There is an uncontrolled natural gas leak in the Porter Ranch community at Sempra Energy’s and Southern California Gas Company’s Aliso Canyon natural gas storage facility. It is affecting thousands of people in Porter Ranch and the surrounding communities. A report dated November 20, 2015, by the California Air Resources Board shows that the leak has been emitting methane at the rate of about 50,000 kilograms per hour, accounting for about one-quarter of all methane emissions in California. One sample collected by the air board in front of a local home detected methane at 616 parts per million — about three hundred (300) times above typical background levels of 2 ppm, whereas another had elevated levels of benzene, a carcinogen. Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGasCo) claims it first discovered this leak on October 23. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health was not made aware of the leak until October 28, 2015. SoCalGasCo has not been able to stop the leak, and as of December 1 was saying it would now need to drill a so-called "relief well", a process that is estimated to take four months.

The Los Angeles County Department of Health has stated that one of the chemicals being released into the air by SoCalGasCo is Mercaptan, which is an intentional odorant added to natural gas. The Los Angeles County Department of Health says the following about Mercaptan: “Mercaptans…pose a health threat to the community, including short-term neurological, gastrointestinal, and respiratory symptoms that may result from inhalation.” Common health complaints which have been made by local residents to date include nausea, dizziness, vomiting, shortness of breath, and headaches. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health states that, “These health complaints [by local residents] are consistent with inhalational exposure to "Mercaptans".

The Department of Health also ORDERED Southern California Gas Company to offer “free, temporary relocation to any area residents affected by odors from the Aliso Canyon site.” However, as of November 27, despite 690 inquires requesting relocation, only 132 families actually had been relocated.

This page provides various resources to more information about what is happening. This law firm already has filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of Porter Ranch residents and those in the surrounding communities, regarding the loss of enjoyment of their properties and damages. click here to view the filed lawsuit. If you are interested in learning more about a lawsuit for your personal damages, or your family’s damages, please fill out the information on the right side of this page and email it. Alternatively, if you have information about the leak you would like to share but wish to remain anonymous, that too will be respected.