View this article online: https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/west/2016/08/05/422442.htm

Estimated Cost of Southern California Gas Leak Reaches $717M

Southern California Gas Co. reported that costs related to the massive leak of natural gas from its Aliso Canyon storage facility near Los Angeles have risen to $717 million.

The new estimate is contained in Thursday’s release of second-quarter earnings by San Diego-based parent Sempra Energy.

The previous estimate in May was $665 million.

The gas leak reported Oct. 23 at Aliso Canyon spewed an estimated 107,000 tons of methane over 16 weeks.

Some 8,000 families were uprooted from nearby suburbs as foul-smelling gas wafted over neighborhoods, triggering complaints of headaches, nausea, nosebleeds and other symptoms.

Scientists say it was the largest-known release of climate-changing methane in U.S. history.

Area residents met with Gov. Jerry Brown’s staff Wednesday in a campaign to permanently shut down the Aliso Canyon facility.

Related:

• Toxic Metals Found in Los Angeles Homes Near Gas Leak: Study
• California Gas Leak Follows Years of Lax Regulation of Aging Storage Wells
• Gas Leak Forcing Southern California Residents to Flee Neighborhood
• Emergency Declaration from California Governor for Sempra Gas Leak
• Sempra’s ‘Don’t Worry’ Be Gassy View on Leak Not Going over
• Southern California Gas Co. Pleads Innocent in Methane Leak