Southern California Gas Leak Plugged

It took the utility sixteen weeks to plug a well that spewed 90,000 tons of methane gas into the air and drove residents from their expensive homes in Porter Ranch.  A massive underground storage facility--the largest in the west--owned by Southern California Gas Co sprung a leak through a well drill in 1953 for oil and converted to natural gas storage in the 1970s.  The company expects to pay $300 million or more for residents' temporary lodging expenses.  They complained of headaches, nausea and nosebleeds.  But the company's troubles are not over.  Sixty-seven lawsuits including a wrongful death action have been filed against it, and the Los Angeles District Attorney has charged the utility with a misdemeanor crime for failing to report the leak immediately to state emergency officials.