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State of California Department of Justice
Rob Bonta
Attorney General
Attorney General
On February 29, 2019, the California Attorney General (AG), together with the California Air Resources Board (CARB), the Los Angeles City Attorney, the County of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles County Counsel (together, County) entered into a Consent Decree with Southern California Gas (SoCalGas) to resolve litigation regarding the massive natural gas blowout from SoCalGas’ Aliso Canyon storage facility. Under the Consent Decree, SoCalGas is subject to injunctive terms and has paid $119,500,000 in mitigation, supplemental environmental projects (SEPs), civil penalties, and costs.
This page contains updates and links to information related to implementation of the terms of that Consent Decree.
As a part of the Consent Decree, SoCalGas is required to mitigate at least 109,000 metric tons of methane, which is the amount CARB estimated was emitted from the blowout. To achieve this, SoCalGas is required by the Consent Decree to pay $26,500,000 to the Mitigation Fund (“Mitigation Contribution”). The Mitigation Contribution is being invested in Mitigation Projects that are projected to achieve the required methane reductions. CARB will certify when that mitigation has been achieved.
Updates on the progress of the Mitigation Projects and relevant documents can be found on CARB's Climate Impacts Mitigation page.
Under the Consent Decree, SoCalGas has paid $45,400,000 to fund six pre-selected Supplemental Environmental Projects (SEPs). These funds will pay for a health study, electric school buses, air filtration in schools, electric Breathmobiles, and air monitoring in Porter Ranch and environmental justice communities. Additionally, the SEP Agreement provides for the establishment of the Aliso Fund. This fund will be for the exclusive purpose of funding environmental projects that protect public health and the environment and/or redress alleged harm caused by the blowout.
Updates on the SEP projects, the Aliso Fund, and related documents can be found on the Aliso Fund page.
SoCalGas must comply with a number of injunctive terms under the Consent Decree. Those include:
CPUC Aliso Canyon Well Failure
SoCalGas Aliso Canyon Natural Gas Storage Facility
Contact the Aliso Fund Committee: AlisoSettlement@doj.ca.gov
The Aliso Fund was established by the Supplemental Environmental Project Agreement (SEP Agreement). The SEP Agreement sets forth the details of six SEPs to be funded and implemented (described below) and lays the groundwork for the funding of additional SEPs. The Aliso Fund is administered by the Attorney General’s Office and overseen by the Aliso Fund Committee.
The Aliso Fund will be administered in accordance with the Aliso SEP Fund Administration Guidelines. The Aliso Fund Committee is in the process of drafting those Guidelines. The public will be invited to comment on the Guidelines before they are finalized.
Improvement of Air Quality at Public Schools in Environmental Justice Communities in the City or County of Los Angeles
($7,100,000)
This SEP funds the installation of air filtration systems in public schools in Environmental Justice Communities in the City and County of Los Angeles. The work will be overseen and carried out by South Coast Air Quality Management District (“SCAQMD”).
Updates: Funding not yet released to SCAQMD.
Enhanced Air Monitoring and Environmental Reporting in Porter Ranch and Other Locations in Los Angeles County
($3,000,000)
This SEP funds the development of a Community Air Monitoring Fund that will pay for a real-time air monitoring network and a symptom and incident reporting system in Porter Ranch and the communities surrounding the facility. A second network will be established in a yet to be determined Environmental Justice Community.
Update:
September 16, 2020 Meeting
October 21, 2020 Meeting
Los Angeles County Breathmobile Program
($2,000,000)
The money funding this SEP will be used by the County to purchase or subsidize the purchase of up to three new electric Breathmobile mobile asthma clinics and related infrastructure for use by the LAC+USC Breathmobile Program in the areas most heavily impacted by air pollution.
Update: The SEP has been funded, and the County has issued the Request for Bid. In December 2020, the County selected a vendor to build two electric Breathmobile mobile asthma clinics. Anticipated delivery time is Spring, 2022.
Purchase of Electric School Buses and Infrastructure for LAUSD and/or School Districts within the County of Los Angeles
($3,000,000)
This SEP funds the purchase of electric school buses and related infrastructure for use in public schools in in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) or other school districts within Los Angeles County that serve Environmental Justice Communities that are most heavily impacted by air pollution.
Update: LAUSD has been selected to receive the full amount of the SEP.
Study of Long-Term Health Effects of exposure to Natural Gas and its Constituents
($25,000,000)
This SEP will be used by the County for the purpose of conducting a study of the long-term effects of exposure to natural gas and its constituents, including but not limited to methane.
Update: SEP has been funded. The County Department of Public Health will oversee implementation of the SEP. The Scientific Oversight Committee and the Community Advisory Group have been formed by the Department of Public Health.
Link to additional information: Aliso Canyon Disaster Health Research Study
Lead-Based Paint Abatement in and around Boyle Heights and Maywood California
($5,200,000)
This SEP will be used to abate lead based paint from the interior and exterior of residential structures in and around Boyle Heights and Maywood, California and nearby areas.
Update: The SEP has been funded. Since October 2019, the County started the lead abatement work by conducting outreach and enrolling 97 homes for testing and remediation work. Before the program field work was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, program staff and contractors tested 44 properties and found lead-based paint hazards in 34 properties (77%). Lead-based paint hazards were remediated in 3 homes before field work had to be stopped due to COVID-19. Thirty-three properties were also in progress before the COVID-19 pandemic and will be the priority when remediation work resumes.
Starting in 2026, pending the success of the Mitigation Projects discussed above, additional funds may be added to the Aliso Fund, to be used to fund additional SEPs.
If and when sufficient funds become available in the Aliso Fund, the Aliso Fund Committee will publicize at this site the process by which entities may apply for those funds. Additional details will be set forth in the in forthcoming Aliso Fund Administration Guidelines.
Under the Consent Decree, the Aliso Fund Committee is required to prepare an annual report to the Attorney General, Los Angeles City Attorney, and Los Angeles County Counsel regarding the use of the funds in the Aliso Fund. Links to each annual report can be found below.
None to report at this time.
Each Aliso fund Committee Member serves a three-year term unless he or she resigns prior to the expiration of his or her tenure. The Committee Members’ initial term commenced on February 25, 2019 and will end on December 31, 2022.
The Aliso Fund Committee is comprised of the following members:
Jessica Brown
Environmental Justice Unit
Office of the Los Angeles City Attorney
200 N. Main Street, Room 500 City Hall East
Los Angeles, CA
(213) 978-8091
Jessica.Brown@lacity.org
Catherine Mitchell Wieman
California Department of Justice
Office of the Attorney General
300 S. Spring Street, Suite 1702
Los Angeles, CA 90013
(213) 269-6325
Catherine.Wieman@doj.ca.gov
Scott Kuhn
Office of the County Counsel
The County of Los Angeles
648 Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration
Los Angeles, CA 90012-2713
(213) 974-1935
skuhn@counsel.lacounty.gov