People v. Southern California Gas Co.

The Los Angeles County District Attorney and Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas) agreed to a proposed settlement in the criminal case stemming from the 2015 methane link from SoCalGas’s Aliso Canyon natural gas storage facility. SoCalGas agreed to plead no contest to a misdemeanor violation of failing to timely report the leak. SoCalGas must pay approximately $550,000 for fines, penalty assessments, and response costs and must also install and maintain an infrared methane leak detection system, and must hire and maintain six full-time employees for at least three years to operate and maintain the system. The settlement agreement indicated that the settlement’s requirements would cost SoCalGas between $4,004,172 and $4,304,172.