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Torts Keyed to Prosser
Southern California Gas Leak Cases
Citation:
7 Cal.5th 391, 441 P.3d 881, 247 Cal.Rptr. 3d 632Facts
The Southern California Gas Company (“SoCalGas”) stored vast amounts of natural gas in an underground facility near the residential community Porter Ranch. Because natural gas is odorless, SoCalGas added a nausea-inducing chemical to the gas to give people notice when a leak happens. In 2015, a massive leak occurred. A total of 100,000 tons of natural gas escaped the facility over the course of a few months. Porter Ranch residents suffered from headaches, dizziness, and respiratory problems as a result of the leak. The health department directed SoCalGas to establish a relocation program for the Porter Ranch residents who lived within a five-mile radius of the leak site. The relocation program later expanded to include people living outside the initial five-mile boundary. The relocation caused Porter Ranch area businesses to lose considerable earnings. These businesses sued SoCalGas for negligence to recover for the income they lost as a result of the leak and relocation of the area’s residents. None of the businesses alleged they suffered personal injury or property damage.
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