Sen. Barbara Boxer said today she and fellow California Democrat Sen. Dianne Feinstein have asked President Barack Obama to convene a multi-agency task force to address issues around the Aliso Canyon gas leak.
Boxer, who will not be seeking re-election after her fourth term, made the announcement at Los Angeles City Hall during a presentation honoring her career.
The senators are asking that the task force be headed by the Energy Department, Boxer said
The task force would “address the serious issues related to the gas leak at Aliso Canyon and the Porter Ranch community,” Boxer said.
“I met with the people there. I know how nervous they are about returning to their homes,” she said. “What I want to say is I feel very good about this president. I feel he may well do this, and we will know if it’s safe for people, if that plant can operate safely. And we can’t rest until people are safe in their homes. So we are going to keep fighting together.”
The leak from a Southern California Gas Co. well at the Alison Canyon storage facility was discovered Oct. 23. It was stopped on Feb. 11, and officially declared sealed on Feb. 18.
Fearing health problems from the leaking gas, thousands of residents moved out of the area and into temporary housing funded by the Gas Co. According to the utility, around 2,600 residents remain in temporary housing, costing SoCalGas about $1.8 million a day.
