of the well there are
some newer residential leak
some or all of us to the show
so there are different reasons
normally there are different
reasons every one of them for
me to get it immediately needed
me they would either put a
Siemens and they're they're
putting their kissing in their
scalp Linus liners in there it
was effectively managed
immediately it was the it was
always controlled. How aware
what we observed was we
couldn't go back and figure why
these happen that's would be
right after our job was one our
job was to ask why everything
we asked why he said why did
you why why did these corrosion
happen was. It in the cellar.
We follow no evidence of that.
Then the second point I want to
make. Is in nineteen eighty
eight there was a memo it was a
very proactive. Action taken in
nineteen eighty eight. There
was that reported an internal
memo said we need to inspect
twenty routes all these twenty
rows. Different people had
approved it. Seven out of the
twenty what inspected this was
very pioneering in nineteen
eighty eight four Donald
condition soul pipelines a
different story but don't hold
it was quite pioneering not too
many people inspecting those
days. And five of the seven had
external corrosion. But then we
lost track of data there was no
data to tell as white was
suddenly stopped. All five of
them had external corrosion
source it was not the same as a
lethal. But there was external
corrosion external cut like
some corrosion I mean on the
outside of the seven inch.
Inside of a seven inch the gas
is dry this what we call.
Pipeline quality gas. Should
not corrode at all. Now the
next bit of data we looked at
was there was a general rate
case submission in twenty
sixteen that testimony was. So
cal gas had identified risk
assessment was necessary the
required a storage integrity
management plan which has since
been implemented. Our dad was
recognized by so cal gas it was
also recognized as part of the
submission. That their their
integrity of the I was being
reactive up to that not being
proactive because recognized by
so cal gas. It was so cal gas
is interpretation of that
point. So those recognition
that pre twenty fifteen any
leak immediately fix it but-
not not figure why wont how
extensive. The whole risk
assessment process. So we had
all our data now we had we
understood what happened on the
failure we understood what
happened. After the failure we
understood historically how the
field was managed. So we took
on a systematic add root cause
analysis process. It's a very
deliberate process. A few of
the key members in town of the
blade sat around. And said why
did it happen in. An evidence
based we couldn't make any root
cause conclusion unless I can
provide evidence for that
particular statement we start.
With the uncontrolled outflow
four hundred and fifteen days
was our primary effect and then
why did it happen and then we
kept going until we reached.
Root causes so they would put
it causes of already talked
about it number one was the
axial rupture due to external
microbial corrosion. And second
was unsuccessful topic of.
Which within sufficient density
and pump rates. Now we
identified many root causes and
I'm gonna present them in the
next flight as part of our-
root cause solutions because
when we do a root cause
analysis we identify. Solutions
to the. Root cause and then the
back from there the root causes.
So the solutions are the root
cause of that red identified
that have already been
implemented I've listed them by
things that have been
implemented. And things that
are perhaps a I'm sure
somebody's when implement that
there there. There there's some
some root causes that have not
been implemented. It is based
well integrity plan was it was
essential to manage a facility
to make sure incidents such as
SS twenty five and other
similar instance can be
prevented. Risk assessment is
quarter that I'm gonna go to go
to a tiki once on that list
that I believe it is essential
second one is to bring Parker
completion and will Beria.
Today by law in California it's
unique to California it is not
true in any other place the
required will better system
what to do about your system
and allow you to do is you're
only producing to the tubing.
The seven inch casing would
never have been exposed to gas
into the being filled with kill
my door or Packer floored so an
incident like this is I don't
wanna say impossible highly
highly improbable that that is
intended that. Casing wanting
this inspection so they've
already done all the kissing
wilderness. And the real time
quotes of and that's an
important one so if you see
reinterpreted what happened
sequence based on compressor
data house in feet away from
the rubble sick. White happened
you can prevented another since
incidents and any new wells are
the second one is when you
drill new wells you want a
seaman surface causing to pop
you can prevent that the
corrosion production casing to
the top. And in some cases the
formation of such you cannot
semen to surface casing you can
have a C. P. system and prevent
this any form of corrosion. So
I ran through a depreciated
time. Thank you. Thank you I
will be following up with
questions thank you doctor. And
one final thing this is the
report. In the main report is
released on may sixteenth at
their supplemental reports if
you're interested in can
attempt if an interesting
failure analysis this
excruciating detail thank you.
Very good thank you thank you
for the excruciating detail. We
needed it and we still do. I'll
I'll I deputy director Marshall
your testimony and then we'll
follow up with a few questions
okay thank you Sir. Thank you
senator the use of the woman. A
great deck is up. I'm. Well a
preface thank you for holding
the hearing giving us the
opportunity to indicate what
the department has been doing
in response not only to the
Lisa canyon failure welfare to
assist twenty five but also
with regard to the blade root
cause analysis report I think
you see as I as I make
presentation some of this
material is familiar to
residents here in Porter ranch
to maybe some of the other
members in the audience. It is
by presenting again though in
the context of the root cause
analysis that I think you'll
you'll see why I want to. Go
over some of those things again.
So we're going to talk a little
bit about. The conference a
safety review that was
required. When I talk about new
operating requirements
regulations and then plans for
subsequent regulations. So when
the I SS twenty five well
experience the blood then in
October two thousand fifteen.
We started looking at the real
question of just ourselves how
did you end up with gas coming
out of the ground. It was very
obvious to us that there must
be some failure of casing we
didn't have a root cause
analysis to tell us that. But
it was very obvious that there
must be some kind of failure of
casing. And so. We started even
as the well was was still being
attempted to control an A. as
secondary. Well is being
drilled for intercept. We had
ordered the operator to stop
injecting gas and they were
trying to withdraw gas to
reduce pressure in the
formation during that time. But
we were coming up with even as
as that was all happening. A
means of testing the other
wells in the facility we knew
that there were a hundred and
thirteen other wells there the
that SS twenty five and many of
them shared the same.
Construction vintage built in
the fifties is oil and gas
wells converted in the early
seventies to. Gas storage
wells. And so we knew that we
needed to have a couple of
different testing regimes. The
testing regimes that had been
in current regulation at the
time were really what we would
call it a determinative kind of
test that is to say is there a
leaking now and that's the kind
of test that you're looking at.
That's actually like a noise
longer temperature log where
you're trying to listen for the
sound of rushing gas coming
outside of a well. Or the
temperature log weird gases
decompressing in this cooling
and giving indication again
that something is that
something is amiss with the
casing. We knew that we needed
to do that for all of the
wells. SS twenty five was at
the time was scheduled for
annual testing of noise into
blogs. It had passed that test
a little less than one year
prior and was due for testing.
If not days and weeks after.
The leak was found. So. We knew
we had to do that we do that
for all of the other wells in
the field. And we also wanted
to make sure that we did this
what we call battery to
testing. And this is really
where we start getting into
what I call predictive testing
where you're now looking at. Is
the cement competent using
tools to measure the thickness
and the bonding of the cement
between the casing and the
surrounding ground. The well is
constructed into talking about
a caliper log which is really
testing to see if the- the-
casing is still cylindrical. Or
whether it's deformed a little
bit flattened out. Ultrasonic
casing inspection log magnetic
flux casing inspection logs I
could have a Walker or
technical expert come on up and
explain that but- they're
basically tests to determine
whether or not there's
corrosion. Going on in the
casing. And lastly we wanted to
make sure we had pressure
testing done. Of the production
casing the two bins and Packers
of all of those hundred and
thirteen wells. Because again.
We knew. Well we're in the
middle of the emergency. That
at some point in time. That
emergency would stop. And we
would need to make sure that
the rest of the facility. What
was not going to be.
Experiencing that kind of a
catastrophic failure. There we
go. So we are started doing the
comprehensive safety review for
all of the other wells this is
after we got the well was
controlled in February started
doing that conference a safety
review and it is it is ongoing
I am aware that there is a time
frame that we need to get that
done there's one well that is
still out there that is. Quite
complex with a lot of
obstructions in the well bore
it has taken months for them to
get through we are erring on
the side of safety rather than
than time to make sure that
gets done it is isolated as
you'll see from the discussion
so of the hundred and fourteen
wells including SS twenty five.
Sixty six wells have passed all
the tests and approved for
service that means they've
passed both of those batteries
of tests they may have they may
have been found initially to a
failed but they've been
repaired and then tested again
and passed. Forty three wells
have been taken out of service
by taking out of service I mean
they've been plugged with
cement service restoration is
not yet complete but they've
been published a mentor
isolated from that formation
one well. The one that you're
referring to is isolated from
the plug from the formation and
the playing operations are
nearly complete. And for wells
have been plugged with full
service restoration. And so
when those when those. When
those reviews were completed
and we had the wells at
isolated from the formation
that was when the division. Was
able to make the determination
that that the field to go back
on injection and production
albeit. In limited amounts and
those limited amounts were set
both by dog and by the PC. So
there are ongoing operational
requirements that have been in
effect one of them is the
maximum range of what pressures
being held down to twenty nine
hundred. Twenty six PSI which
is quite a bit lower than what
so cal gas would like. We have
continuous pressure monitoring
required on the two beings and
on the annular space of all the
storage wells. Fence line air
monitoring exists for methane
and there are daily Fleer
camera images for gas
inspection for leaks at all the
well sites and again the Fleer
cameras looking for a
decompression. Is looking for
gas in the form of a
temperature change. We
establish new regulations as we
went through this process one
of the things that we did
initially was to immediately it
acts of emergency regulations.
As you know senator of this and
the woman. At mercy regulations
have a lifespan of one year
those emergency regulations at.
Required all of those tests
that I mentioned as well as
other operational requirements.
I think the legislature for the
authorization to extend those
emergency regulations Biondi
here because to make the-
permanent regulations effective
we really needed to make sure
we had time. And we didn't want
to see a gap. In protection and
so that was very important for
us to get that dealing with the
new regulations I'll go through
some of the high points of
them. One of them is insuring
as- as the blade representative
I indicated is that we don't
have single points of failure.
When the well was producing
before through both to being
and casing. Pressure was being
exerted on both the tubing and
the external casing. Which
means that if the casing fails
there is no back up. So that
was a single point of failure.
Under the current regulations.
The only place that pressure
can be exerted is inside the
tubing whether it's on
injection or a withdrawal the
pressure can only be on the two
big. If the tubing was to fail.
Then the casing is there and
it's not under pressure and I
can act as a as a safety net or
catchment. So that then the
repair work can be done and you
don't end up with. A failure
into the subsurface into the
surrounding earth. We required
risk management planning I
won't go through each one of
these items but I'll just give
you the high points of them
risk management plan is
required for all guest workers
to lose in the state now we're
talking about identification of
potential threats and hazards
including corrosion and that
would include some of the
testing that's going to be one
of these are the bullets here
regular mechanical integrity
testing that regime of phase
one and phase two testing
that's required on a regular
basis now different periods for
different types of testing but
it's required and regular basis
to repeated to ensure that
there aren't corrosion issues
arising that. They are being
observed quantitative risk
assessments are required well
by well risk assessments casing
corrosion monitoring. And
emergency response planning
among those details. In
addition we have monitoring
requirements for all wells in
casters disabilities.
Monitoring of the storage was
were material balance and
reservoir integrity so you're
talking about how much gas is
being injected how much gas is
being withdrawn. Immediate
reporting of intended
unintended gas releases
chemical fingerprinting. Alarms
for annulus pressure changes
that's an important one again
as indicated by the blood
report if you seeing a change
in that any other pressure it
means that something has
happened inside that tubing.
Likely means something's
happened inside the tubing. And
you've got a compromise you
need to take take a look at
that. And then testing the
safety valves every six months
real time data gathering is
also. Critical to successfully
regulating in these facilities.
One of the things is as you
know no one of things that was
required by both the P. you see
in dog was the independent.
Root cause analysis conducted
by blade that focuses on
technical issues and the
technical because of the leak.
There is a secondary root cause
analysis being conducted by Dr.
And that is focused entirely on
compliance with other statutes
and regulations we're looking
at the information that we're
getting from blade and all of
the- the various of its data
that in there. But we needed
that report so that we could
actually finalize our report. I
don't have a date right now for
you for when that will be done
but with the receipt of the
blade reported should be able
to. Accelerate quickly to
completion. So. One of the
things that that I would note
about the blade report is that.
Now that we know what the root
cause was now that we know that
that it was a casing failure we
know that the regulations that
we adopted first as an
emergency and later as a
permanent regulation that those
really are getting at some of
those those risk points that
that are identifiable by the
blade report. Blade ID I think
I don't know but words in their
mouth and blade actually
indicated that had those
regulations been in place
before two thousand and fifteen
the ones that we have today.
That we likely would have
detected the weakening in that
case in wall and we likely
would have been able to have
prevented it so I think that
that's that's a good thing for
the protection of public health
and safety for however long
we're going to have gas storage
in the state and I'm not making
any any judgment I understand
that the PC is going to make
that determination. However
long we're going to have it we
need to make sure that it's
going to be done safely and- I
think I think that those
regulations got got to that
there are a couple of pieces
that I also want to make sure
that we're clear on and one
appreciate your work. Senator
on S. before sixty three is
it's identifying some
additional places from the
blade reporting giving a sum of
forty to really take a look at.
When do we want to make sure we
put cathodic protection into
these wells we need to have
maintaining have and maintain
individual well control plans
do the calculations on the
front end so you know how much
blood and how much weight
you're gonna need to control
the well. To the you're not
trying to scramble about it
when you've got a blow up
going. Evaluations of casing
failures and near misses a past
practice was to say Hey you've
had a problem with as well fix
it. But not to ask the question
why and that needs to happen
and again the chemical
inventory reported so these are
all areas where we're looking
to update the regulations in
the future we look forward as I
said to making sure that if
we're going to have these
facilities. Let's have them
safely. I thank you Mister
Marshall. I had a few initial
question just for Mr
Krishnamoorthy before moving
back to the administration. I
wanted to drill a little deeper
if you will. Into the into a
nineteen eighty eight memo that
you referred to. I'm looking at
page a hundred seventy four of
your root cause analysis
looking at the candidate wells
for casing inspection the
twenty flagged wells identified
then by the gas company. Let me
get this straight so back then
it in nineteen eighty eight
they flagged fifty candidate
well as for casing inspection.
Twenty I believe I'm sorry Sir
twenty well as for casing
inspection. They inspected only
five the inspected seven they
inspected seven and found five
that had correct evidence of
corrosion external corrosion
yes external corrosion of a
microbial nature no they didn't
know that was that it was
indeterminism determined to
stop at that point yeah. I
believe data pad some of them
they understood their work I
think they were planned and
then they stopped is there
evidence of their repair. I
believe that is right there yes
evidence of the repair of the
five yeah for a couple of them
out of the five right. Yes I'm
in. The two of the remaining
seven that did not have the
external corrosion did not have
external corrosion correct the
remaining thirteen wells.
Flagged for casing inspection.
Is there any evidence in the
record of the gas company
actually inspecting those wells.
I don't believe now I don't
believe any of them and
inspected. And in your opinion
as a standard industry practice.
Is there any reason that they
should not have inspected the
remaining thirteen okay is so
let me go back we went back to
say why he they first
identified the twenty. And they
had it delivered ability there
to prioritize Isshin be
identified SS twenty five for
example is a low priority in
that list. So they did all the
high priorities and perhaps one
or two medium priorities and
they ignored the rest some
medium and some low. So that
was a lot there was a logic at
that point but even among the
high and medium priority of the
twenty. Of which SS twenty five
was not one of them they still
didn't even complete. That full
list of the twenty they only
got to seven out of that one
perfect and ignored thirteen.
Yeah they they it was quite
productive those days but yes
yes. But SS twenty five which
was a low priority the time was
not even inspected. Nor was any
corrosion detected because
there was no inspection correct
an inmate at what a what we
mean by inspection there. Is
going to pull the tubing. And
then you run wall thickness of
inspection tools that. Jason
had here a few minutes ago. One
of those two if you have to run
we're we're the majority of
those wells vintage wells
another were guided weapons
that are from former oil
production correct they're all
former world about. And was SS
twenty five also a former oil
well correct from right what
was but it still didn't make
their list. For candidate wells
for some unknown reason. Thank
you for that and I wanted to
also get your input on what
happened what you think
happened between two PM on
October twenty second when you
you alluded to a slight
decrease in pressure and three
AM on October twenty third when
you said that there was a
detection I think you use the
word that they smelled it what
happened in your opinion
between that. And the thirteen
hours okay let me make goes to
back a little bit on October
twenty second. Two PM they shut
the railing okay and there was
no issues at that point you
look at the pressure record
looks clean. Then at three oh
forty M. shut the world down at
at two PM bishop injection to
the well they said and gestured
to the one that is that is
standard practice yeah many of
those turn it on and off in
order to turn it on it so they
turned it off turn it off of
that. Yeah and they shut it.
And so then you fast forward to
three to four AM on October
twenty third yes they started
re injecting gas at that point.
So what we've after is we know
that between October twenty
second two PM on October twenty
third. Three AM roughly twelve
hours at. Twelve fourteen hours
there was no there the S. S. S.
twenty five not it failed. That
is what we went after. So then.
October twenty third three to
four AM we believe. The food
axial that long failure happen
sometime after that. And we
think the circumferential
parting because it looked cord
happen at around seven or eight
AM on October twenty third
morning. So if I go back from
that it was probably an hour
before the doctor happened did
detect the smell the gas only
at three PM on October twenty
third okay so I want to clarify
the time line. Understood yeah.
And so. This nineteen eighty
eight memo. Internally was
ident flag those twenty wells.
Five out of six seven were
inspected five found external
corrosion. No further
inspections were done. Between
nineteen eighty eight and
present day. I want to kind of
paraphrase that in twenty
fourteen when they did the G.
R. C. testimony that generate
cages him like you do these
opportunities PCS. They at that
point they flagged some bells
that they had identified
external corrosion okay only
way you can flag you have
external corrosion is on the
casing is you have to run along
one of these wall thickness
logs so they did do some
inspections and now I don't
believe they read the other
thirteen I I'll need to check
my report again to confirm
that. But there are some other
wells and we looked at those
wells also their identified
some. Other routes and some of
them had external corrosion
formally so twenty six years
after that initial memo they
flagged a few more wells. Yeah
sometime in that Peter twenty
eleven twenty two a limit that
inspection and yet the thirteen
we still don't have evidence in
the record whether they even
finish that old. List no there
would have been as part of the
post of to the battery of tests
I'm sure that was covered I
don't have that in my family
but the show we don't
necessarily have correlated
that. Thirteen from the list of
twenty two that twenty fourteen
testimony. We have we have that
I have to go back and look at
my records. Mrs tone but I can
find it but the- at that time
in the twenty fourteen report.
I'm sorry the twenty fourteen
testimony was SS twenty five
flag. No it was not not. Twenty
four was not flat. Because
there was. A again their
regulation in the practice was
to run noise and temperature
logs. Annual temperature logs
which was run on this is twenty
five every year. He does run.
There was no indications of any
leaks or anything. No
indication of any leaks but is
microbial corrosion a standard
type of corrosion that occurs
to wells especially and former
oil fields. It's the day of the
mechanism here is a bit unusual
in SS twenty five but
independent of how the
corrosion happens. If you
inspect the well he was he
corrosion. So the inspection
doesn't. Doesn't necessarily
tell me what mechanism it is.
But inspection tells you I lost
some Wall. Street Richard
immediately tell her. So if
they had inspected but. In
those twenty six years they
would have found something.
Likely that's most absolutely
most probably they should fund
yeah because it was expensive
corrosion. From six hundred
feet to below to nine ninety or
thousand twenty five feet it
was external corrosion on the
seven inch casing. And is it
foreseeable that that well that
is more than twenty six years
old I believe goes back to the
nineteen fifties that it would
experience some corrosion
overtime. Need not to see
that's the problem you you it
depends on how to see men Ted.
Depends on where the that
surface casing shoe is set. So
the lawn of factors so you
could have an order I'll have
no corrosion. All you could
have a new well that'll have
corrosion so it is not an age
dependent it's dependent on the
architecture dependent on. What
I architecture versus twenty
five I believe you said they
used cement case cement at the
bottom. But drilling muds for
the remainder of the well all
the way up to the surface so in
that kind of formation. Is
microbial corrosion a
foreseeable risk external
corrosion is a foreseeable risk
I wouldn't say microbial. But
external and internal corrosion
as a foreseeable risk. And that
they have a lot of data on.
Today so I want to move to the
department of conservation
briefly so I understand that
you said your investigation is
still under way of your root
cause analysis investigation
busy phase two of this root
cause not the technical route
because- and you you mentioned
that you were looking at their
compliance. With statutes and
regulations yes that's correct
are you solely looking at
compliance with statutes and
regulations are you also
looking at standards. And
practices that go beyond
whatever regulations around the
books at the time yes generally
speaking what we would be
looking at is what. What the
prior regulation spoke to of
good oil field practice so that
the broad terms of we look to
find that there's something
that they could and should have
been done ordinarily even if
it's not spelled out that shell
test. With this with this
frequency we'll be looking at
that. And based on your review
of the current blade energy
partners report do you think
that the process we sound to
establish the report the
techniques used is the
department S. at least
supportive of the process for
developing this technical root
cause analysis I believe the
department is up al Walker is
here are technically and I
think I would concur that that
the report would meet our
expectations of technical so
I'm seeing a yes from Mister
Walker and I'll I'll take that
as a yes from you. So if the
process was sound have you do
you agree with the conclusions.
Yes and so. When can we expect
this investigation to be
completed of sort of phase two
of this root cause analysis.
I'm I'm sorry I don't have a
hard date for that center one
of the things that we're making
sure we do for the integrity of
that analysis is the people who
are doing it are walled off
from from other parts of the
organization it's a we don't
inquire of them or or try to
influence their investigation
any way shape or form so I will
get an answer for you as to
what their expectations of time
one how does the walling work.
There's a specific unit within
dog or it's a it's a compliance
unit it's generally tasked with
things like doing assessments
of whether programs are being
implemented appropriately
across the organization that
team was tasked with with.
Setting up this is even while
the. Well the well was still I
blowing out. They were tester
Leon with with doing their work
and doing it independently so
they did not report to. To me
or to al Walker on the response
team they reported to a
different a different line of
command. And what is that line
of the command who who do they
report to at that time it would
have been actually to
supervisor can harass. Former
supervisor can harass and can
was out of the- the chain as
you noted from the response.
Alan I became the lead on the
response for further so canyon
and other operations of doctor
where the of the willing as
supervisors responsibility. So
did did then supervisor Harris
as he had a hand in developing
this secondary root cause
analysis I believe that it's
been entirely done by the staff
in that compliance is solely by
the staff not by then
supervisor careers. I know
we've had issues. That have
emerged around conflicts of
interest within the division of
oil gas and geothermal
recovery. And that supervisor
Harris's been relieved of his
duty as a result. But my
question for you is it Hey have
you were now is the acting
supervisor have you assessed
any potential conflicts of
interest within this staff
conducting this final phase of
the root cause analysis is
there some way to ascertain.
Whether they have any stock or
financial interests in oil and
gas in any way shape or form
yes we've accused all of the
staff who had any any hint of
interest and energy issues not
just oil and gas but energy
issues we've had all of them
accused from any regulating
inspecting. Oversight of oil
and gas operations and that's
been ongoing since day one of
my acting role. At the that
something will be following up
on subsequently through this
committee and we'll look
forward to future conversations
about how to. Rebuild trust
with Dogger in. Taking us
another look at. The mission of
dog. Vision of oil gas and
geothermal recovery is
currently the name of the
agency it is an agency in my
view that the statute has
mistakenly assigned with the
mission of recovering oil and
gas and that that has been the
mission up to this point.
Because they're within the
department of conservation
there is legislation. And
possible you know. On the fossa
with the passive on the fossil
fuel industry while we have
this dependence on that form of
energy. Do you think that
doctors mission needs to be
updated. I think there have I
think everybody would agree
that dog you're at as a
regulatory regulatory agency
can continue to improve. I will
say you know with the center
Pavel is leadership on as
before with legislative
leadership with governor
brown's leadership. A lot has
improved a dog it now actually
has a strong regulatory
enforcement program. As we
talked about here today it's
passed to some of the strongest
regulations in the country but
absolutely we have to do more
and we will. When I heard the
from doctor Krishnamoorthy an
apology is Ravi but your doctor
here. There are certain risks
that simply cannot be mitigated
when it comes to oil and gas.
And is strong is daughters new
regulations may be and we may
pass subsequent legislation
requiring. More additional
cathartic pressed protections
and other pressure testing and
other failure analyses.
Corrosion happens that's just
what happens with the well. So.
How what what what guarantee
can we give to the people who
live here in the San Fernando
Valley that there will never be
another blow out or leak ever
again here at this field. Well
listen I think you've asked a
question broadly about the you
know risk factors of fossil
fuel and I think you heard me
validate what you open that the
hearing with which is where all
collectively working to reduce
our dependence on fossil fuel.
At the same time it's a
transition. You know as I
understand it over nine million
people in the base and get
natural gas at least partially
from this facility. And
reasonable people can argue
about its its centrality to the
supply of that natural gas. But
come this winter Angelenos will
have their homes heated with
natural gas in the cook tonight
with natural gas. I took a lift
here it was not electric
vehicle it uses gas. I and so
the question is how to we
continue to utilize fossil
fuels in the safest way
possible. With as smaller
carbon footprint as possible
until we can actually involve
not to reduce our dependence
and move on to a D. carbonized
economy. So I guess. I would
just ask do you have a position.
Did the governor is made public
commitments and private
commitments to the people in
this room myself and in public
on the closure of a lease can
and is that a line with. The
agency's policy. I'll be
straightforward which is the C.
P. U. C. which has a
responsibility to ensure safety
and reliability of energy. Is
right now engaged in a public
process to determine there you
know whether Lee so canyon is
necessary. In our system and I
respect that process and we
need to what we need to see
that process play out. An so
folks folks I hear you I hear
you all. We may bring you all
back up in a second but my
final question was. There are
still wells they're on a casing
failure map fact from nineteen
eighty eight that have also
been noted in twenty fourteen
testimony to the public
utilities commission that maze
have the same risks that SS
twenty five did is that correct
Debbie director Marshall. Any
of the wells that were
identified in in prior years as
having corrosion issues or
potential defects. If they are
not already plugged in an
abandoned are you one of the
forties. I want to make sure I
don't misstate the numbers one
of the forty four I believe it
was. Wells that means that they
have been repaired and they
have been able to pass the
battery of tests that
determined that that there
isn't a corrosion problem. In
the casing that that has been
had been fixed. But doctor
Krishnamoorthy said that there
can still be corrosion not from
within the casing but
externally even on. The wells
that are determined to have
integrity internally is that
correct that is correct and the
testing regime that we are
putting these wells through
text corrosion both internally
and externally so. So if. If
new construction had had a
repair work had been done on
wells and overtime corrosion
begins to occur. Then
subsequent testing will
identify that and direct work
again the predictive nature of
the what we call the battery to
testing is. Really important to
us so how many of the
identified wells have not yet
been plugged in a band in.
There is he said forty three
have been plugged there are
many how many are there still
to go sixty six wells have
passed all the tests and are
approved for service. Forty
three wells taken out of
service employed with cement
but there's surface restoration
that still needs to be done.
For wells so that's up to forty
seven have been plugged in with
full service restoration and
there is one more that is being
clogged so that will take it up
to a total of forty eight when
that one is complete. And when
will those remaining five the
four that have been plugged in
the one that is being plugged
when do you expect those to be.
Abandoned I'm sorry I think I
would it makes those up the
four walls that have been
plugged with full service
restoration no for the work
will be needed on this okay
it's the- the forty three was
taken out of service plugged
with cement but the service
restoration still needs to be
completed on the one. Other
isolated from the formation and
needs to have the plugin
completed those forty four. I'd
ask Alice el do you have any
indication on the time line for
those. I Mister Harris your
welcome to just. If you don't
mind I'm sorry thank you Sir
it's okay a Walker a technical.
Lead on those yes. Mister
Walker. Thank you Sir okay yeah
on its own Walker from the
division of oil gas and
geothermal resources. There's
one well. It's the ward three
wealth that they've had to side
track. They've spent about
twenty million dollars on that
well at this point in time. And
they appears to me that that's
probably going to be. Finally
plugged in abandoned without
service restoration. By the end
of August and can you do what
does that mean when you plug in
a band without surface
restoration. That means they
haven't gone back and recreated
the surface to the condition it
was. Before they installed the
well site. So it's so surface
integrity in other words if
there would be thank you would
look like nothing ever happened
that's right and so what will
it look like if you do not
restore it to its going to look
like the well sites that you
have now. Except it's gonna be
cut off below the surface and
then fill back in with the- or
cement. Changes it'll be a flat
spot on the side of the hill
and that twenty million that
you're saying for. I'm sorry
towards three in ordering that
and that that's where the
plucking is still under way but
not yet complete that's right.
Where exactly where abouts in
the field is that. Give a sense
I don't have since okay. But it
is a so cal gas well caresses
at and so. What what is that
you alluded to twenty million
what what does that refer to
that's how much they spent in
order to properly plugin
abandoned at well. And so
they've been unsuccessful with
that expenditure and those
efforts why well it's been it's
been a very problematic well
because there was. There were
some mechanical of problems in
the well they had to
essentially do very much like
what they did with the lease of
canyon or with SS twenty five.
Which is the come out of the
wellbore side track and then
come back into the well war. Re
intercept and then pump the
cement into the well through
that would that matter. And so
that those efforts have not
been successful. At this point
they're almost done at this
point. So is there any risk of
blow out or leak in the interim
period. No it's plugged with
cement okay across all
perforations and they're in the
process of plugging back the
intercept well. So there the
remaining work to be done is to
seal it for good but the
plugging is already occurred.
The plugging in the interval
where the gas could be produced
in the cap rock has been
completed and now they're
working their way up the will
work to. Ensure there's- no
possibility of contamination of
ground water and stuff like
that understood and those those
dollars that are being expended
right now by the gas company
that twenty million in addition
to the many other. Millions of
dollars they've spent in this
plugging in abandoning process
for the. Sixty six wells that
have passed the forty three
that. Have been. Plugged the
remaining. For and then this
one for ward three. Those those
are all be accounted for by the
administration I believe by
doggerel by the public
utilities commission and being
that they're not automatically
being passed through to rate
payers correct is that is that
part of the accounting process
we wouldn't keep track of how
much they're spending on that
we said we set the requirement
for making sure the plugin gets
done properly. But I believe
that I defer to the P. C. L. to
whether they're taking those
dollar amounts okay thank you
do you mind. Sir just
commenting thank you Mister
Walker Preciado it there I know
there is a sort of a running
account of all expenditures
related to a lease so canyon
the response recovery and then
the clean up is that are these
kinds of costs being. Accounted
for. Yes it's been accounted
for and energy division it's an
involved in that they're
tracking it. My section to see
can enforcement. Does not have
a dozen track that under budget
again did you division has. And
so even though I don't want you
to speak for the energy
division those costs are not
being automatically passed
through to ratepayers at this
point. They're being set aside.
To be Frank I don't know the
status of those okay my
colleagues had the energy
division was speak. Correctly
about days I have them okay.
Would you mind getting back to
the committee or or asking
Mister Randolph for someone at
the energy division to let us
know. I will certainly do that
my thank you I might my into my
understanding is that all costs
associated. Are being tallied
Natchez Talbert set aside and
then. The decision about
whether they will be passed
through to rate payers will be
highly dependent on some of
these I eyes but- I'd
appreciate that feedback. I
will follow up thank you Sir
thank at this point. So member
Smith I know this was this
panel was sort of the-
jurisdiction of our committee
so up thank you for the
indulgence of letting me. Go
deep here but did you have any
in into additional comments. No
it is I have a comment that
actually ends up being an
observation for the portion
that I'm going to get to later
news for first panel. Spoke
about the need for from the
beginning of the root cause
analysis through then what were
the remediation plans for the
site the facility. The
importance of data. And the
importance of the fact that the
initial data that was captured
and collected with an
undisturbed site from the time
of the blow out all the way
through this process has been
significantly important in
promoting. Public health and
safety and I want us to keep
that in mind the significance
of having a clean data set when
it comes to protecting the
public's health. All right. If
you don't mind sticking around
in case there are some further
questions but we're gonna move
on to the next panel thank you
Mister secretary deputy
director. Dr Krishnamoorthy for
all your work. Thank you all.
Next we're gonna call up. We're
gonna call up bread lane the
chief executive officer of
southern California gas company.
Brianna morning the senior
scientist of Lyndon wildlife
and climate programs at the
natural resources defense
council and then. Dr Matt
Matthew D. Alessio from cal
state university Northridge. I
think we've got yes. How don't
worry. Thank you for your
patience and your indulgence
here we know you all have very
busy schedules and- I think the
whole community appreciates.
Your patience. My first
question. Was for the CEO of
the gas company. But they're
not here. I don't know what
they have to hide. Or why they
wouldn't be willing to testify
at hearing like this we do know
that there is an immense amount
of litigation against the
company at this point. And so
there may have been some legal
risk to a public testimony at
this point. But you can. Rest
assured that this committee.
Will be following up. With
Mister lane as well as Sempra
soliciting documents that we
feel are in the public interest
including documents that are.
Currently pending in discovery
and class action another
nuisance and negligence
litigation that we feel deserve
to be publicly disclosed. So in
the weeks ahead you can expect
a letter to be forthcoming to
the CEO of the gas company and-
I would invite. Our press and
our public to offer us their
input as well so that we can
maximize the scrutiny that is
well deserved on Mister lane
and the entire company as to
what they intend to do to make
this right and I can tell you
sending twenty five million
dollars to a bunch of Terry di
gestures in the Central Valley
does not make this right. So.
I'm going to start off with. Ms
the doctor Mordecai I'm sorry.
So our our senior scientist
here with the naturist or
defense counsel because we're
we're a little short on time
we're gonna ask you to limit
each of your testimony to ten
minutes and then we can follow
up with questions if that's
acceptable so please miss more
to proceed and then we'll move
to doctor dilisio thank you so
much great thank you yeah thank
you for having me here today
and I'm specially when I think.
Of the community members for
being here and sharing their
experiences of what it was like
to actually live through this
because obviously all the dry
facts and figures that we're
presenting here today can't
capture that the lease canyon
the four month leak at the
least cannon underground
natural gas storage facility
was environmental and public
health disaster. And as we've
heard in vivid detail here
today it's an ongoing disaster
for the people who live in this
community as the root cause
analysis reveals longstanding
flaws and inadequacies in the
regulation of regulation and
oversight of these facilities
was a primary contributing
factor to the events that
occurred. Through some of the
efforts of a senator stern and
others and legislation the
division is taken significant
steps to correct the
shortcomings but more work
remains to be done and
ultimately the adequacy of
these changes. Can only be
judged on the basis of future
performance. US I'm gonna go
through some of the- root
causes that played identified
some of are discussed and their
proposed solutions. Their
analysis of whether those
solutions are addressed by the
current regulation. And then at
my individual analysis of
whether I think that is indeed
correct and whether the relic
regulations do address those
issues. So I wanna be clear
that I'm I'm not calling into
question any of the technical
expertise of blade or any of
their technical analysis. You
know to the extent that my
analysis of the adequacy of
daughters rules. Differs from
blades I believe that reflects
more of a difference in
expectations about tried
transparency. What's necessary
to turn the words printed in
these regulations and actual
results in the field. And
possibly a difference and risk
tolerance. So the first route
because as we have all learned
the- way that the well was
designed completed and
maintained led to corrosion on
the backside of the casing the
outside of the casing which
eventually led to rupture and a
leak. Blades proposed solution
to this is that cement should
be production casings should be
submitted to service there
should not be gaps behind. The
production casing as they-
discovered on this is not
currently required by doctors
either does or existing or- new
regulations the dog rule in the
gas or just simply says the
intermediate production
casings. If they're not similar
to surface have to be submitted
in accordance with some
existing requirements which
also do not require some
meaning to surface. Also this
is an area that remains on a
dress and in which action is
needed. Doctors actually in the
process of going through a wall
construction rule making so
long standing need to update
their well construction rules.
For all oil and gas wells so be
one way that they could address
that or they could go through a
separate rule making to require
this. But it's important to
note the cementing to service
can only be applied to new
wells not to the hundreds of
existing wells that are already
being used for a gas storage.
Given that you know gas storage
is likely only to be occurring
in the existing fields and not
the new fields. This will not
address the existing wells
which- is obviously an issue
that the rules do not
specifically include
requirements for what you
should have to do to convert an
existing well like the SS
twenty five. That was not built
for purpose to a gas storage.
Well and we think that's a
shortcoming of the rules. Art
so. One of the other root
causes that was identified by
played was the lack of
regulations. Requiring
corrosion detection election of
corrosion detection is.
Employed by it so cal gas.
Their solution recommend
solution is that regulation
should require wall thickness
inspection. They concluded that
this. Is indeed addressed by
daughters latest regulations. I
agree that is partly address
but eight think that their
rules could do more. Daughters
rules require casing wall
thickness thickness inspections
at least once every two years.
Those results that have to be
compared to each other to
determine a corrosion rate.
Based on that determine
corrosion rate they have to
take action if it's a suspected
that Lee could occur. But
there's also a variance in this
rule which says that last few
frequent expects inspection
could be approved. Based on the
results of the test. At we
think this is an adequate there
is also a big detailed
requirement in the risk
management plan for them to
develop a casing inspection.
And corrosion plan we think
those these. Two requirements
need to be working together
more explicitly. And also we
don't think it's appropriate to
allow variance in the testing
you can't find problems that
you're not looking for. In the.
The management plan. It is
indeed address by dockers
regulations which requires a
pretty significant development
of a pretty significant risk
management plan. But you know
in addition to that obviously.
You know. The well I'll say the
risk manager regulations are
pretty comprehensive they're
technically sound. And they are
largely performance based. Now
performance based regulations
can have advantages among those
are that. They consider site
specific conditions and risks I
have the disadvantage of
performance based requirements
as aid by definition. Lack
prescriptive standards and it
can be there for difficult to
objectively assess their
adequacy. So say for example a
prescriptive standard would say
cement the production casing to
surface it's very easy to
determine. Whether production
casing has or has not been
submitted to surface. A
performance based standard
would say cement your
production casing in such a way
that prevents the movement of
fluids behind the casing. It
may achieve the same goal but
it's more difficult to
objectively analyze that that's
not to say the performance
based regulation should be use
actually can be very important.
But one way to help reduce some
of the ambiguity is to develop
detailed guidance which sets
very clear expectations for the
elements that should be
included in the risk management
plan. I think that's something
darker should do. Also think
it's critical. Stop the leak
they either didn't possessor
didn't apply the knowledge
necessary to stop the leak when
it could have been. So even
expert sometimes don't have all
of the answers getting more
input from other experts and I
would be important step. Here
again casing corrosion was a
big part of the root cause of
the leak. And blade found that
you know they were really
addressing those problems re
actively they weren't being
proactive as the recommended
solution was to conduct a
casing corrosion study they
determined that the regulations
do indeed address this. I
concur with their finding the
risk management plan includes
pretty comprehensive
requirements to develop a
corrosion monitoring evaluation
and mitigation standard. But
again I would say that that
also needs to have a public
notice and comment process
associated with it public
should have an opportunity to
weigh in on the development of
those plans. And again doctor
should issue guidance for
anything that's a performance
based regulation they need to
provide some more road markers
so that other people can more
objectively. Assess whether
those regulations are being met.
See so the- they also found
that failure analysis had not
been provided or had not been
conducted proactively us again
blade solution was that they
should be conducting a casing
failure analysis their analysis
was that is not specifically
addressed by regulation but it
would be expected to be a part
of the risk management plan and
I think you know I concur with
that but I think a solution
pretty obviously is to just
make that explicit there should
be no question that that should
be a part of the regulations
that could potentially. Be
accomplish their guidance or
through a new rule making and
again as with the others there
should be a public input
process into all of these. The
sea so again another route
because- that played at
identified was the- the lack of
well specific detail well
controlled plans. Which
extended the time that it took
to do the well kill. Their
solution of course obviously is
to include weld specific and
detailed well control plans and
their assessment was it that it
is addressed by regulations. My
assessment is that it
potentially could be included
in the emergency response plan
requirements but I don't think
it's- necessarily explicit. So
I think that would be another
at potential improvement is
that this should be explicitly
required. Again that should
also be subject to public
comment and notice and I have
guidance developed. They also.
Identified as one of the root
causes obviously they'll the
single use of a single barrier
the recommended solution is to
use a tubing and Packer
completion do barrier system
this is a critical one because
I actually think there's been a
little bit of misinformation
today about whether this is
actually required. Laid
analysis is that yes this is
required. Duggars rules do not
explicitly require the use of
tubing they require that wells
are construction will both a
primary and secondary
mechanical well barriers but
they do not explicitly required
to being set on a Packer. In
this is confirmed by the fact
that in numerous other places
throughout the well it's as if
to being is use. Now having the
requirement for having both
primary and secondary well
barriers is very important
again it's a little bit more of
a performance based goals. But
I think it should be expressly
required to inject her to be on
a Packer and the reason is
that. To being can readily be
replaced and removed from the
well it's not permanently
affixed in the well. If you're
using casings cemented casing
that's much more difficult to
remove and patching casing
repairing casing is not always
as successful so I would say
that. Explicitly requiring
injection and withdrawal to
occur only thru tubing sat on a
Packer. Should be part of
requirements. I and finally I
just wanna know that obviously
this is only one of many gas
storage fields in California.
Many of which were discovered
and began operating around the
same time as a lease canyon.
These all present risks these
all need to be brought up to
the modern standards that have
been adopted. Part of the rules
require that the risk
management plans and emergency
response plans we made public.
I'm not aware that those have
been made public yet but you
know I think I know update from
dog or on the status of where
it stands to bring all of these
fields into compliance. With
the new regulations that would
be very useful. And so I'll
leave it there. Thank you.
Thank you miss more Dick doctor
less you. NASA have some slides
here if you can get those up
for us. So we're gonna sort of
change gears a little bit we've
been talking not to diminish
the root the root cause
analysis but Richler shortly
before that came out there was
another report that came out
and posted on doctors website
which is the draft seismic
hazard analysis and I wanted
to. To discuss that in order to
make sure we have a little bit
of context I wanted to remind
us where we are here we are of
course in. The southern
California where we've got
these two plates crashing
together and the hills that are
behind Porter ranch for the so
caring is located they are
being pushed off constantly and
thing crust up along the
sentences in a false system and
that runs along the base of.
These mountains so we know that
this false system exists
because of course when we slice
through the earth. I do that
here. All of the wells Italy so
canyon actually cut through
that and we have well log that
show us where those where those
faults are crossing through the
wells so we know that this is a
this is an issue. CGS the
crates maps of different types
of hazards the minister's skip
over this but to show to show
you this is a picture of the
relevant area with those
different colors showing
different types of hazards. And
you course see that there are
colors everywhere the yellow
area there is the fault rupture
hazard which means that if you
were to try to build a
development or a hospital or a
school in there because this is
an area where to size the fault
might slip. And might rip apart
your structure you would
actually have to do special
studies to do that we currently
have no such regulations for
one S. A. structure crosses a
fault in the subsurface is only
about the service and in fact
this yellow area here. Is where
the nineteen seventy one San
Fernando earthquake ruptured
also we know that that area is
in fact well mapped because
that's where the fault is. And
the only reason that there's no
mapping over here on the left
side is because nobody lived
there and it didn't seem to be
relevant or important for us to
map in that particular area at
the time but of course. Well
the collapsed in the nineteen
ninety four earthquake that so
cal gas documented in the risk
management plan I don't know
any details about it they
didn't provide any of the of
what at details about what
happened. Clearly not a major
calamity or we would have heard
about it but these there are
some hazards associated with
earthquakes in this field. How
big earthquake are briefly I
just the expected magnitude as
a progeny magnitude seven point
three which- is about eight
times the energy release of the
nineteen ninety four. For
Northridge earthquake so a very
large earthquake could happen
here. With that in mind so cal
gas was mandated to. Produce a
seismic report by some
independent now. Independent
agencies. And they did a very
detailed study actually want it
when I commend them for the
study it's and are there not
there the study's authors not
here like blade was to for us
to thank us for doing an ice
independent job. But they went
through step by step they
looked at where the faults. How
big the earthquakes be on those
faults if we have an earthquake
on not fault what's it going to
do to the to the- to the wells.
If they start leaking. How much
could they leak and once that
gas leaks out into the rock.
How much is going to reach the
service they did step by step
they have a thick ten
different. Parts to this report
to each one's a couple hundred
pages the work of several
scientists for a couple months
probably. This is
comprehensive. On briefly to
show you the short answer the
conclusions. Faults I already
told you that all the- faults
are cut by all the all the
wells are cut by active fault.
We also know two expected
earthquakes neither of those
things were new. On the well if
you build a well across a fault
and it moves several feet. You
should expected to rip apart.
That's. Also perhaps not
landmark it'll show you some
pictures in a moment. Some of
the gas that breaks out will
actually remain trapped
underground and they did some
detailed modeling it'll tell
you about. And in the worst
case this was done when there
were sixty two active well save
since brought a few more online
we heard about that I guess are
to sixty six or something. So
I'm I'm stuck in the past of
met early may for this but at
the time they were at
estimating sixty two wells.
Leaking simultaneously. So
let's look at some of those
things in more detail. Re flee
they they had parts this report
the covered all these different
types of hazards. I'm gonna
focus on fault rupture because
that's the one that actually
makes a difference. For us. For
ground shaking they sort of
shows seven wells might leak
and a and a pretty strong
earthquake so that's not a-
huge concern compared to fault
rupture. Landslides a very
detailed report but it ends
with this vague conclusion
that. Only a few wells. Are
very on unscientific. And
liquefaction not relevant for
this area there's and there's
no hazard from that so. We're
gonna focus in on fault
rupture. And we do talk about
here I've got I've got my old
visual aid here. So imagine.
You have things are connected.
And they're going to move. Well
how much do they move and
that's the first thing they
wanted to figure out and-
they've got here probabilities.
There's about a 10% chance.
That the fall will moved. Six
inches. Doesn't sound like a
lot I remember looking at a
seven inch diameter pipes to
six inches is getting to be
substantial. That's a 10%
chance next fifty years. It
could be larger. I had my
button there's a 5% chance that
it could be about two and a
half feet and this is a picture
from the recent ridgecrest
earthquake I think this is a
little bit more than two and a
half feet here but- imagine
your little seven inch. Well
being offset by that. And then
lastly. There's a 2% chance
that it could be as large as
eight feet this is a classic
picture from the nineteen oh
six earthquake. Of offense the
got offset by say about eight
feet and you can imagine that
instead of being a fence being
a pipeline carrying gas. It
comes to A. abrupt and
somewhere in the middle and
that gas is going to leak out.
We've already talked about the
straw within a straw you've
seen pictures like this. This
is the two layers of protection
here's a picture of what those
pipes actually look like when
they're at the surface. So we
do have those two layers of
containment. But to there's a
containment don't do you any
good if both of those lawyers
are ripped apart. And this is
pictures from what they
actually they actually took.
Models of those pipes and took
them into a laboratory and-
expose them to sample
earthquakes. And look to see
what happened. And the- outer
casing broken every time that
they did this it's very
brittle. On a visit to being a
little bit more flexible. And
it. Bent sometimes like you see
here. Broke other times. But in
sixteen of the eighteen cases
including ones were bad. It
sprung leaks in it. Releasing
gas into their so basically
both layers. Of protection were
were were compromised. At this
point I want to highlight to
you a- how important it is to
an independent analysis. So cal
gas submitted the risk
management plan two thousand
seventeen and they gave us this
quote that. It doesn't normally
week. When you have this sort
of offset and they offered us
no evidence of that but of
course when they actually had
these independent labs go in
and test this out. It to be
leaked in sixteen of eighteen
cases I think we can conclude
that normally it actually does
leak by varying amounts. So
just briefly how to help they
actually do some calculations
here. When we have six inches
of slip that 10% chance earth
quake will get about 40% of our
sorry forty of the sixty two
wells with a failed. Forty
eight of them would where would
fail if we had a bigger
earthquake and if you get this
monster earthquake. All sixty
two the wells will fail. So
what happens that arm. This is
all happening miles down is
kind of a slice through the
earth that shows you fifteen
statues of liberty tall here
and all these rocks the good
news is that these rocks have
successfully kept oil and gas
traps for millions of years so
it's not a foregone conclusion
that the gas will go up to the
surface there are a couple
different pathways that it
could get up there by. One is
along the outside of the casing
especially if it's not cemented
it or if it's poorly cemented
that's a pathway you can have
and then along the fault itself
and the authors of the study
did a very good job and looked
at these two paths possible
pathways are they did. A
simulation where they looked at
thousands of an actually
hundreds of thousands of
different possible assumptions
is the rock this easy to flow
through or is it this easy to
flow through and I tried all
sorts of combinations is there
and hundreds of thousands of
them and they found that. In
many cases there's no gas for
the service but of course the
beauty of this isn't science is
that they can quantify the
uncertainty they can tell us
how many of the cases and so
here are the results if we had
just one well fail this is the
first thing that they looked at
and one of the reports. The
middle of the road case had.
Point oh one the point one
million cubic feet per day of
leakage which compared to the
SS twenty five blow out. Which
I didn't have the root cause
analysis at the time of year I
gave you I got the number
should be ninety three here at
peak but we had about eighty
was the estimate before that.
So this is this is relatively
tiny not as much of a concern.
But if I were to tell you that
there's a 50% chance in an
earthquake that you're gonna be
fine. You want to know about
the other 50% and happily the
study's authors have quantified
this for us they tell us that
in. 10% of the cases. The flow
rate is worse than. Ten million
cubic feet per day. Which is
again smaller than SS twenty
five. But the slide I will warn
you is basically irrelevant
because we're not expecting a
single thought to fail. Or
sorry singled out to fail we're
expecting. All sixty two of
them and when that happens. The
study authors did a good job
again they ran a simulation of.
All sixty two wells failing it.
And that middle of the road
case again. Is not. Hugely
concerning. It's much smaller
than the SS twenty five
blowout. But we do have the
situation where 10% of the
cases that they ran. Have
something that is something
like if I had my by near about
three times the flow rate. From
the SS twenty five blowout. And
cumulatively. Eight times more
emissions of methane over there
the lifetime of five years they
ran their simulation so this
could be. Quite a bit larger. I
also want to point out that
something that's important for
us that our effort if our
doctor friends are still here
in terms of the future of
things. On their draft report
had had a flaw in it that I
wanted to point out and I and I
did to doctor. That they use
all of the measurements of the
rock. Here that we're all from
before the earthquake. And how
easy is it for gas to flow
through there. With our
measurements right now. But we
know that in an earthquake
yeah. Earthquakes loosen up old
fractures create new ones. And
oil and gas will flow up more
easily affect the permeability
is ten to a hundred times
higher than the pre earthquake
values and they used. The pre
earthquake values so when they
tell you that it's- you know.
10% but it's likely that that
it's going to. Release this
verse case scenario it actually
could be much more likely and
we need to keep that in mind. I
shut down the water with doctor
dated may fifth they wrote me
back a month later saying my
comments are gonna be
considered I'm gonna take them
at their at their word for that
because- they actually did do a
very good job and it's a-
detailed comments. Before they
issue the seismic study and-
all those things have been
addressed in the seismic study
they've done a very good job of
listening. And not so I want to
give them some credit for
getting it. This is a seismic
study to be so comprehensive.
It does need some more work.
From here. So strong summary
worst case scenario. Eight
times the missions of the
twenty fifteen blowout. And
they need to revise their model
to provide you an actor
probability of. How likely is
that worst case scenario. If we
just look at the report at face
value. I can tell you that
there's a 5% chance of a large
of a sufficiently large
earthquake in the next fifty
years of that happening. And if
that earthquake happens there's
at least a 10% chance that this
worst case scenario becomes a
reality. And that sort of where
we're left but like I said I
would I would like. Them to
give us a more accurate view of
what those probabilities really
are. Thank you. Thank you
doctor dealers you for scaring.
Everyone in the room with very
sober science. Not a scare
tactic by any means but
accurate modeling and
independent science I think as
we've seen today from both
doctor Krishnamoorthy yourself
miss more Dick is really. The
primary backstop we as a public.
Have because in our with our
limited committee staff and the
work we're able to do here in
the legislature the onus is
huge so without your efforts.
We would be out we would be
lost so thank you. I wanted to
ask. Yeah I don't know if
doctor Krishnamoorthy is still
here actually do you mind. So
in the event of a. Of a size
make a seismic event like the
one Dr Alessio outlined and
they it would take because the
rupture of the casing and
tubing below ground I'm is
there anything the field
operator can actually do to
prevent that gas from from
completely emptying into the
air and into our community. We
love to study that because I
don't have a quick answer for
that we've asked that question
of the veteran are also it's
something we need to think
about I don't have an immediate
answer. But I'm I would like to
look at it reservist had it a
little bit this is not a I
recognize the possibility there
off of massive massive shearing
off sure val-d'or and down.
Some of the men friends some of
them on for and so is it fair
to say though that the kill
techniques that were both used
by boots and coots as well as
some of the techniques that you
felt would have maybe been more
reasonable under those
circumstances none of those
techniques would would work in
the case that there was a total
rupture. Fracture of the tubing
casing it some other method
would have to be devised the
conventional kill technique may
not work because you don't have
access to the World War but to
me it really felt like work so
there are there are ways to do
this but that's why I don't
want to. Really felt maybe an
option to maybe some other
options but a conventional just
pumping fluid but we talked
about yeah but pretty new
territory when it comes to on
it well emergency response
efforts would you say I don't
know that that's all I can look
at it and I can get back to you
okay we can we can look at it
and we can we can circle back
okay I'm not convinced that
isn't any work done on it but-
I'm I'm not a big deal okay.
Thank you at and I don't know
if. It Dogger at Mister
Marshall just. Apologies but
eight what one follow up
question there though was. The
seismic analysis I forget the
exact name in statute or what
you you what you all called it
it was your seismic risk
analysis yes yes I would risk
analysis so. That's. What gets
done in terms of emergency
response plan. Relative to the
facility we have received
comments from doctor let's see.
And we're in the process right
now reviewing that reporters
ourselves we've got the
California Geological Survey
doing a review of that they
actually asked me today to make
sure I extend an invitation to
doctor listening to come join
them on the on the review of
that. With the national labs
but the point of that that that
analysis is really as I view it
to inform. What are we going to
require in terms of emergency
response planning relative to
the facility understanding how
much movements going to Kerr
what is the probability of. Of
rupture of wells what is the
probability of rupture and see
sharing and ceiling versus
sharing and leaving open to.
Again doctor Lester said.
Transport of gas but a fault
plane versus up of outside of
it well casing were even inside
of a well casing. Those are
considerations that we've got
to figure out and get right. We
ourselves internally C. G. S.
looking at the work that was
done by the consultant. Have
have some concerns about some
of the qualifications of the
people in terms of. Not to put
too fine a point on it
licensure in California to
practice geology. Other
elements that we really want to
make sure we get right so that
we can. Make sure that the
operator provides us with an
emergency plan. That addresses
the real the high probability
issues. And the and the analyst
of the consultants you're
referring to are the internal
folks I retained by the gas
company to do their their
emergency response plans the
gas company did the- skinny
that had the seismic review
commission. We're now reviewing
it they have to prepare their
own it plan. For emergency
response we have to review it
and be okay with it. And so
we're we're wanting to make
sure that these pieces the size.
Valuation is then well
reflected in that emergency
response understood so this.
Undecided excerpt that doctor
DLS you gave us to. Buy I
forget the exact phrasing
normally does not. That's the
kind of. Sort of presumption
that you'll be kicking the
tires on as an agency
absolutely okay thank you Sir.
Summers Smith did you did you
have any other comments for
doctor dealers you had one more
for me is more tech but I turn
it back to what we're on the
topic. The one other thing I
just I what I wanted to go to
identify here. Talked about
some of the potential
inadequacies in the lack of
detail in the a risk management
think the lack of guidance in
sort of. In in a number of the
aspects of the regulations were
sort of left potentially to the
discretion either of the
regulator or the regulated it
so. As well as sort of
disclosure issues. Do you think
they that there's a story under
existing law. To enact those
sort of more rigorous
requirements or do you think
there would need to be a change
in statute potentially. This
statute allow them the agency
to undertake that the sort of
more rigorous regulation. Well
not a lawyer but I would yes I
would assume presume that it
does yes I don't think there's
certainly anything that would
prevent them from from being as
protective as they want to be
in. My supposition based on the
comments from secretary
crowfoot earlier is that. It
sounds like we have a willing
partner to work. With us. As
well as within the agency I've
heard them specifically
reference Senate bill four
sixty three which is in the
Appropriations Committee. In
the assembly. Of for those of
you paying attention and
perhaps that could be a- a good
vehicle to. Make doubly sure
that some of the conclusions
you're looking at are followed
through on. And you know we do
I do fundamentally trust
governor Newsome. I think he
has not given us reason to
doubt that trust at this point
but we are certainly going to
hold him to the promise he made
to you all. And expect him to
make good on that and hopefully
we can do that by force of law.
Assembly members. Any parting
comments here. So with that
your testimony is been hugely
helpful will be leaning on you
as we go forward in both
developing so regi statute and
I think you already heard from
the agency from C. son you know
we appreciate the expertise of
your department in your work so
thank you both for making the
trip here today and for your
testimony going forward. Thank
you senator now we're gonna be
moving on to the emergency
response portion of today's
hearing I'd like to invite to
join us for their testimony Dr
Cyrus Rankin director of
toxicology and environmental
assessment for the LA county
department public health as
well as deputy fire chief John
Todd prevention services bureau
at the LA county fire
department. German. Thank you a
German you may begin your
testimony when you're ready and
then we'll follow up with
questions. Got it test test
okay. Thank very much the
opportunity to speaker Dr Cyrus
Rankin with the Los Angeles
county department of public
health and what I wanted to do
at this time is to give a
little bit of background in
sort of a re establishment for
everybody about what it is that
the public health departments
here for and what our role has
been throughout this.
Throughout this time throughout
the disaster and throughout the
time after the disaster up till
now the Los Angeles county
department of public health is
tasked with protecting the
health of the public through
prevention and mitigation of
human health threats now the
lease okay any natural gas
disaster was. An unprecedented
event as we all know it's
regarded as the worst natural
gas catastrophe at at any
regulated facility. When you
look at the- cause analysis and
the testimonial that we just
heard about the seismic issues
which obviously need a lot more
study you did the health
department has always taken the
stance in the past at least
that this facility never should
have reopened without that
information being known and now
that it is known in that way
now that we have emerging
information about that. Let me
just single out our our
director of health protection
tucked it Mister blow has that
stance changed at all for the
public health department. No we
still have that stance that's
the stance we had they never
should have reopened and- and
given what we are now learning.
It's becoming more and more
clear that perhaps they should
not be open at all. When you
look we when you listen to.
When you yeah and if you've
ever heard Lucy Jones is the
director geological sciences at
cal tech I mean you know she
she says all the time. We were
expecting some big one you know
something on this. On the same
scale and magnitude as the
Northridge quake. We have
something like that going on we
may not be looking at one well
we may be looking at multiple
wells and then we're not
talking about. Voluntary
relocation of this community
we're talking about mandatory
evacuation and that's a- whole
other endeavor which really
could be quite catastrophic. So
that's the stance that we have
at the at the department of
public health. Now we were made
aware of the event after our
county. Fire department
colleagues were informed by by
field personnel back in two
thousand fifteen. Shortly
thereafter just within a matter
of a couple of days. Public
health began to receive health
complaints from members of the
community. That included
headache. Nose bleeds
gastrointestinal respiratory
symptoms. Among others. And as
these complaints mounted and
expanded geographically
throughout the throughout the
neighborhoods in the committee
of Porter ranch and others. It
beyond Porter ranch. The gas
company determined that the-
time frame to stop the flow of
gas for messes twenty five
would extend. Far beyond their
additional estimates and so at
that time public health ordered
the gas company to provide.
Relocation assistance to any
household who who desired it.
Now public health. I will tell
you now did not receive
sufficient. Cooperation from
the gas company throughout this
response. Now while the
cooperation was earnest at
first. Soon thereafter there
was a market lack of
cooperation from the gas
company bordering on
belligerence and ultimately
deception. And the public
health of public health apart
was unable to contain. I'm
sorry to obtain. A critical
pieces of information that we
repeatedly requested from the
gas company. Just a couple of
examples we never received
critical data regarding the
composition of the source gas
which we ask for consistently
from the get go. Composition of
the drilling was there were
utilized. For the attempted
well well kills and then
consequently spewed out in the
form of an oily mist and the
landing on properties in
causing more problems. And that
being said we're now. Learning
for the root cause analysis
that they weren't even using
the right kinds of drilling
muds and that. It would became
clear that even. Though they
did several well kill attempts
that maybe. They were getting
evidence that well kilotons
wouldn't be wouldn't work
anyway so we're looking at
looking at a process and I'm
Noah engineer but we're looking
at a price that they seem to
have no efficacy. But certainly
jeopardize the safety of the
community by the oily mess that
got spewed out with all the-
attended kills that were
unsuccessful. And so that led
to oily residue on people's
homes it may have lead led to
the trans location of chemicals
metals and others. Into homes
that we did in a in a limited
environmental investigation.
And we've requested the
database of homes that were
cleaned or affected or tested
by it so cal gas. Not a word on
that. We asked for
comprehensive chemical testing
of the air starting in November
two thousand fifteen as soon as
the well. As soon as it became
clear that this is going to
last awhile that was not begun
by so cal gas until January two
thousand sixteen well past the
peak of the event. So without
these critical pieces of
information public health. Did
not have enough data to fully
characterized the potential
risks to human health. From the
emissions and the extent of
exposures that occurred. And
finally public health was made
aware through a permit renewal
process that was required by
the south coast EQ indeed. Of
treatment systems utilized at
the field. To remove crude oil
routinely from stored natural
gas before being served into
the distribution system. Gas
company never disclosed that
critical piece of information a
public health during the
disaster. That crude oil was
indeed contained in its natural
gas mixture. So this wasn't
just a natural gas exposure
this is a crude oil exposure as
well. We didn't know that they
didn't tell us. So this
critically impacted our
assessments of human exposure
during the disaster. Out Los
Angeles county has taken some
steps to try to address the
situation for future responses
to try to improve response
should a similar issue occurred
to occur again unfortunately no
significant changes taking
place up from the gas company
to improve that dynamic for the
future we would unfortunately
expected experience the same
issues again with the gas
company if for example an
earthquake were to cause a
similar disaster. And public
health unfortunately as
department we don't have the
regulatory regulatory authority
at this time to demand
information from a facility and
to get it such as this at the
time the disaster we don't have
that authority or at any other
time when the health department
sorry when the health of the
public is threatened.
Regulatory authority generally
rests with the state. But again
the state regulators third not
health officials right their
environmental regulators and
engineers not health officials
when health is at stake for
talks releases from Lisa
canyon. Public health is the
only such authority who has the
sole mission to protect the
health of the community. So Los
Angeles county is work to
expand that authority to demand
immediate data to compel
responsible parties to initiate
environmental investigations.
And to provide temporary relief
to or to relocate affected
individuals without delay and
without antagonism. Now Los
Angeles county is sponsored a
beat fifteen hundred which was
as assembly bill authored by a
windy Correo that's being
considered currently by the
state legislature. And
hopefully what that's going to
do is a line the health
department's long standing
officer authority to control
infectious diseases which we do
all the time. A line that with
an ability to control chemical
exposures caused by responsible
parties like the gas company
that's where we lack of forty
and that's what we need
authority. Eighty fifteen
hundred would be the first step
to provide public health with
the necessary authority to
obtain cooperation and demand
that from right responsible
parties. In the future. In the
meantime public health is
working to examine the current
health needs of the committee
which are continuing. To this
day with respect to the lease
of disaster despite the
stoppage of flow of gas from SS
twenty five. Nearby residents
continue to experience health
problems to this day and as
mentioned. This is an
unprecedented disaster and that
that means a requires
unprecedented follow up and
follow through to get to the
bottom. Of why members of this
committee are still
experiencing these kinds of
health issues and to determine
the true impact of disaster.
And the future operation of the
field of for it. How that will
impact nearby residents. In so
we're working on this twenty
five million dollar health
study for the look the for the
community here over the next
several years to do just that.
But of note however we still
don't have. The necessary data
that we've been requesting for
years. From so cal gas. Since
two thousand fifteen and that's
critical to meet the health
needs of the community. And
without these data will
continue to be in the dark and
the community will continue to
be in the dark about the true
extent of exposures. That took
place before. During and after
the disaster. Thank you. Thank
you doctor and I appreciate the
thoughtfulness that you have in
in now saying that the county
department of health finds this
facility to be unsafe to unsafe
in fact to operate and needs to
be shut down and while I
understand the limitations of
dealing with so cal gas
throughout the course of this
emergency I can also tell you
that based on data that I found
that was publicly available the
department of public health
took. Way way too few actions
was woefully insufficient and
their public out. We know that
the league started on October
twenty third twenty fifteen. On
November seventh the A. Q. M.
D. issues a notice a public
nuisance to the facility.
Noting benzene at seven times.
Of reasonable and healthy
level. We know that on December
seventeenth as presented to the
board of supervisors by interim
director Cynthia Harding in a
report. As early as December
seventeenth there was reports
of oily residue across the
community on people's cars. On
their homes on things in their
yard. At no point between those
two points to the department of
public health issue a warning
to the community to even be
wearing respirators or to leave
the community for their own
safety. On February eighteenth
twenty sixteen the well was
officially capped. In March.
March eight to be exact. After
the well was capped the
department of public health and
you're listed as the primary
contact on this information
issued an advisory to local
medical providers when
evaluating patients presenting
with mild headaches
gastrointestinal or respiratory
symptoms or those with other
non specific complaints look
for alternate ideologies other
than air contamination. Avoid
performing any talks a logical
tests these are not recommended
art and are unlikely to produce
useful data. For evaluation of
patients. If no alternative
ideology is found and there is
a concern regarding either
ongoing or past environmental
exposures they were to consult
you. I know of one physician
who chose to utterly disregard
this and not physician lost his
job and we've heard from this
community of other physicians
who felt that their hands were
tied in adequately assessing
the symptoms concerns and
complaints that this community
was suffering from. And so I
would like you first of all
doctor to answer why when what
we know is essential in either
solving. A health risk to the
community or either proving or
disproving his theory. Or the
difference between correlation
and causation that critical
instrument to do that is data.
And not only did we block the
community from having data the
response leading up to this was
insufficient for them to even
go to doctors to try to start
to collect complete blood blood
counts or urinalysis or hair
analysis in order to establish
the data set to protect public
health. So please address the
glaring gaps and please do not
I understand we all know the
gas company was non responsive
but you work for the people of
Los Angeles county. And I want
to know why your department
failed. What do you bring up a
good point these medical issues
so let me let me talk about
this. Now now my trainings in
medical toxicology so this is
where this is my specialty and
what I can tell you about these
these kinds of medical tests we
were telling people. To test to
understand whether or not
someone was being exposed to
gas is firmly so canyon that
were causing certain medical
conditions well we were telling
positions is that getting these
kinds of tests getting for
example a blood benzene level
or bloody urine level Benteen
urine level or adhere level.
These are not has from the
medical perspective that are
interpretable to give you the
kinds of data that lead you to
those diagnoses. That's the
problem it's not because we
want to leave them a way from
the diagnoses we want to make
sure that that he did that they
did not get misleading tests
that would lead them away from
the diagnoses. In addition to
that in addition to that one of
the reasons that we issued this
advisory to physicians wise
that once the well was sealed
and once air level started
coming back down to background.
We wanted to make sure that
physicians warrant need jerking
and diagnosing people with at
least canyon related syndrome
when they might have something
else I got over a call from a
clinician who was saying just
that to me and as it turns out
his patient was a seventy plus
year old. Woman who. It's a
shrug of the shoulders because
there is no medical
toxicologist who look at those
tests and say I know what your
taxes to the level is. That's
what we told them not to get
those tests but now we have an
entire community full of
patients who after nearly four
months of exposure have nothing
on the documented record to
help them with their lawsuits.
And to pursue their forget fort
you know future healthcare
needs based on the toxicology
is that they live close to.
UCLA excuse me we have the UCLA
study there was limited granted
everything that we did in terms
of collecting data was
significantly limited but at
twenty locations noted between
January thirteenth in January
fifteenth volatile organic
compounds were were noted in
twenty locations based on the
UCLA study. And that's months
of exposure that these people
were exposed to any right not
you not only said don't look
for look for alternative five.
You know the path ology is that
you said avoid performing talks
a logical test you specifically
got in the P. in between the
doctor patient relationship.
And ask physicians do not to
seek the best. Nine to insure
that physicians would not be
let down in in correct path. I
can guarantee you that if
anyone has take it taken those
kinds of tests. And takes them
and you'd mentioned lawsuits
all go ahead and talk about
that and takes those to their
lawyer I guarantee you that
there are going to be experts
in the courtroom on the other
side who are going to
completely blow those out of
the water. And so it would
actually work against members
of the community to get those
tests if you just want to talk
about lawsuits. And leave
medicine the side. Was there
anything other than your
relying on your professional
expertise in this regard was
there anything in terms of a
state statute that prevented
you from starting to collect a
data set a baseline data set of
residents who were having this
exposure from the time that we
learned that this blow out had
occurred from the moment that
people started calling us we
were collecting data we were
collecting data on symptoms we
have a and a large sum to log
of hundreds if not thousands of
complaints. That occurred all
throughout the disaster and
continue to be reported to us
today we have data on the
environment as well with air
testing and home testing that
we've done so the health
department's been there to
collect an immense amount of
data but that being said we're
fairly limited in what we can
do as a health department when
it comes to this sort of thing
we don't have a and ability and
authority to go in and Marshall
those kinds of tests we have to
work from the outside in. And
we're getting tests on the back
and I knew someone had talked
about this a little bit. I'm
getting those kind of results
from their own physicians
because if he had gotten those
kinds of results they would
have been misled that's the
problem because those kind they
would they would have been
misled about what their blood
and urine levels what were of
volatile organic yeah and this
is why because you can walk
into a you can walk into a gas
station for five minutes and
you can have a spike in your
blood level of benzene and it's
something that fluctuates quite
significantly throughout the
day so what can happen is you
can go into your doctor's
office you could be exposed to
tons of benzene. And you could
have a benzene levels down here
and suddenly you're not using
your benzene levels find
therefore you were exposed to
fencing that would have been
misleading or you could have a
level that was slightly above
but maybe visited a gas station
five minutes ago and then maybe
doesn't really correlate with
what your exposure was that's
why we told people don't get
those kinds of tests they're
not going to lead you to the.
Have data to do randomized
controlled sampling because you
prevented physicians from
collecting no that would not
have been randomized right you
just told me that it would need
to be randomized but that would
not been randomized Texas it
could be randomized by setting
up control groups outside of
this community this community
was exposed in such a way that
the only way to set up that
kind of comparison would be to
people outside of the community
who weren't having the exposure
and that's why we have twenty
five million would help study
pending right which hasn't
which hasn't started yet
because now we're five years or
five years after the fact. When
I'm telling you that if you'd
gotten those tests during the
disaster in people to it I got
faxes from doctors all over the
all over the city who were
emailing me and faxing those
kinds of test results and the
vast majority is test results
were. Normal normal. Okay. No
the vast majority went on ten
the ones that were sent to me
they were all normal. And I
said you know what don't get
these tests because were
diagnosed these people with
actual symptoms related to the
actual exposure. You take that
to someone and try to show them
that you were exposed to toxic
way. They're gonna take one
look at those results and say
no you weren't. All right well
there are there are a number of
people who disagree and I think
the unfortunate result of this
is that we weren't. Collecting
sufficient data to now really
do a robust an adequate health
survey. For these people and
what we know anecdotally of the
blood borne illnesses in this
community of respiratory
illness. I hope that we get
some conclusion from that
health study that will commence
but my other question for you
is. Who will be conducting not
health study. So the del city
is going to be that the money
was. Allocated to us and public
health. Right now we're in the
planning stages for that for
that helps any. So we have a
steering committee and we're
developing essentially an
infrastructure. For that
committee. We are going to be
convening a scientific panel an
independent. Scientific panel.
Experts from all over the
country. In addition to some
experts from some of our some
of our top health agencies. And
they together are going to be.
Making the determinations about
what the study goals are. And
then they're going to be
putting out wh. What we call
request for proposals. Out from
those who are out there
researchers who are out there
who would like to. Utilize our
funds to perform to perform
research of the proposals will
come from. Outside researchers
we anticipate the academic
researchers from universities.
Who would propose studies and
then we would allocate funding
than to them. To perform the
studies. And how much longer
will that take. So right now we
are at least a we're in the
planning. The timings. And the
allocations that will then go
out to researchers. I
appreciate that there's going
to be an independent body I
hope that the community will
continue to be sufficiently
engage throughout the process
but my one real concern is
that. The timeliness of the
data. Is what sets the urgency
and what sets the validity of
whatever comes out of a future
health study and I don't think
we did enough. To collect
really good data in order to
keep this community protected
and protect the future of their
health but I appreciate your
answers here today. Without so
cal gas cooperation how.
Thorough do you think the study
could be if they continue to
not release their chemical
background information what
will you be able to ascertain
based on samples that been
collected in the community.
What we're gonna need to get
that info I think we just we
have to take no for an answer
the info that the so cal gas
has not given us needs to be
given to us and needs to be
given to that scientific panel
it needs to be given to the
researchers. So I don't think
that there's any. Reason to
consider what we would do
otherwise. Thank you thank you
very much for your testimony
I'm and now with an issue for
her for me. Excuse me thank you
deputy chief John taught Los
Angeles county fire department
I oversee the prevention
services bureau. Like that
thank center stern assembly
person Smith role in this
hearing today a locally I think
it's important that the people
be able to come testify in
their own community about the
impacts on this and it's- I've
seen some of them in Sacramento
but I know the hardship of
getting up sacramental. So I
just want to start out by
saying. Along with Dr Rangan
what he said in the beginning
was the county. Los Angeles
county in the city. Central
city did want to see this
facility re open. And we fought
against that facility re
opening we were. The initial
group to file charges for the
lack of notification of the
leak. We went in may testimony
in Sacramento about the
earthquake the seismic issues
we want to see the RCA complete
before the facility re opened.
We tried to file we filed an
injunction in court to county
did trying to stop the facility
from the open when they started
injecting. So we have been very
active in that but as the fire
department in its first respond
or so. We needed to be able to
improve the safety of the
facility going forward. And
that with our partners here in
the city of Los Angeles because
as most of you know. The Lisa
canyon gas storage field is. In
Los Angeles county and
something we were to respond to
the county fire department but
Porter ranch is in the city. So
it's a city of Los Angeles so
they have their- city fire
department here so we- both.
Both agencies jointly work was
so cal gas to try to prove
their safety. And I will say
before October twenty third two
thousand fifteen we don't have
a lot of knowledge about the
facility. I got contacted early
two thousands about a facility
expansion. And I think one of
our primary concern always up
here this brush fires. And that
was really it another
experience I had with the
facility and- in two thousand
eight in the fall when the
Cessna on fire. Came off a
broken line off the facility
and came down and- close the
one eighteen freeway an impact
to the community Porter ranch.
We went to the public utilities
commission after that and
change some rules so that
those. Lines that broke during
that fire would be something
under their purview because
prior to that they weren't. Of
course during the incident we
learned a lot and we would do
things differently next time I
think we were all a little slow
to respond to the seriousness
of the event. I know I was up
here a few days after the leak
was discovered. I always
thought that calling it a leak
was a misnomer from the
beginning because as you. Got
close to it. It it sounded like
a jet engine it didn't sound
like a leak okay. It was
tremendous pressure coming out
of the ground there. I think
early on we didn't you know I
know we didn't we were
providing advice to so cal gas
public health was with us. But
we didn't go into a unified
command early on. And go if we
had another incident like this
that would be something we
would do early where we could
bring. More resources to bear
more safety to bear. And move
the gas company long maybe a
little quicker. During the
event. Again we work with
public health but I think there
was. Since then we've had other
incidents where we've had to
improve our messaging to the
community to our bosses. To
share the seriousness of these
incidents we've had other well
issues in playa del Rey. In
other areas that were smaller.
But let's just say everybody's
concern is heightened after
certainly this disaster relief
so canyon. We do have a better
understanding now of a well
kill fluids in them were
captains that's really doctor
Rankin's area but we do need
this assembly bill to pass to
have them provide the gas
company and other utilities to
provide. Greater disclosures to
us so we can help protect the
community and we can give the
community better advice. One of
one of the challenges we found
is we were working with so cal
gas both fire departments they
had this thing called a risk
management plan. In in bed and
it was an emergency response
plan. But when I got a hold of
the risk management plan it was
like a phone book. It was a
seven hundred page document in
a big binder heavily redacted.
So it was very. Useless to a
first responder who was coming
to the facility to respond to a
brush fire some other disaster.
So we put together an effort
with. Was so cal gas to build a
smaller first responder book
they can be handed to every
engine company that comes in.
This is a confidential document
that provides all the well
locations all water locations.
All the other locations where
we can. Going to the facility
and help with some kind of
disaster. Typically our biggest
concern here is gonna be fires
and- a lot of times with these
utilities they don't want
disclosed storage areas maps
the signage wasn't great. We
always you know in the fire to
the ice figure going to show up
someplace at two in the morning
it's going to be dark you're
gonna be trying to find
something. So the gas company
work with us to put a lot more
signage to put together this
this map. To make radios
available to make it so it's
easier for us to respond to.
And mitigate initial early and
that's for the safety of the
people who work here there's a
lot of people who work on the
hill it's for the safety of the
public. And as we know with
fires the sooner we get to a
fire and start putting it out.
Less threat there's going to be.
Our other concerns of the
facility of course remain
earthquakes and I think. Our
doctor from Northridge did an
excellent job of explaining.
The better than I could for
sure better than I did in
Sacramento. Hits a modern
pictures and some modern
displays. To show the amount of
displacement. And I appreciate
him. And the clarity that he
brought about how many wells
could be affected. Even the
wells have been repaired. By an
earthquake. So earthquakes
remain a big a big challenge.
And that Santa Susanna fault is
there and as we know any of
these faults. There's other
faults that. May not be
highlighted right now but
they're there. So those are
always a concern. Of course
well failures and those kind of
incidents like we've had I
think there's been a lot of.
Safety mechanism put in place
and I've heard again and again.
How this is now the safest gas
storage Philip facility in the
country. But I'm not here to
represent so cal gas. I'm here
to represent you and protect
you in practice safety of the
public. So that's great. I'm
glad they're making the
facility safer. There's two
other facilities in the county
of playa del Rey was mentioned.
There's also one in Castaic at
the on a ranch okay we develop
simmer first responder maps for
those facilities. And sometimes
out of these disasters. It
provides an opportunity for
improved communication improve
relationships. And I would say
that our relationship and are
working. Ability with the gas
company has improved. We had a
leak down applied rate in
February it was in the street.
It was a **** that was leaking.
The day I was the weekend we
have another problem with
another well in playa the
people were aware of. They
don't want to repair the gas
leak till Monday it was
Superbowl Sunday. Bay they did
put a crew on it and repair
that leak on Sunday I don't
think that would happen without
a relationship in the pressure
and like come on we have
problems down there let's not
wait till tomorrow. Okay so I'm
not saying it's all perfect our
relations improved we help them
they helped us during the war
the fire which was another
major disaster within our-
jurisdiction. It is you know I
hear what you're saying about
closing the facility. But for
the time being it looks like
the facility is going to be
here and our job is a county
fire department is your city
fire department. Is to protect
you and make it safe as
possible and we will continue
to work with so cal gas our
legislators. Public health to
try and do that and that's my-
my promise to you. And I thank
you for your tenants in this
long hearing today. Thank you
very much deputy chief. She
taught could you walk me
through since we know that the
blow out commenced on October
twenty third but the emergency
declaration was not made until
January six could you walk me
through how your department was
involved in the ramp up to the
declaration of the emergency
and why it took so long. Yes
well initially the leak
happened on the twenty third
and we were informed for three
days which was the immediate
violation of our of our codes
that they didn't notify us
immediately about the release.
This was a new challenge for
us. And you know we've done
brush fires we've done a lot of
disasters a lot of different
things but we had not responded
to a gas leak of this magnitude.
And well. And they had fire
people here and the immediate
concern was to try and kill.
The leak. And as you heard
there was half dozen attempts.
And everyone they thought was
gonna effectively. Stop it but
of course it did not and things
got worse the whole got
destabilized and is going
through my notes for this talk
it reminded me to looking
through the news clippings and
stuff. That the governor did
not clear that disaster till
January of two thousand sixteen.
So it it it it pointed to it
reminded me of the slowness of
everybody's kind of response to
this these people are feeling
the direct results. But we were
providing advice the state came
down hello yes was here the
governor's office of emergency
services. They were negotiating
with the fire chief. They were
talking about well you want to
going to command was so cal gas
at the time we didn't feel like
it was our incident we felt
like it was so cal gas is
incident. So there was some
political discussions going on
at the board and at the state
level and the state wanted us
to inject ourselves and so we
kept inviting advisors and
inviting more and more staff
but it came to a point where we
actually as we do on many of
these big fires are many
disasters. We going to unify
command where we have an equal
partnership in mitigating
whatever it is and so and
that's when I go back to I
think something like this
happen again unified command
would happen immediately. But
in this case it took some time
and I think it was just a
matter of understanding the
scope of the disaster and-
learning as we went. And I
apologize for that I think we
should have done more earlier
but it was a challenging new
situation for us. Accessing the
most up to date information we
know that during you know
wildfires or other emergencies
we ask people to rely on Nick's
a lawyer official. On social
media sites how would you plan
on communicating with the
community where this to happen
again. Well weaver. My guess it
had some other incidents
smaller incidents with oil and
gas wells. And we've developed
a- a system where we have an
office of emergency management
the county. Our partners of
public health in the board
offices. Where where we've
developed like levels kind of
like you have like in homeland
security level one two three.
And then depending on the
severity of whatever the issue
is then we push out
notifications. The example in
the marina back in January. Was
a single well. That was being
re abandon. And on a Friday
afternoon. It's a there was a
gas release and some air
pressure and a bunch of sand.
It's sharp a geyser of seventy
eight feet. But it was a one
time event and it was done. And
it took several weeks to
actually kill about well in re
abandon that well. But out of
that. There was concerns about
the level of communication even
from the single little.
Basically Burke from this well
so we all got together as a
team Mr blown OEM fire
department our board offices.
To put together. A notification.
System so we can get the word
out to the public sooner. Say
that thank you and as a part of
the espy thirty requires that
the facility developed a safety
plan. Going forward I I'm
curious as the department or
office of emergency services
been invited to participate in
the development of that
emergency plan. So I think it
was mentioned earlier today
this story integrity and
storage integrity management
plan. We've had regular
meetings with so cal gas and
they've invited us they've that
we review that document with us
they've invited us to comment
on it. It's some it's technical
it's you're you're dealing with
a lot of. Process is here and I
think sometimes. If this
facility because it's so
hidden. A lot of people don't
realize. The pressures in the
in the amount of heat and of
fluids and things that are
going on when you see a
refinery aside the freeway
somewhere. You can say well
refinery it's right there I can
see all the- all the all the
process is there going on the
cracking of chemicals and so
forth. But this facility the
way it kind of goes up over the
hill this kind of hidden. And
it it it people are less aware
of the of the hazards that are
there. Is there any plan once
the safety plan is developed or
whatever measures the
department has decided to take.
To have a meeting with the
community to reassure them
about in the event that this
were to happen again what that
process would look like in
terms of an evacuation or- you
know using. Respirators or or
equipment to protect their
health. That's an excellent
idea we don't have that plant
currently but that would
probably be an excellent
followup to idea to have. Some
of the county family in the
city. Of folks from Los Angeles
city talk to the community
about what we do. In case of a
future event. And you know per
I've our our friend from cal
state Northridge in his
presentation on and- the
seismic risk for this facility
I would assume that something
that your department is very.
Concerned with as well because
we're we to have it a sizeable.
Earthquake again in this
community your resources are
going to be stretched fairly
thin. Is the plan that's in
place have any mitigation
consideration to a seismic
event what would occur for
response. Yeah I you know I'd
have to look more at that I I'd
have to look more to seismic
end of things. I know we're
concerned about seismic I don't
think we planned for. You know
sixty wells failing and how
that would. How we would
mitigate that. You know I think
there's more work to be done
there. Right I appreciate your
German for your testimony thank
you very much you know I will
say and I'm glad that we did
get to the emergency response.
And the health response because
that was at the heart. Of what
this community is still
suffering with. The health
effects are there the losses
the real losses of human life
or their diagnoses that may may
or may not be related but we
may never know because we don't
have a sufficient data set that
was started from the onset. Of
the blow out it's important for
us to look at all of those
factors going forward in
keeping this community safe and
the other part of the community
that I represent which is where
the honor Rancho gas storage
facility is I have two of
these. In my legislative
district and I'll be darned if
we go through this again and
have it on people in exactly
this way so I appreciate that
senator stern is on the same
page with me and making sure
that we have. On covered every
possible area where. Your rank
and file were. Exposed in going
through still the same
suffering that this community
is as well so we'll be standing
shoulder to shoulder with them
and we believe there is
sufficient discretion to go
obtain a lot of the public
health information that is
already being requested I'm in
the follow up to. Our letter to
the CEO of the gas company you
can be sure that'll be a
component of it but as I
mentioned earlier I think
nothing works like the force of
law and so will be looking to
support from this
administration frankly in
working with the county. And
some of our partners to help us
get some legislation through so
that. We have access to the
kind of. What they'll call
trade secret chemicals although
we went through this with
fracking and they said. If you
disclose these chemicals will
leave the state of California
because everyone will know what
we're injecting underground.
And you know if they can
operate transparently then they
should leave. But the fact that
this is still an old oil field.
And that there is still benzene
and other chemicals still down
there and- wells like ward
three you're still problematic.
And that we frankly put the
card way before the horse here
and re opening that field
before we knew the answers to
all these questions. Is still
an unacceptable decision that
we have to just. We're living
with right now and IT I wish we
would've had got that bill off
the floor that you help with
deputy chief Todd we were one
vote short. And shame on those
colleagues who didn't support
that legislation but will need
to echo far beyond this room.
Especially in subsequent
statutory follow but will
really be looking to the
governor and his administration
to help us make sure that there
is a comprehensive emergency
response plan in place. That
this public health information
there is no excuse anymore from
I get from the gas company or
any others. To disclose that
kind of information we saw the
same thing happened frankly
after Wolsey fire. And a lot of
the same the. Hoped public
health data that still concerns
me to this day so you can
guarantee a response in
Sacramento. In the weeks ahead
we only have about. A month
left of session will go back on
August twelfth. But in these
remaining for weeks. I think
you can rest assured that this
family member Smith myself. And
what I'm hearing today is
hopefully this administration
as well will help us put a
package together to have. Some
kind of way to fill the gaps.
To get dog the mission
alignment they need to get them
the data they need. To get
those regulations in a place
that aren't just good enough
but and aren't even just the
gold standard but to actually
start to transition what that
is but will need your your help
in that regard. And we'll be
looking to supervisor Barker
and the LA County Board in that
regard as well as all the city
council and gas company may
have some problems with that.
And we know that they have a
lot of political power but this
isn't an exercise in politics
this is an exercise in morality
so thank you for coming here.
So I'm I think at this point.
Unless there are any final
comments from the public I know
we've been pretty thorough and
we went a very long time I'd
like to invite one last
opportunity for public comment
here I see a few other
individuals so. Just to for the
sake of protocol here let's
let's so let's open this back
up to public comment and then
we'll we'll go with closing
remarks but if I would ask if
you've already spoken during
public comment period to
respond back in writing I
promise you this committee
these committees will we'll be
compiling all this testimony
and be looking at a report
after the fact so if you have
already testified. Please hold
your testimony for written form
but those who have not verbally
testified yet please come
forward at this time thank you
all so much for your
cooperation and thank you again
to the administration of the
county your independent experts
for coming. And welcome yes Sir.
Thank you. My name's you sound
as Jim I'm the president of the
poorest neighborhood council.
Before I get home and we're
gonna ask is folks if folks who
just keep it down during his
final public comment period we
do appreciate. Your cooperation
thank you. I do want to say
before I put my comment is I
forgot to thank LAUSD. For the
effort they did to host us in
this room here so guys in the
back thank you very much yeah
for all the work and for the-
administration of thing cool.
That allow this. Senator some
remember thank you very much
you have no idea how grateful
we are. I want to save a few
comments one is. We need you to
understand this issue is a
binary issue for us. We either
miserably failed. And this
facility stays open. Or we
succeed in this facility close.
There is no middle ground to
this question I appreciate the
counties need to have
procedures in place because
they cover a lot bigger a
domain I respect that domain
for this community. This is not
a compromise discussion this is
in either yes or no and nothing
in between. You heard it from
the community and this is the
absolute position that the
neighborhood council has taken
and as you know we have been
advocating for that closure as
we go along. And there are two
reasons for that position and
for it being too at very
adamant the two reasons have
been mentioned today but I want
to highlight. The first one is
the fact that over four months
of exposure. When the gas
company knew exactly what was
coming out of the field. They
never told me they never told
you they never told anybody in
this room you heard it from the
county which sort of mention it
as a comment as we move on we
need to stop at that comment.
And recognize that there are
certain things that are not
acceptable and certain things
that cannot be forgiven. From
my perspective on the
perspective neighborhood
council that is where we draw
the line. Because they can play
Russian roulette with their
children. Don't play it with
ours and that's the bottom line.
So. I have no idea what I
expose my children too. And I
will never know. And I have to
move on from there and
personally I have moved on from
there that's why my goal is
about a future issue not a past
issue. So they have lost the
moral right to be a neighbor.
By their deception. And that is
very clear to us. The second
issue is the seismic failure.
Now in this world that we live
in there is no zero risk I
respect that everything we do
has a risk associated with it.
But in my long straw inside
another mile long straw. Has a
significant risk of rupture in
a seismic event there is
nothing you can do to increase
the size make strength of a
straw like that. So. It comes
down to what does the state C.
as acceptable risk and what
they don't see is acceptable
risk that's what they're trying
to define the problem for us
is. This is not an acceptable
risk. Whichever way you die sit
and slice it this cannot be an
acceptable risk for community
and I'll tell you why. The
chief was talking about
emergency preparedness and
thank you for that question. I
will tell you the first thing
that the city is putting in our
heads in preparing for
earthquakes is what. Have
enough supplies to be on your
own for at least. Four to five
days because in a true seismic
event there is not enough
emergency. Responders to go to
homes and deal with people. Now
you can plan all you want when
you are in a position where you
say I do not have enough to
come to people's homes in a
significant seismic event. And
put on top of that if a silly
of this and exposure that
addition is just not acceptable
we're already dealing with a
lack of sufficient preparedness
for individual lives. And to
say that we can be prepared for
a failure of the sort it's
just. Not realistic and it's
not going to happen in that way
there's a point where you have
to look at the situation and
say it may have been okay.
Sixty years ago forty years ago
thirty years ago. Things change
there's a point to move on. We
need the state to move on to a
new paradigm and that paradigm
has to be that there is no
storage facility of this type
in urban areas down not
compatible with urban areas.
And that is the end of my
comment again so appreciate
your being here and so if
you're if you're listening to
the community. Thank you doctor
not him and thank you for
making the trip up to
Sacramento time and time again
on your own dollar. Sitting
with the governor's office
sitting with this
administration day after day
grinding it out waiting and
doing it with credibility and
respect amidst outrage thank
you Sir. Welcome. Hi my name's
doctrine or della I was the
doctor that was terminated okay
for doing the studies and I
just want to let this committee
knows first of all thank you
second of all a full report is
in due diligence right now
exposing all of the chemicals
that we know of and all of
their health risk including
phase one phase two hair
testing urinalysis for VOCs as
well as the CBC's study. That
were able to obtain. So I sat
there very quietly. And listen
to the testimony from the
department of public health and
I just have to tell you right
now that that is absolutely not
forthright. It will be all
revealed in this report. The
report will be made public. And
the report will be made public
all not only on it in a digital
format but also. In regards to
a town hall that will be
presented on September
fourteenth ask Alex may gray.
**** where it will be and what
time and we will go over the
conditions of benzene exposure
and that's just one little
thing I want to touch on. As I
listen to Dr Rangan a medical
toxicologist and I was a
graduate from UC San Diego and
UCLA school of medicine and
trained in three residencies.
It is not forthright that his
testimony talks about somebody
pumping gasoline at a gas
station. First of all we a sets
the standards Ford has chronic
exposure eight hour exposure
and one hour acute exposure now
I don't know when you know
southern California I don't
know anybody that stands there
breezy enough gasoline fumes
for an hour. At a pulp that
then runs into their doctor and
says test the benzene level and
that's not even the issue
anyways the issue is that these
gentlemen. Our smart they're
intelligent they're well
educated. But yet they
testified like they're not. And
that is wrong then it usually
means there's another venue
been seen by the way just so
everybody knows if you were
exposed to benzene alone and
not in a poly toxin situation
the majority of time it causes
no symptoms. So why would we be
looking at that for clinical
evaluation. Absolutely makes no
sense he's just one small point
though all be listed in your
report that you can hopefully
take to the governor. And
hopefully stand on the podium
of the health effects of the
community. Thank you. Thank you
Dr Dallas I would like to think
doctrine or della for being the
one physician who I know of in
this community who is
consistently puts patients
first and the care and what
data collection he was able to
gather before being severed
from his position and he he has
done yeoman's work with the
data he was able to gather
through a lot of means that
most of us in the links that
many physicians would not have.
Gone to get that set thank you
doctor not alone. I spoke
before just five seconds have
you considered how the opposite
era California Attorney General
for getting the reports. We'll
we'll we'll take that in
consideration thank you. Are we
gonna make another five second
exception. So we are going to
try to limit it to people who
haven't spoken yet okay do you
want to speak yeah do you mind
having others who haven't
spoken yet. Thank you ask a
question after okay okay we can
do that after thank you
welcome. Walker fully senior
organizer food water action I
don't have too much to say that
my colleague has already I just
wanted to share something
anecdotal with you last year I
fundraised foreign built an
independent effort to help this
community make sure that Katie
hill is represented by their
ballots we got absolutely no
help from Steve night when he
was in Congress and I'm very
thankful to see Katie hill
staff out here representing us
here and in Congress. My campus
is in that effort all got sick.
Knocking on doors in Porter
ranch it was an extensive
effort we wanted to calm the
community five times and
guarantee that we were able to
at least turn out a thousand
votes. For miss Hale. And I
didn't even think. On the first
day because I figured Ambien
exposure or you know we'll be
moving around. It's a big
environment will be fine but
reports started coming in over
but the tax threat that. People
were starting to taste metal in
their mouth they were starting
to get headaches. And I myself
after awhile was unable to
think straight anymore and that
was just from two to three
hours of walking around in the
community last year. Around
November. I note that it's not
lost on some of the people on
this panel that the health
issues are ongoing this
facility is a persistent threat
to this community it is not
just a threat to people who've
been chronically exposed but to
people who are even up here for
a few hours at a time most of
the folks who were canvassing
with us were in their twenties
to early thirties otherwise
healthy individuals with no.
Health complications to speak
up and they all got ill within
a matter of hours we had to cut
our campus is short not just on
one day but on several days
through the course of the
operation and I just wanted to
report that it is. Still very
much a threat to folks up here.
Thank you Mr Foley. Welcome
good afternoon hi my name's
Vicki Selma. I when I
personally thank senator stern
and congresswoman Smith. For
listening to us and especially
I'm sorry the rank and left. I
couldn't hear but those of us
still have to say because and
I'm thank you for. Hard
questioning him. The county
health department did fail us
so many times. Many times. I
was forced out of my home
permanently. I drove a hundred
fifty miles here. Be here today.
Each way big as I'm still sick
at I don't know what to
permanent or not and I. My I
have an environmental Dr. And
he does not agree with Rankin.
And. I tested right after that
well it was killed and many of
the things that have come up
positive and I also did Dr
north Dallas test and the
between the two of them if
you're smart and you look at it
you can figure out they had to
have come from here including
machinery bits and the heavy
metals and everything the
county health departments
protocol for cleaning. Was
horrible. I came back I was
sicker than before I left. And
I was pretty tired sick and so
was my dog immediately vomiting
as soon as we got back in the
home I called I emailed.
Everybody I knew especially in
the county health department.
And nobody responded I couldn't
stay there. I was I was just.
Deathly ill so I left and it
took two weeks for the county
health department to respond to
me can we come over and
interview your home I said are
you nuts. I'm so sick I had to
get out again. I couldn't stay
in my home it was worse. Than
before the cleaning. They did
and they the county came and
the cleaners were not following
the protocol and there were no
consequences. Not no
consequences of ever been
happen. To anybody who has done
something wrong the government.
Through everything the promises
nobody in this community has
gotten us angled dime yet.
After four years we haven't had
anybody. My eyes my
environmental doctor did test
me. And he had a very good way
of proving. That it came from a
lease out. And I could go live
at a gas station he said if I
wanted and then you get
retested and we were so
convinced that the numbers
would drop and so many of the
things that were found how do
I. Even if we don't have a
complete list which we need. I
had to have come from there
there's no other way. It
doesn't all come from a gas
station. And it's just
insulting it's insulting other
Caryl department did not come
through I was one of the ones
that. Daily filed complaints.
Even on my animals I talked to
the county health departments
vets. They said well it's the
symptom occurred before the
blow out we're not considering
it was our job basically thrown
in the circular file. That is
so wrong now that we know the
RCA we all knew what was going
on before it. We just needed
some proof and then they go and
open it before the RCA. But now
we know. And they threw all
that evidence away from our
reports. So what my dog is
vomiting right. Massively
during the blow out because we
weren't notified and we were
outside. She was sick before
too and so are my other animals
why fish were sick during that
blow out. If they they didn't
check the vet didn't care.
Nobody the county health
department carriage and I went
up the ladder and I went and I
went to the supervisors. I went
to everybody pleading for help.
Even during evacuation. It took
them two months to get me out
here. With their it was
horrible so thank you. For
questioning him thank you for
listening please go to the
governor. I helped as much as I
could get you guys voted in and
I am very proud of how you
stood up to doctor rang in
today. Consonants mess thank
you. I am I do not regret my
vote. And he's just we need to
shut down for so many reasons I
still have symptoms living
away. And some of I a permanent
hearing damage. I have my eye
sight continued every time I
got tested go down hill. Lower
and I'm an artist if I lose my
eyesight. I can't even imagine.
It is critical it's not just
about nose bleeds you are
getting cancers I product
whereas cough in different
places not to steer it staying
I was part of my lungs spot on
my liver I don't know what's
going to happen but I have for
the rest of my life to worry
about it. It's got to get shut
down it must get shot down.
Please please keep working with
the governor. Thank you we will
vacate. Hi my name's kill go he
be now I live in Porter ranch
for twelve years and I start to
high being symptoms on about
like nine years ago. On knows
breed. All kinds of stuff that
everybody's talking about. I
was super healthy and I start
and then ever since I know all.
That deficit existence of this
facility and passions of gas
and oil five years ago I start
asking questions and you know
going to that public hearing
meetings and- am I going to
have a long term house effect.
Am I going to have a cancer.
And because I didn't get any
answer on it and then brought
happened. And a four four is
the first things we heard it
was is no house effect in my
same don X. pro dead and I was
using it you know I mean I'm
I'm a brief meetings talking
about my symptoms over and over
and over again everywhere and
same thing. And in. N. asking
for on just to stop condemning
anyone it environment and do
something to help a lot hello
this crisis. In. The last five
months has being weedy
challenging I'm most of most
challenging time of my life. I
found out I have the product of
organ damage and don I was
diagnosed with the conditions
one state before breast cancer
show on it and now I'm in the
days kite is about having a
breast cancer rest of my life.
On so. I know that answer of
long term effect I know that
because I am I being experience
in a yeah on so I'm Askin again.
You guys are said to have. Your
heart S. but if you really hard
**** you should shut down like
right now there is no other way
people as you know for the sake
of our life in our house we
actually slowly dying here. So
please jot down of a city is a
B. thank you. Thank you. Hi I'm
Jayson Hector and I just want
to thank you guys for coming to
our community we really respect
you for coming to Porter ranch
and this is a great opportunity
for us to speak with you and
continue to support you and
candidates like yourselves who
care about the community who
listen to the community and-
take action. And so we will
look forward to continuing to
support you guys work with you
guys and elect more people like
yourselves into government and
so I want to thank you of just
one issue that I didn't hear
come up that I'd like you to.
Maybe talk about or think about
is this pipeline outage issue.
Because I think that's one of
the ways that they're trying to
justify keeping it open but I
know you guys are on it and
once again thank you we always
welcome you here in Porter
ranch with open arms. So much
appreciated thank you Mr actor.
Okay. My name is Jason Adleman
I've lived here eleven years
when I moved in. I smelled gas
I called the gas company and
they came out and checked
everything everything was okay.
We in America I respect the
police fire department
everybody that saves us helps
us and especially the
politicians. We live on trust.
And we trusted that a utility
company would let us know right
away. So we could evacuate not
a leak I thought it was a leak.
The utility company didn't even
follow the law to report it to
the fire department. After six
months it was deemed we need to
move. By the time that happened
all the houses were gone. Where
my gonna go it took two months
to find a place I couldn't
bring my dogs to the new place.
And they complained I had to
move back to my house. No one
in this room knows what it's
like to wake up in the middle
of the night when you have no
air conditioning the windows
are all open. In your choking
from the- gas. My house I'm so
close to it I'm like a wind
sock for it all I'm asking is
the trust that everybody in
this room has towards
politicians in the respect is
to just take this before your
people. And have it shut down.
You guys got to live with
yourself twenty years from now
if something happens. You're
going to say I tried thank you
for going up against a multi
billion dollar corporation.
That has a lot of this and
people's pockets I'm just
asking for the trust of a
retired old man. That has
asthma and trying to live out
our lives in thank you so much
for all of the people. Nurses
fire department police we don't
thank them enough they're the
first ones that come in. Thank
you so much. Thank you Sir. Hi
my name is Karen Hughes I've
lived here will be seven years
soon I have no idea when I
moved here that there was even
up there because nobody
disclosed that I think now I
try to sell have to disclose it
I happen to be a little dog and
I happen to be at the park
right down here. When it blew
out. Timing I got out of my car
and thought what is that
terrible smell. I walked the
dog I went back and told my
neighbors there's something
going on and they're like no
you can never smelled gas it
can't be a gas leak and one
okay. So needless to say again
I missed the I just basically
got here so I'm not sure what
was discussed but- I believe
they held off on telling
everybody for awhile. I have
never smoked in my life. On the
block never had any of those
issues. I within. Well a couple
weeks I started coughing a lot
had nose bleeds I had
headaches. The most annoying
thing was every time I went
outside my eyes wouldn't stop
tearing. But you know I thought.
Whatever because no one knew
how bad this was so I kept
living here and finally in
January I was diagnosed with
asthma never ever had as smoke.
Before my physician insisted
that I get relocated which I
did in a couple weeks I believe
after. The I called them. So
relocated within about a week
or so to yes No went away. And
that you know I stayed there
till they capped it and came
back home and I guess I really
didn't. React the way I should
have I didn't like about the
carpeting do all the things
that a lot of people did
because I still didn't think
well it can't be that bad you
know. And then in. April of
last year twenty eighteen I was
diagnosed with breast cancer
and I there's no cancer
anywhere in my family no where.
After three surgeries radiation
chemotherapy you know I'm still
here but you know it just you
know when I'm not obviously
young. But I am going to
continue living. As long as I
can but you know I really worry
about all this kids god only
knows what they're going to be
developing. You know as they go
on through life especially if
this place continues. To you
know. Do what they do. So you
know I ask and I guess I've
heard a lot of people would
come up here while I've been
sitting here said you guys have
been very wrists supportive.
But I just wanna let you know
that. I truly think no cancer
anywhere in my family anywhere
any side any peace person any
type of cancer not even skin
cancer. That there is a
connection. So okay thank you
thank you for your testimony
ma'am. Thank you and I know
you'll give it just a thirty
second right I'm just gonna get
one question. Basically because
in honor of my of a loved one
who just been diagnosed with
lymphoma and been seen as one
of the causes of up look almost
so on behalf of him since even
the Reagans no longer here we
want to know if. The LA county
public health or the state
department of public health has
blocked labs from giving
information to doctor no
delicacies aspirin labs you
probably heard about this
lawsuit and we think that
that's a big possibility and
he's he's going to set all this
information but he wanted more
doubt itself that's something
that maybe on if you have any
follow ups with doctor Reagan.
Or the county or the state
department help please ask okay.
Thank you that's a really good
suggestion thank you ma'am.
Thank you. I was sitting here
and listening to Mr Marshall
and he said there's a world
right now. That is having
problems they're having complex
issues with a to cap it for
less. Two three ones. And that
to me is another boat because
last few months if you go on
ghastly page people have been
saying that you're sick you
have symptoms. Sicker than
before. And I can tell you he
said he doesn't know about the
religious I can tell you
exactly what it is. It's east
to the east of the facility
because if you come in at
night. You see so many lights
there it's more than the
football you know that there's
this whole bright. And they're
working on that they have been
working on it for last two
months this is another blow up
so it's not like. What if
something else. Is going to
happen is happening. That's
what you see here. One other
thing the doctor. Talk about
this. A test them for lawsuit
and all that I wanted to know
what's in my daughter's body so
quick detox which so she could
detox. Never given that
information up to this point.
Thank you Alan thank you very
much do I make a closing
comment similar. I would just
like to thank the members of
the community who are here for
your patience you know it is
not easy I know that your
diligence and continuing to
work together to support your
neighborhood to your
communities means a lot to the
senator and myself. We hope
that we've demonstrated our
level of commitment to you by
being here today and we will
not let this drop we will not
let it go we will continue to
invite officials to appear
before us to appear before this
community until the issue is
finally resolved in this
community is ultimately safe so
we thank you for your your
ongoing patients that we
realize that that is not easy.
We think the officials who are
here testifying today we hope
that by all were inviting the
neighbors to offer testimony
but the beginning in the end
you understand. The depth of
concern that we have for this
community that moving outside.
Of this room and having these
conversations in the very
sterile Sacramento setting.
Doesn't give you the full scope
of what our what our collective
responsibility is to the people
of this community and so we
appreciate you being here first
hand. To witness that and we
hope that as we continue to
have these conversations as we
restructure dagr as we look for
the final CPUC decision. That
you take that with you and
remember that. It's more than
pieces of paper that we're
talking about it's these people
and what this community means
to us so thank you for your
participation. Thank you simply
member and I wanted to add in a
thank you to. Our incredible
staff Phil Horner Catherine
more Patti Hansen you've been
doing amazing work for both the
committees are personal staff
save your pity Jeremy wolf
chain a brown Josh currency all
the Senate. And assembly
sergeants and a technical staff
for making the long trip down
to Los Angeles in the heart of
summer on your research run
your recess. And as well as to
the administration for sitting
all the way through and I.
Secretary crowfoot literally
just walked out at the at third
before what I said but not
after what you all said so for
sitting and listening the P.
you see our county folks
everybody. You know there's a
lot of talk about. What a
transition away from fossil
fuels looks like and how how
pie in the sky and impossible
some of these dreams are that
we have of a- of a- of a green
new deal of a future that. That
doesn't make people sick and
you know you don't need to look
any further than just walking
out these doors and looking up
on that hill side to realize
that there is a- a better way
and if you can picture a future
where that hill side is not
full of gas and oil. And toxic
chemicals that could make us
sick. But a clean energy
storage facility with solar and
wind and batteries to fuel our
community so that even the next
earthquake. There still power
on because the power doesn't
shut down when the gas did we
wouldn't be relying on this gas
field and so for all the
criticisms. In dollar bill
coming your way if you don't
thank you all this meeting is
adjourned