LA County Supervisor candidates tackle Porter Ranch gas leak, 710 Freeway gap at debate

PASADENA >> The largest gas leak in U.S. history, the 710 Freeway gap and homelessness were among the issues that took center stage Wednesday night at a Los Angeles County District 5 supervisorial debate in Pasadena.

The top six candidates vying to fill the seat of outgoing Supervisor Michael Antonovich gave concise answers on a range of issues asked by board members of the Los Angeles League of Conservation Voters. The one-hour televised forum at the Neighborhood Unitarian Universalist Church was moderated by ABC7’s Marc Brown.

• Photos: LA County Supervisor candidates debate in Pasadena

All but one candidate — educator Darrell Park — opposed a tax increase or fee to get homeless people off the streets and provide them with services. Only one candidate, state Sen. Bob Huff, expressed strong support for closing the 4.5-mile 710 Freeway gap while the others expressed strong disapproval of continuing the freeway via a tuel or said other things could be done to alleviate traffic.

All the candidates talked tough when asked what Southe Califoia Gas Co. should do to mitigate “the significant climate change impact” that resulted from a nearly four-month natural gas leak at the Aliso Canyon storage facility near Porter Ranch. Several in the audience shouted “Shut it All Down” while holding up placards with the same message.

Candidate Elan Carr, a criminal gang prosecutor, said the Gas Co. has to “make it right” and “spend the considerable resources that it would take to clean up the air and clean up the environment.” If elected, Carr said he would make sure facilities are inspected and that there’s a system in place to take care of people in crises.

“It took two months before anyone woke up and took care of the families who are suffering (from the fumes) — that is unacceptable,” he said, referring to the thousands of households that temporarily relocated from the area.

Los Angeles City Councilman Mitchell Englander said the Gas Co. “was grossly negligent” by operating wells that had erosion and said they “could have avoided this.” He argued that the Gas Co. has effectively been policing itself and complained that the state’s Division of Oil, Gas & Geothermal Resources (DOGGR) is a regulatory agency “without teeth.”

“What we really need to do is update the rules and regulations,” Englander said. “We’ve got to shut it down. We can’t allow these in our community.”

Huff, R-Diamond Bar, said he toured the Aliso Canyon oil and gas field in December and was among those who asked the goveor to declare a state of emergency, which he did in January. Huff, a businessman, also co-authored an urgency bill with Sen. Fran Pavley, D-Agoura Hills, that’s moving through the state legislature that calls for a moratorium on injecting at the site until all the wells are inspected. No injections are currently taking place.

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The Califoia Public Utilities Commission and DOGGR are cooperating better than they have previously, he said, and the leak “is a wake up call.”

Ara Najarian, a Glendale councilman, said the Gas Co. should act to reduce methane that’s being emitted from other sources, such as agricultural fields and landfills.

“They should go to each and every one of the homes in Southe Califoia, each and every one of their residents and customers and offer them rebates on low-use natural gas appliances,” he said. “That’s the only way we can make up for everything that’s already in the air.”

Park, who is also a budget specialist, took a much different approach. “Shut it down,” he shouted to applause. “Shut it all down.”

“We do not have a regulatory structure that protects our kids and our old people,” he said.

Kathryn Barger, chief deputy supervisor for Antonovich, said there is “no doubt” that people at DOGGR and the PUC were “asleep at the switch” with regard to the leak.

The Gas Co. has “failed miserably” in not only addressing the leak but the families that had to relocate, she said.

“This is far from over,” she said. “We don’t know what the long term health implications are for the people living in Porter Ranch.”

While she believes Pavley’s bill will go far to address accountability at the state level, she said the wells in Santa Clarita and Montebello must also be addressed.