A state appeals court justice late Friday temporarily blocked Southern California Gas Co.’s plans to resume injecting natural gas into the Aliso Canyon storage facility, granting a request from Los Angeles County to delay the reopening. Citing concerns that Southern California Gas Co. could resume injections as soon as Saturday, county attorneys filed an appeal Friday afternoon. State officials announced last week that Aliso Canyon would be allowed to reopen at a reduced capacity. They said new safety protocols had been implemented and that reopening the facility would increase the reliability of the energy system in Southern California. L.A. County sued state regulators and Southern California Gas Co. in March, saying they had failed to complete a “comprehensive safety assessment” and environmental impact review.

Source: Los Angeles Times July 29, 2017 01:18 UTC