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One of the good things about elected officials being allowed in to inspect the Aliso Canyon natural gas leak on Tuesday is that aides could shoot video where news cameras aren't given access. It's something. Here's are a couple of videos posted to YouTube this morning by Rep. Brad Sherman, the Valley congressman who recently bought a house in the Porter Ranch neighborhood, which lies downslope from the gas storage field. In the photo, that's Sherman on the right, with Councilman Mitch Englander, Assemblyman Matt Dababneh and a Southern California Gas official.
* Update: WTF? Sherman took down the videos at the request of Southern California Gas.
The news out of yesterday's visit is that Sherman and the officials said SoCal Gas should have replaced a safety valve removed years ago from the former oil well where the gas has been leaking since October. As for regulators, Sherman said “I would say they have been negligent." City Councilman Mitchell Englander said after the tour, “This is a major catastrophe...This is beyond a nuisance. This is an economic and environmental disaster.”
