Southern California Gas Co. agreed to a $4-million settlement Tuesday to end a criminal case filed by Los Angeles County prosecutors over the utility’s handling of the massive gas leak near Porter Ranch last year. The gas company will pay $232,500 in state penalties on top of that fine and $246,672 for the fire department's response to the leak. "This agreement ensures that Southern California Gas Co. is held accountable for its criminal actions for failing to immediately report the leak," L.A. County Dist. Full coverage: Porter Ranch gas leak »The settlement agreement includes a host of safety measures that go beyond what is already required by state and local laws. Under the settlement, the gas company agreed to hire six full-time employees to monitor those detection systems over the next three years.

Source: Los Angeles Times September 13, 2016 18:54 UTC