Los Angeles County public health officials will hold a community meeting Thursday night to provide residents with information about environmental testing conducted in homes affected by the Porter Ranch gas leak.
The county Department of Public Health announced last week that its tests determined there were no airborne contaminants in the homes, but surface dust contained “low levels of metal contaminants” that are consistent with those found in “well-drilling fluid,” suggesting they came from the leak at the Aliso Canyon natural gas storage facility.
“These metals do not pose long-term health risks but can cause respiratory and skin irritation and could be contributing to symptoms reported by residents,” according to health officials.
In response to the results, the agency recommended a “comprehensive cleaning” of household surfaces, thorough ventilation of homes to flush out contaminants, regular replacement of heating and air-conditioning filters and proper maintenance of air purifiers. Health officials also issued a directive that Southern California Gas Co. foot the bill for such cleaning, but the utility is objecting.
A court hearing on the issue is scheduled for Friday.
Earlier this week, officials with the county and SoCalGas filed a joint statement in Superior Court, agreeing that a court order requiring the utility to continue providing temporary housing for Porter Ranch-area residents affected by the leak be dissolved.
However, the sides are still at odds over exactly when residents should be required to move back to their homes.
Executives at SoCalGas — which is footing the bill for residents’ temporary housing — have proposed that residents return home by the end of this weekend, while the county counters that the utility should first clean the inside of residents’ homes and give them another five days after the clean-up to move in. Residents not interested in the cleaning would have until May 27 to move home under the county’s proposal.
The joint statement filed with the court asks that a judge review the proposals and issue a decision.
The Porter Ranch gas leak began Oct. 23 and was capped Feb. 18.
During the leak, temporary housing has been provided to roughly 8,000 families and the utility has installed 38,000 air filtration systems and cleaned public parks, playgrounds and schools, according to the utility. SoCalGas attorneys said last month the utility was paying about $1.8 million a day to provide the temporary housing for about 2,600 residents still in temporary housing.
—City News Service