
(credit: Jeremy Buckingham)
Southern California Gas recently told California’s air regulator that it wants to fix the damage done by one of its leaking natural gas storage wells, which ultimately released tens of thousands of tons of methane into the atmosphere. That is, as long as making things right doesn’t cost too much.
In a proposal sent to SoCal Gas earlier this month (PDF), the California Air Resources Board (CARB) outlined sustainability projects that the utility could undertake to compensate for the pollution caused by the massive leak. Some of the projects that CARB suggested included reducing methane emissions from agriculture facilities like dairies and waste treatment plants, which are notorious for how much methane they belch; promoting sustainable energy initiatives by replacing old water heaters or subsidizing zero-emissions vehicles; and addressing “orphan” environmental issues that no company bears a responsibility for, like cleaning up abandoned oil wells.
Two weeks later, the gas company responded (PDF), saying that it would prefer to count its methane emissions using a more relaxed standard than the one CARB used in its proposal.