Los Angeles – Today, on the ten year anniversary since the Aliso Canyon gas storage facility became the site of the largest methane blowout in US history, survivors and advocates continue to demand that Governor Newsom shuts down this dangerous facility that still poses a massive risk to the community. 

Patty Glueck, a community member, said, “It’s shocking that this facility is still in existence, given the health, seismic, and fire risks it presents for the 1.8 million residents of the San Fernando Valley. The gas storage site exists only as a cash cow for SoCalGas executives to make millions in salary and bonuses and is not needed for energy reliability.”

Helen Attai, a community member, said, “The past decade has been profoundly difficult for me and my community. Those of us who became involved as community activists did so not by choice or because we had nothing else going on in our lives, but because we believed our voices were needed. But, no one was willing to listen. These years have taught me painful lessons about trust and governance. I’ve witnessed all government agencies, leaders at every level — from Governor Gavin Newsom to our local city councilman John Lee — prioritize politics over people’s wellbeing. I’m being honest about where I am: angry, disappointed, sick and exhausted. My family and I developed new health issues during this time. A decade focused on advocating for our community’s health, something I deeply care about, is time I can never recover. It is 10 years that I will never get back.

“This 10-year anniversary brings overwhelming emotions and painful memories and a bad case of PTSD. The experience has taken a real toll. I cannot believe that this monstrous facility is still open so close to so many homes, schools, shopping centers, and medical offices.”

Kyoko Hibino, Co-Founder of Save Porter Ranch, said, “Ten years after the Aliso Canyon gas blowout, our community is still paying the price for government inaction, medical unpreparedness, and corporate denial. The Los Angeles County Health Department’s public presence gave false reassurance while offering no guidance or medical communication — leaving women, children, and sensitive populations to fend for themselves in the aftermath of toxic exposure, as government officials allowed polluters to continue harming our community instead of protecting it.”

Andrea Vega, Southern California Senior Organizer, said, “It has been ten years since these community members’ lives changed forever because of this devastating gas blowout. In that time we’ve had two Governors, many CPUC commissioners, and countless broken promises. While Governor Newsom has certainly also been backsliding during this session, when it comes to shutting down the Aliso Canyon gas storage facility for the health and safety of the surrounding community, he has always failed to be the leader that we need. Under Governor Newsom’s watch Aliso Canyon has repeatedly been expanded, with no pathway to closure in sight.”

On Sunday, October 26, survivors of the Aliso Canyon gas blowout and advocates will also be hosting a town hall to mark the 10 year anniversary. 

At the town hall, residents and survivors will hear from researchers working on a recent UCLA health study assessing the short- and long-term health impacts of the gas blowout and recently published a study finding that women who were pregnant at the time of the blowout had babies with low birth weights at rates almost 50% higher than normal.

Residents will also be calling on neighbors to use a new tool to track and monitor any future leaks.