A Decade After Aliso Canyon Blowout, Sherman Renews Push to Shut Down Facility

Ten years after a ruptured well at the Aliso Canyon Natural Gas Storage Facility sent a massive plume of methane and toxic gases into the air above Porter Ranch, Congressman Brad Sherman (D-Sherman Oaks) is renewing his call to permanently close the site — which he calls “a lingering threat to public health and safety.”

In a statement issued Wednesday, Sherman said families in the San Fernando Valley “continue to bear the consequences of this preventable disaster,” describing the 2015 blowout as “a catastrophe that should never have happened.”

The leak from Southern California Gas Co.’s SS-25 well lasted nearly four months and forced more than 7,000 families to evacuate. It remains the largest known release of methane in U.S. history, blanketing neighborhoods with foul odors and prompting the closure of nearby schools.

Sherman, whose home sits close to the facility, has been among the most persistent voices calling for Aliso Canyon’s closure. He said he has worked with federal regulators and local leaders to press SoCalGas for accountability and to ensure that “the community’s voice is heard at every step.”

“We owe it to the families who were displaced, the children whose schools were closed, and everyone who suffered from this avoidable catastrophe to finally shut down Aliso Canyon and move toward a cleaner, safer energy future,” Sherman said.

Since the disaster, Sherman has supported stronger safety regulations for underground gas storage and urged federal inspections to ensure compliance. He has also backed ongoing health research led by UCLA and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, which aims to assess both short- and long-term impacts of the leak.

State officials have allowed limited operations at Aliso Canyon while additional studies and legal proceedings continue, but residents and environmental groups have kept up pressure for its closure.

For Sherman, the tenth anniversary is both a reminder and a warning. The only acceptable path forward is to "close this facility once and for all.”