Join us on August 21 for a Community Meeting to Defend our Health and Safety

SoCal Gas is rushing a dangerous expansion of its toxic gas compressor station across the street from E.P. Foster Elementary school on the Westside of Ventura. This facility has a history of leaking chemicals harmful to children's health and has a high risk of exploding. This compressor station is dangerous and does not belong in our neighborhood! Join us for a public Q&A with Senator Monique Limón and Assemblymember Steve Bennett and various agencies involved in the controversial project.

When: Saturday, August 21, 10am to 12pm

Where: In person at the DeAnza Academy of the Arts gymnasium and online - RSVP here

Who we are:

We are a group of concerned community members and organizations devoted to environmental justice in the area of Ventura, CA known as The Avenue. We are trying to stop the expansion of a natural gas compressor station in our neighborhood. The facility is owned by SoCal Gas, the same company responsible for the Aliso Canyon natural gas blowout, and is right across the street from EP Foster Elementary School, the Boys and Girls Club of Ventura, and residences, mostly occupied by minoritized and marginalized households. These structures are all close to the "incineration zone" - the area that would be immediately incinerated if there were to be an accidental explosion at the site. Fourteen of these compressor station explosions have occurred in the USA since 2011, but they are often built on large plots of land so as to provide a buffer for safety (this one is not). Compressor stations leak harmful and toxic gases (methane and VOCs) into the air and this site is currently undergoing toxic soil remediation so that its compression capacity can be doubled, even though demand for natural gas in the city has declined in the past few years and most likely will decline sharply in the future. Learn more about the danger of compressor stations here. Take action here. Organizations involved include CAUSE, CFROG, Food & Water Watch, Ventura Climate 350, and Bike Ventura.

Why do we care?

  • Compressor Stations have been known to explode. Such an explosion could engulf nearby homes and EP Foster Elementary School.

  • This compressor station has had several leaks in the past. Compressor stations are known to leak methane, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), NOx, and other chemicals that are harmful to health and child development.

  • Long-term health effects of exposure to VOCs include loss of coordination and damage to the liver, kidneys, and central nervous system. Some VOCs, such as benzene, formaldehyde, and styrene, are known or suspected carcinogens.

  • In 2017, the site was found by NASA to be a “super emitter” of methane, one of a few sites in California that create most of the state’s emissions. Methane is a greenhouse gas known to contribute to the effects of climate change.

  • Socal Gas is planning on doubling the size of this compressor station. Work will begin as soon as April, 2021.

  • The soil remediation plan for removal of toxic contaminants from the site is not up to the safety standards we want for our community. Toxic dust from the excavation may blow over to the nearby schoolyard and homes. Contaminates include arsenic, lead, petroleum hydrocarbons, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and VOCs.

  • The cleanup is not for the safety of the community, but workers who will be expanding the natural gas compression operation. Contaminated soil, including contamination that is seeping into groundwater, will be left in place.

  • To pay for the expense of this expansion, SoCal Gas will increase rates for gas in people’s homes.

  • Producing more gas in Ventura County means more profits for gas companies and more pollution for our communities. It will not create more good, safe, union jobs in our area.

  • The community has not been properly engaged for feedback on this plan that will directly affect them. We, as the community, must be heard.

Our Demands:

  • The Department of Toxic Substance Control (DTSC) must hold a bilingual community hearing with residents that would be affected, including parents of children who attend EP Foster Elementary School;

  • There must be an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) and Health Impact Assessment of the entire scope of the cleanup and expansion project at 1555 N. Olive St;

  • Rather than expand this facility, SoCal Gas must create a plan to clean up the toxic soil and shut down the compressor station. We do not want this in our neighborhood.

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