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California Gas Blowout Now Spewing Longer Than the BP Gulf Oil Spill
Declare the Porter Ranch Blowout a National Emergency!
Dear Alison,
FACT: The SoCalGas Porter Ranch blowout in California has now lasted longer than the BP Gulf spill.
The 2010 BP spill in the Gulf of Mexico was plugged after 87 days. Today is the 88th day of the SoCalGas Porter Ranch blowout.
We need national action: Ask President Obama to declare a State of Emergency in Porter Ranch and to direct the Environmental Protection Agency to shut down the Aliso Canyon Gas Storage Facility!
Over 12,000 people have evacuated their homes in Porter Ranch to avoid the noxious plume of methane spreading across the San Fernando Valley and causing headaches, nose bleeds and rashes.
Two weeks ago Governor Brown finally declared a state of emergency, but as the crisis continues this must be raised to a national level. We need President Obama to sound the alarm so that every resource necessary is going toward shutting down this massive blowout!
As time passes, the situation only gets worse:
- Each day the Porter Ranch blowout accounts for a staggeringly large amount of climate pollution — accounting for up to a quarter of California's daily greenhouse gas emissions.
- SoCal gas has finally acknowledged that its readings of benzene — a cancer-causing chemical — have been higher than normal at least 14 times since the leak started (after previously saying they'd only spotted higher than normal readings twice).1
- Now, as the company continues attempts to plug the leaking well, there are serious concerns about a major explosion. This risk is so high that workers aren't allowed to bring cell phones or watches onto the site to avoid causing a spark.2
Had there been a State of the Union during the BP spill, it's hard to imagine the spill not getting a mention. Amazingly, that's exactly what happened last week on Porter Ranch — Obama was silent on the blowout in his State of the Union a week ago and has yet to use his authority to help Porter Ranch. President Obama: We need you to help stop the largest natural gas leak in U.S. history.
Over the weekend, President Obama declared a national emergency to help residents of Flint, Michigan who are being poisoned by their lead-contaminated drinking water. Food & Water Watch delivered more than 27,000 petitions to President Obama last week, calling on him to make sure the people of Flint are getting the help they deserve. Now, he must help California too.
When oil was spilling into the Gulf of Mexico, it took President Obama 10 days to pledge national resources to contain the spill. It's been 88 days in Porter Ranch. President Obama: It's way past time to Shut It Down!
Thanks for taking action,
Caitlin Seeley George
Online Campaign Organizer
Food & Water Watch
act(at)fwwatch(dot)org
1. ‘An oversight': Calif. utility understated levels of cancer-causing chemical in L.A. gas leak, Washington Post, January 15, 2016.
2. Efforts to plug Porter Ranch-area gas leak worsened blowout risk, regulators say, Los Angeles Times, January 15, 2016. 
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