1 minute
SACRAMENTO –Today, Assemblyman Scott Wilk's, R-Santa Clarita, Assembly Bill 1903 unanimously passed the Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee. AB 1903 would require the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) to conduct an independent scientific study on the long-term health effects of chemical exposure during the Aliso Canyon natural gas leak.
“Since October 23rd, 2015, the Aliso Canyon gas leak has caused a great deal of concern and fear to the communities surrounding the natural gas storage facility,” said Wilk. “It is imperative the areas affected by this leak receive a thorough, independent study to fully understand the long-term health impacts.”
This study would be focused on the health of individuals who lived within a 12-mile radius for the period between October 23, 2015, and the date when the Department of Conservation, Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources (DOGGR) determines their well safety review is complete. The chemicals that researchers would be instructed to study would include methane, benzene and mercaptan.
This bill would require the Public Utilities Commission to publish and transmit its reports and its findings to the appropriate policy committees of the Legislature on a biennial basis until the year 2028.
AB 1903 will be heard next in the Assembly Appropriations committee.