Residents recently complained of odors in Los Angeles' Porter Ranch neighborhood nearly two months after workers capped a massive methane leak in the nearby hills.
The Los Angeles Times reported that local air quality regulators received dozens of complaints Wednesday amid worries of another blown well in the Aliso Canyon oil field.
Nearby air monitors found elevated methane concentrations nearby, but inspectors did not personally detect any odors and found no evidence of a problem at the Southern California Gas Co. The issue remains under investigation.
The initial leak was discovered in late October and continued to spew thousands of tons of methane — a potent greenhouse gas — over some four months as workers drilled down to plug the leak.
(AP Photo)The odorous gas additives caused illnesses among nearby residents, and thousands were evacuated as state and local officials declared states of emergency.
Environmental groups, meanwhile, said that the leak was the worst man-made disaster in the U.S. since the 2010 BP oil spill.
Prior to this week's odor complaints, an attorney representing residents told the Times that symptoms persisted if they returned home for even brief periods of time. SoCal Gas officials said recently that more vapors were released during maintenance work.
An appeals judge, meanwhile, last week again extended the evacuation period — during which the utility must pay relocation costs — to April 27 at the earliest.