Southern California Gas Co., the utility that owns a natural gas storage well that has been leaking since November, faces criminal charges over the leak and its alleged delay in alerting authorities to the problem.
Los Angeles County prosecutors have charged the company with three misdemeanor counts of failing to report the leak from Oct. 23 to Oct. 26, as well as one misdemeanor count over the leak itself.
The company could be fined up to $25,000 for each day it didn't alert authorities, and $1,000 for each day the leak continued, the L.A. District Attorney's Office says in a statement.
The leak at the Aliso Canyon natural gas storage facility began in late October. Since then, it has been releasing massive quantities of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, as well as trace amounts of chemicals such as the carcinogen benzene. The leaking gas also contains odorants that cause nausea, headaches and nosebleeds, affecting residents of nearby Porter Ranch.