SACRAMENTO –Today, Assemblyman Scott Wilk, R-Santa Clarita, introduced a package of four bills that will protect the communities' health and citizens' rights as it relates to the Aliso Canyon Facility gas leak, and also ensure an event of this magnitude never occurs again.
Wilk's cornerstone bill, AB 1902, would double the statute of limitations for someone to file a health claim as a result of the Aliso Canyon leak. A plaintiff could take civil action, through a lawsuit, within four years after the date of injury or after they had sufficient information to confirm their injury was a result of the gas leak.
“I've sat in Alison Canyon Facility gas leak town hall meetings with thousands of concerned citizens who were told by state regulators and Southern California Gas Company executives that there would be no long-term health effects from the leak,” said Wilk. “Hopefully, that is true, but to give greater protections to my constituents, AB 1902 will double the current statute of limitations to those seeking justice in case the science is wrong.”
Wilk introduced three other bills aimed at the Aliso Canyon Facility gas leak. They include:
AB 1903 would require the Public Utilities Commission and the California Department of Public Health to jointly study the long-term health impacts of the 2015-2016 Aliso Canyon gas leak.
AB 1904 would require the Department of Toxic Substances Control to evaluate the safety of odorants currently used in natural gas storage facilities and determine whether there are other odorants that pose a lower risk to human and environmental health.
AB 1905 will initiate an independent peer review of the natural gas industry, the practice of fracking, risks and current mitigation techniques. The purpose of the review would be to evaluate the industry's standards for safety considerations.
“The Aliso Canyon gas leak has wreaked havoc on our community and has displaced families and placed economic pressures on small businesses,” declared Wilk. “This bill package is designed to ensure that never happens again to any community.”