Gas Leak Triggers Business Class Action Suit

Two Porter Ranch businesses filed a class-action lawsuit against SoCal Gas Co. and parent company Sempra Energy over the Aliso Canyon gas leak that has left thousands of residents displaced and the neighborhood in a state of economic disarray. The natural gas leak was discovered on Oct. 23 seeping into the air above Porter Ranch in the Santa Susana mountains, and small businesses have suffered from a lack of clientele as a result. The two businesses, real estate firm Saab Properties and family-operated Nail Garden, hope to recover damages lost during these past three months as residents have left the neighborhood in droves, as reported by the Los Angeles Daily News. The suit was filed on Jan. 22 in Los Angeles Superior Court with law firms Panish Shea & Boyle in Los Angeles and Lancaster-based R. Rex Parris Law Firm representing the plaintiffs. News of these legal proceedings follows an announcement from SoCal Gas spokeswoman Anne Silva stating the company has successfully entered the fifth and final stage of its plans to fix and seal the leaking well. The utility announced Monday that it anticipates the leak will be resolved by late February, if not sooner. “Once the well has been sealed, gas will no longer be entering the well from the reservoir, and any remaining odors associated with the leak are expected to quickly dissipate, allowing residents to return to their homes,” Silva said in a statement.