The Los Angeles Metropolis Council’s Guidelines, Elections and Intergovernmental Relations Committee voted on Wednesday, March 17, to advance a decision calling for the closure of the Playa del Rey pure gasoline storage facility.
The decision was launched by councilmembers Paul Koretz and Mike Bonin, whose district consists of the Playa del Rey web site.
Positioned at 8141 Gulana Ave., the ability is owned by Southern California Gasoline Co. and sits a couple of miles away from Los Angeles Worldwide Airport, Loyola Marymount College, residential neighborhoods and high-tech enterprise campuses in Playa Vista.
A 2018 examine from the California Council on Science and Know-how confirmed the location “stands out as a facility with comparatively greater threat to well being and security than the opposite amenities in California.”
Whereas it has a comparatively small gasoline storage capability, the ability is offering round 1% of the overall pure gasoline storage throughout California, and but “has a protracted historical past of loss-of-containment incidents and is positioned close to a big inhabitants heart in a really excessive wildfire hazard zone,” in accordance with the examine. A excessive threat of tsunami and wildfire makes the ability harmful to the well being and security of residents within the space, the examine mentioned.
However SoCalGas mentioned in a letter despatched to the committee that “every of our wells has undergone complete checks and we use industry-leading know-how and practices in our operations, together with new metal internal tubing in each lively properly, distant, real-time strain monitoring system for all wells and every day patrols and real-time steady methane screens at each storage injection/withdrawal properly to observe for leaks.”
The positioning serves a number of amenities resembling UCLA, Scattergood Electrical Producing Facility, LAX, Hyperion Water Therapy Facility, and the Port of LA.
“With out our storage fields, many noncore clients within the Los Angeles Basin, together with electrical turbines and important amenities, would have been curtailed,” in accordance with the letter.
Nonetheless, the decision mentioned residents of communities adjoining to the location have “expressed considerations concerning the operations of the gasoline facility and its impacts.” State companies have “did not justify continued operations of the Playa del Rey gasoline facility within the face of the appreciable and documented dangers to the neighboring group and to an airport,” in accordance with the decision.
The catastrophic 2015 gasoline leak at Aliso Canyon — which launched greater than 100,000 metric tons of methane into the air and compelled 1000’s of residents to evacuate their houses — began about 30 miles from Playa del Rey. Nonetheless, it alarmed many residents and group leaders there, making them ponder whether an identical gasoline leak might occur close to their houses.
Throughout Wednesday’s assembly, dozens of residents of each communities urged councilmembers to cross the decision.
Alexandra Nagy, California director for Meals & Water Watch, mentioned it’s “commendable that Councilmember Mike Bonin did his homework and investigated the issues with the Playa del Rey storage facility and listened to his constituents who’re calling for the closure of the Playa del Rey storage facility.”
She added, “that’s the kind of management that Aliso Canyon surrounding group wants from Councilmember John Lee and they don’t seem to be getting it.”
In 2019, Lee introduced a resolution, calling state companies to “speed up a everlasting closure plan for the Aliso Canyon.”
A consultant for Lee’s workplace mentioned his decision has not been scheduled but however is predicted to be heard quickly.
