LOS ANGELES, Sept. 13 (UPI) -- Southern California Gas Company on Tuesday announced a deal with Los Angeles prosecutors to pay millions of dollars to settle a serious gas leak at one of its storage facilities last year.
The leak happened last October at the utility's Aliso Canyon facility, located near the Porter Ranch residential area in the northern San Fernando Valley, about 25 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles.
SoCalGas will plead no contest to a misdemeanor charge of failing to notify the California Office of Emergency Services and Los Angeles County Fire Department of the leak. A sentence will be handed down Nov. 29.
"Under the terms of the settlement agreement, SoCalGas will pay up to approximately $4.3 million," the utility said in a statement Tuesday.
Related
As part of the settlement, the utility will also pay a $75,000 fine, $232,500 in state penalties and $246,672 to reimburse the fire department response to the leak. Three other misdemeanor counts will be dismissed.
The settlement also mandates that several safety improvements be made by the utility.
"Today's agreement ... is another important step in our efforts to put the leak behind us and to win back the trust of the community," the utility added. "These are in addition to other enhancements that have already been instituted by the company."
The agreement was reached with the office of Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey.
"This agreement ensures that Southern California Gas Co. is held accountable for its criminal actions for failing to immediately report the leak," Lacey said in a statement Tuesday. "Going forward the protections put in place by this agreement create a safer facility for its employees, the environment and the surrounding communities."
The leak, which lasted between October and February, forced at least 8,000 residents out of their homes for months and cost SoCalGas about $500 million, the Los Angeles Times reported. The company also still faces lawsuits from many Porter Ranch residents.
