By
The Associated Press
Thousands of sick families who were forced from their homes in Los Angeles, California, after the largest natural gas leak ever reported in the country, have reached a $ 1.8 billion settlement with a utility company, lawyers announced on Monday. Monday.
The deal with Southern California Gas Co. and its parent company, Sempra Energy, will compensate 35,000 plaintiffs for a leak that took nearly four months to get under control in 2015.
The Aliso Canyon leak caused the largest known methane release in U.S. history and sickened thousands of residents
who
fled
their homes near the San Fernando Valley to escape the stench of sulfur and ailments such as headaches. head, nausea and nosebleeds.
At least two dead and five injured in a leak at a chemical plant in Texas
July 28, 202100: 32
The complainants alleged personal injuries due to illness and material losses in their homes
.
SoCalGas spent more than $ 1 billion on the breakdown, with most of the money going to temporarily relocate 8,000 families.
The utility company faced more than 385 lawsuits on behalf of 48,000 people.
"Our goal has always been to obtain justice for the men, women and children that SoCalGas failed in every moment of this catastrophe," attorney Brian Panish said in a statement.
The plaintiffs contend they suffered personal and property damage after
a natural gas storage well failed and released nearly 100,000 tons of methane and other substances into the atmosphere uncontrollably over 118 days.
[No one heeded his notices about a gas leak and now it is late. The explosion could have been prevented]
Sempra and SoCalGas denied any wrongdoing, plaintiffs' attorneys said.
A company spokesman did not respond to a request for comment.
Demonstrators in gas masks attend a hearing on January 16, 2016, on the largest known methane leak in the United States.Richard Vogel / AP
State regulators found that the gas company failed to investigate previous tank ruptures at the storage site
and failed to properly evaluate its old wells to prevent potential disasters prior to the October 23, 2015 leak.
SoCalGas reached a $ 120 million settlement with the state attorney general and agreed to a $ 4 million deal with Los Angeles County prosecutors, after being convicted in Los Angeles Superior Court for failing to promptly report the leak to state authorities.
