Congressman Sherman Seeks Less Toxic Gas Additives

Washington DC –Congressman Brad Sherman (D-Sherman Oaks) who lives in the Porter Ranch community (site of the largest natural gas leak in history), wrote a letter to the Pipeline and Hazardous Material Safety Administration (PHMSA) urging them to help research and develop a natural gas additive that is less toxic than mercaptan. Mercaptan is added to natural gas so that it can be detected by its odorant qualities. However, mercaptan has caused health consequence to residents in the vicinity of the gas leak at the Aliso Canyon storage facility.

“Mercaptan has many benefits including its detectability by the human nose at very low concentrations, and the fact that it does not interfere with the clean and efficient use of natural gas,” said Sherman. “However the experience of the Porter Ranch community demonstrates that when exposure is prolonged, mercaptan has toxic effects that can lead to headaches, nausea, dizziness, nosebleeds, and may cause serious, lasting health consequences.”

“I would like PHMSA to use its existing research grant programs to focus on the development of an additive to natural gas that has all the benefits of mercaptan without the harmful effects.”

See Sherman’s letter to PHMSA below:

February 4, 2016

The Honorable Marie Therese Dominguez
Administrator
U.S. Department of Transportation
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
East Building, 2nd Floor
1200 New Jersey Ave., SE
Washington, DC 20590

Dear Administrator Dominguez,

My congressional district has just experienced the largest known natural gas leak in the history of our country. The ongoing gas leak includes not only methane and volatile organic compounds, but methanethiol (commonly known as mercaptan).

Over 4,000 families have been evacuated for periods of many months.

A significant portion of the health problems experienced to date have been caused by mercaptan. Mercaptan has many benefits including its detectability by the human nose at very low concentrations, and the fact that it does not interfere with the clean and efficient use of natural gas. However the experience of the Porter Ranch community demonstrates that when exposure is prolonged, mercaptan has toxic effects.

At a meeting with senior officials of your agency on January 16, 2016, I was informed that PHMSA already administers existing research grant programs. I hope you will use your existing research grant programs to focus on the development of an additive to natural gas that has all the benefits of mercaptan without the harmful effects.

Very truly yours,

Brad Sherman

Member of Congress

cc: Honorable Anthony Foxx, Secretary of Transportation