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 the release of second-quarter earnings earlier this month 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 have met with Gov. Jerry Brown’s staff in a campaign to permanently shut down the Aliso Canyon facility.