PORTER RANCH, Calif., Dec. 23, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Attorneys from The PARRIS Law Firm and Panish Shea & Boyle LLP filed a restitution hearing brief that highlights many disturbing facts about the hazardous chemicals that SoCalGas withheld from the public and first responders. Depositions involving SoCalGas employees and documents from the investigation by the California Public Utilities Commission document dangerous levels of PCBs and uranium at Aliso Canyon.
The depositions and documents confirm that SoCalGas and its parent Sempra Energy knowingly exposed residents, homeowners and first-responders to seriously toxic and cancer-causing chemicals without giving anyone the warnings they needed to protect their families and pets.
The filing highlighted several alarming admissions, including:
- Uranium was discovered in the liquids underground near the leaking well (at levels exceeding the maximum contaminant levels set by the EPA).
- Radon was in the gas at Aliso Canyon of which there are no safe levels of exposure.
- Toxic chemical Acrolein, which is a biocide, is added to the gas. Extremely high levels of this substance was present in the homes months after the blowout.
- PCBs are in the gas leaving Aliso Canyon.
- Benzene was detected during the blowout at 100,000 ppb.
"While this news might be surprising or even shocking to the general public, it is not news at all to those of us litigating this matter," said attorney R. Rex Parris of The PARRIS Law Firm. "The employees of SoCalGas have now acknowledged what we've known for quite some time, the question is - when will SoCalGas own up to its own shameful behavior?"
According to the filing, SoCalGas never listed any of these chemical compounds in its notice to the Office of Emergency Services (OES), nor did SoCalGas ever provide any estimate of the quantity of hazardous materials involved. Many of the chemicals mentioned are known carcinogens and present at dangerous levels. By failing to disclose the known chemicals and hazards presented by the SS25 blowout, SoCalGas violated the state and federal laws requiring full disclosure of all hazardous chemical releases and the potential health impacts from that release.
The Restitution Hearing Brief case info is: People of the State of California v Southern California Gas Company, Los Angeles Superior Court, Case No. 6SC00433.
https://www.parrislawyers.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Restitution-Hearing-Brief.pdf
About PARRIS Law Firm
The PARRIS Law Firm is recognized as one of America's top personal injury, employment and environmental law firms. With a proven track record of fighting for justice on behalf of families and individuals, the firm boasts numerous seven and eight-figure verdicts and settlements. To learn more about the firm, please go to: http://www.parrislawyers.com.
About Panish Shea & Boyle LLP
Panish Shea & Boyle LLP is a nationally recognized personal injury law firm representing plaintiffs in catastrophic injury, wrongful death, product liability, mass torts/class action, sexual abuse/assault and business litigation cases. Firm attorneys serve in leadership roles in some of the largest personal injury cases against utility companies in the state including Southern California Edison (SCE), Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), and Southern California Gas Company and have obtained some of the most significant awards for plaintiffs in U.S. history including a $4.9 billion verdict in Anderson v. GM and a $800 million settlement for the victims of the Route 91 Las Vegas Mass Shooting. The firm is ranked by U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers® in the areas of Plaintiffs Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions, Plaintiffs Personal Injury Litigation and Plaintiffs Product Liability Litigation as a "Tier 1" Firm –the highest ranking a firm can receive– and among the top Plaintiff's law firms in the country by the National Law Journal.
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SOURCE PARRIS Law Firm