Move slowly on Aliso Canyon

In the wake of the Aliso Canyon methane leak — the largest such leak in U.S. history, which temporarily displaced 8,000 families — what’s wrong with using some common-sense caution before reopening the facility?

Sen. Henry Stern (D-Canoga Park) has proposed doing just that. His bill — SB 57 — would not allow the Southern California Gas Co. to start reinjecting gas into its underground natural gas storage field until an independent study determines exactly what caused the well failure and massive leak.

That independent study, called a rootcause analysis, was ordered by state gas regulators and the California Public Utilities Commission in December 2015. It’s supposed to answer critical questions, such as how the massive leak happened and whether there are enough protections in place to prevent another one. At a hearing last month, a CPUC official said the root-cause analysis is the “ultimate level of safety.”

However the study won’t be completed until the fall, at the earliest, and SoCal Gas doesn’t want to wait that long to restart operations. State regulators could allow the facility to reopen any day. SB 57 would ensure that doesn’t happen without the root cause determination. But the bill has been blocked by Stern’s fellow Democrats.

This week, Sen. Ben Hueso (D-San Diego) yanked SB 57 off the agenda of the Senate Energy Committee, which he chairs. Hueso’s committee had offered amendments — proposed by SoCal Gas — that would have gutted the bill. Stern rejected the amendments and Hueso pulled the item.

Hueso must not keep stalling the bill. The fate of Aliso Canyon is far too important.

Some residents in Porter Ranch continue to suffer health effects they believe are linked to Aliso Canyon emissions. L.A. County health and fire officials say that SoCal Gas and state regulators have not yet demonstrated that Aliso Canyon is safe to re-start. The county has sued the state to block the reopening until the root cause analysis is completed, along with a new emergency response plan and an analysis on how to protect wells in the event of a major earthquake.

But SoCal Gas and business groups continue to warn that Southern California runs a risk of gas shortages and power outages as long as Aliso Canyon is closed. Last year, state energy officials warned the region could experience up to 14 days of rolling blackouts in the summer if power plants couldn’t use gas stored in Aliso Canyon. There were none.

Both sides raise legitimate points, but Stern’s bill includes a provision allowing the governor to order Aliso Canyon back into service if there is a true gas shortage. That emergency provision helped mollify L.A. utility executives and city officials.

The leak was dangerous and disruptive. Lawmakers ought to be extremely cautious in deciding whether to let the facility reopen.