La Goleta natural gas storage field may see some regulation changes under new permanent rules introduced by the Department of Conservation (DOC) on July 8.
These new rules will replace the strict emergency regulations placed on gas storage facilities in February, following a massive methane leak at Aliso Canyon in Los Angeles County. Those emergency regulations required daily leak checks at every well in every gas storage facility in California (about 350 wells)—a standard maintained in the DOC’s new permanent rules.
The DOC’s new rules will affect all 14 underground gas storage facilities in California, including La Goleta in Santa Barbara County. The proposed regulations include:
- • Daily inspections of gas storage wellheads using leak-detection technology.
- • Stringent standards for well construction, implementing new requirements for tubing, packer, and sub-surface safety valves.
- • More frequent testing (every two years) to ensure well integrity.
- • Risk management plans for well fires and blowouts, hazardous material spills, explosions, natural disasters, geologic hazards, and emergency responses.
The DOC is collecting public comment on its preliminary regulations until Aug. 11 at 5 p.m. The department is also conducting public comment hearings on Aug. 9 at the Natural Resources Building Auditorium in Sacramento, and another on Aug. 11 at the Hilton hotel in Woodland Hills.
This article appears in Jul 14-21, 2016.