Protecting Our Environment
Sherman Oaks, CA – Congressman Brad Sherman wrote the members of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) urging them to reconsider plans to increase natural gas storage at the Aliso Canyon Natural Gas Storage Facility, site of the largest methane gas leak in US history.
Porter Ranch, California -- On October 23, 2015, the Southern California Gas Company well SS25 exploded at the Aliso Canyon Natural Gas Storage Facility, causing the greatest emission of natural gas and associated toxic compounds in the history of the United States. Congressman Sherman lives about as close as anyone to the site of this disaster.
Congressman Brad Sherman announced that nearly $900,000 in federal funds for projects in the San Fernando Valley have been advanced by Congressional panels.
This week the House Appropriations Committee advanced both the Interior and Financial Services federal funding bills, which included two community projects requested by Congressman Sherman.
The funds requested by Congressman Sherman are to both provide technical assistance to small businesses in the San Fernando Valley and to reduce fire risks in our region while also restoring public park land.
Washington, D.C. -- Today, the House passed S.J.Res. 14, a joint resolution that will strengthen regulation of methane emissions.
"This is an important step but more needs to be done," Congressman Sherman said of today's vote. "The Aliso Canyon blowout demonstrated the need for strong regulation of natural gas storage facilities."
Washington, D.C. – In a hearing before the House Committee on Science, Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm acknowledged the Department of Energy's duty to clean up contaminated sites, including the Santa Susana Field Lab. In response to questioning by Congressman Brad Sherman (D-Sherman Oaks), Secretary Granholm said Santa Susana Field Lab cleanup "is a priority" and acknowledged the lack of compliance with past cleanup commitments.
"As we celebrate Earth Day, we must continue to fight climate change for future generations," said Congressman Brad Sherman on Earth Day. 'If we don't act on the climate crisis now in a meaningful way, our children will inherit an economy and a world beyond their capacity to repair."
Sherman Oaks, CA – On the fifth anniversary of the Aliso Canyon gas blowout, Congressman Brad Sherman (D-Sherman Oaks) continues to push for the closure of the Aliso Canyon natural gas storage facility and to ensure that SoCal Gas is held responsible for their actions.
"We need a plan to close the Aliso Canyon facility now," Sherman urged. "We cannot wait another 7 to 15 years."
Sherman Oaks, CA– The Department of Energy and the State of California have reached an agreement to remove several contaminated structures at the Santa Susana Field Laboratory (SSFL) site in Ventura County.
"The community and I have long fought for a full clean-up of the Santa Susana Field Lab," Sherman said. "Safety must be the number one priority, including how any material is handled and ultimately disposed of."
Porter Ranch, CA – The Trump administration issued natural gas storage safety regulations over a year after they were required to by law. Worse yet, they're so bad, they are being kept secret. Americans are not allowed to have a copy of these regulations unless they pay a substantial fee to the American Petroleum Institute (API), the lobbyists for the oil and gas industry.