ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

Home → Environment → Environmental Issues

State of Emergency declared in California after gas leak

As we mentioned before, the largest gas leak in history is unfolding in California, but oddly enough, few people seem to care enough or understand the magnitude of what's happening.

Mihai AndreibyMihai Andrei
January 9, 2016
in Environmental Issues, News
A A
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterSubmit to Reddit

RelatedPosts

Once a form of ‘social camouflage’, school uniforms have become impractical and unfair. Why it’s time for a makeover
UN sustainability goals could be a smokescreen for further environmental destruction
Whales replicate “mythical” behavior described in ancient manuscripts
Researchers make neurons glow as they fire to record neural activity

As we mentioned before, the largest gas leak in history is unfolding in California, but oddly enough, few people seem to care enough or understand the magnitude of what’s happening. Tens of thousands of kilograms of gas are being released every hour as governor Jerry Brown has finally issued a state of emergency.

The Aliso Canyon spill. The gas spill itself is invisible to the human eye. Image via Inhabitat.

It’s quite possibly the worst environmental disaster since BP’s Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010, and it won’t be contained anytime soon – at least a few more months are needed, as workers have to drill to 2600 meters (8500 feet) to intercept the base of the well and try to contain it. So far, they’ve only dug about a third of that. SoCalGas, a unit of Sempra Energy, has also tried to contain the leak at the surface, but has had no success.

Locals have complained for months about the effects of the leak which include head aches and nose bleeds, but the long term pollution effects will likely be even more damaging. It’s impossible to estimate the environmental impact right now but it’s safe to say this is a full blown catastrophe. The relief wells will take about four months to build, and if everything goes OK (which is a fairly big if at the moment), we’ll be able to say more about the damage then.

“It’s wholly unacceptable to have a pollution source of this magnitude going for upwards of six months, which is what the projections are,” Tim O’Connor, director of California Oil and Gas at the Environmental Defence Fund, told Merrit Kennedy at NPR in December. “When you’re thinking about 50,000 kilograms per hour and the climate impact of that, it’s like running all of the refineries in California side-by-side.”

Under the newly declared state of emergency, the government can set up a new chain of command to deal with the leak and expand its monitoring of air quality and leak estimates.

ShareTweetShare
Mihai Andrei

Mihai Andrei

Dr. Andrei Mihai is a geophysicist and founder of ZME Science. He has a Ph.D. in geophysics and archaeology and has completed courses from prestigious universities (with programs ranging from climate and astronomy to chemistry and geology). He is passionate about making research more accessible to everyone and communicating news and features to a broad audience.

Related Posts

News

Coolness Isn’t About Looks or Money. It’s About These Six Things, According to Science

byTibi Puiu
3 hours ago
Archaeology

Ancient Roman Pompeii had way more erotic art than you’d think

byMihai Andrei
3 hours ago
Animals

Wild Orcas Are Offering Fish to Humans and Scientists Say They May Be Trying to Bond with Us

byTibi Puiu
4 hours ago
Clumps of gold recovered from a mine placed on a wooden table.
Chemistry

No Mercury, No Cyanide: This is the Safest and Greenest Way to Recover Gold from E-waste

byRupendra Brahambhatt
5 hours ago

Recent news

Coolness Isn’t About Looks or Money. It’s About These Six Things, According to Science

July 1, 2025

Ancient Roman Pompeii had way more erotic art than you’d think

July 1, 2025

Wild Orcas Are Offering Fish to Humans and Scientists Say They May Be Trying to Bond with Us

July 1, 2025
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Editorial Policy
  • Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
  • How we review products
  • Contact

© 2007-2025 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Science News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Space
  • Future
  • Features
    • Natural Sciences
    • Physics
      • Matter and Energy
      • Quantum Mechanics
      • Thermodynamics
    • Chemistry
      • Periodic Table
      • Applied Chemistry
      • Materials
      • Physical Chemistry
    • Biology
      • Anatomy
      • Biochemistry
      • Ecology
      • Genetics
      • Microbiology
      • Plants and Fungi
    • Geology and Paleontology
      • Planet Earth
      • Earth Dynamics
      • Rocks and Minerals
      • Volcanoes
      • Dinosaurs
      • Fossils
    • Animals
      • Mammals
      • Birds
      • Fish
      • Amphibians
      • Reptiles
      • Invertebrates
      • Pets
      • Conservation
      • Animal facts
    • Climate and Weather
      • Climate change
      • Weather and atmosphere
    • Health
      • Drugs
      • Diseases and Conditions
      • Human Body
      • Mind and Brain
      • Food and Nutrition
      • Wellness
    • History and Humanities
      • Anthropology
      • Archaeology
      • History
      • Economics
      • People
      • Sociology
    • Space & Astronomy
      • The Solar System
      • Sun
      • The Moon
      • Planets
      • Asteroids, meteors & comets
      • Astronomy
      • Astrophysics
      • Cosmology
      • Exoplanets & Alien Life
      • Spaceflight and Exploration
    • Technology
      • Computer Science & IT
      • Engineering
      • Inventions
      • Sustainability
      • Renewable Energy
      • Green Living
    • Culture
    • Resources
  • Videos
  • Reviews
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Editorial policy
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact

© 2007-2025 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.