Overview
- The Aliso Canyon leak was discovered on Oct. 23, 2015 and became the largest U.S. methane release, with an estimated 109,000 metric tons emitted.
- Roughly 8,000 homes were evacuated as the leak persisted for 112 days before being stopped.
- The storage field, operating since 1973, can hold up to 86 billion cubic feet through about 115 wells and is the nation’s second-largest facility of its kind.
- Settlements included $8.5 million paid to air quality regulators and a separate 2021 agreement of $1.8 billion to compensate more than 35,000 plaintiffs.
- After a state appeals court lifted a hold and regulators approved, SoCalGas resumed limited injections while health concerns, fault-related risks, and federal safety scrutiny continued.