Press Release: SoCalGas Continues Campaign to Expand Leaky Methane Compressor

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 25, 2023

CONTACT: Haley Ehlers, haley@cfrog.org, (805)263-7408

Ignoring Community Pleas, SoCalGas Continues Campaign to Expand Leaky Methane Compressor Station in Low-Income Ventura Neighborhood

SoCalGas continues to commit environmental injustice.

VENTURA, CA — After years of community opposition to the expansion of a toxic methane compressor station on Ventura Ave — which is sited across the street from an elementary school — SoCalGas submitted a new application to the California Public Utilities Commission today. The application includes none of the community’s requested changes to the project.

SoCalGas’ purported compressor station “modernization” project was initially submitted as part of the company’s 2022 rate adjustment case. The West Side Clean Air Coalition (WCAC), in alliance with community groups including Patagonia, Food and Water Watch, CAUSE (Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy) and CFROG (Climate First: Replacing Oil & Gas), successfully lobbied the CPUC to move the compressor station project to a separate application, which was introduced today.

“Our message to SoCalGas and the CPUC is simple: our community is united in opposition to expanded fossil fuel infrastructure in our community,” said Haley Ehlers, director at CFROG, member organization of Westside Clean Air Coalition. “In 2017, NASA labeled the Ventura compressor station as a ‘super emitter’ of methane. These leaks emit climate-warming greenhouse gasses and can be toxic to nearby children and families. SoCalGas wants to treat one of Ventura’s lowest income neighborhoods as a dumping ground — it’s an egregious environmental injustice. SoCalGas should know: the community is united and we’re not going anywhere.”

Led by the Westside Clean Air Coalition, the community has three requests of SoCalGas and the CPUC:

1. An environmental impact report on the proposed project which includes health and safety considerations for the students and families in the project area — the facility is notoriously leaky and nearby families and school children have complained of nosebleeds, headaches, and the smell of gas in the air.

2. Continued consideration of alternative sites for the compressor station, specifically sites that are not located in proximity to homes, schools or healthcare facilities. WCAC and allies successfully lobbied CPUC to include alternative sites in the next decision-making process. The consideration of alternative sites must be independent and thorough — unlike internal reports completed by SoCalGas — which deemed the current site, across the street from an elementary school, most well suited for the project. 

3. No expansion of the methane compressor station and/or a feasibility study of an all-electric facility, given local municipalities move to all-electric building codes.

In 2022, SoCalGas was fined $10 million by the CPUC for using ratepayer dollars to oppose climate action. For more information or to get involved with WCAC visit: https://westsidecleanair.org/

Letter from County of Ventura Planning Division to SoCalGas, September 19, 2022

Yesterday, Dave Ward, Planning Director for the County of Ventura Planning division, sent a letter to the California Public Utilities Commission correcting several errors in the "environmental assessment" done by Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas) for their own project earlier this year. SoCalGas is using this self assessment to to justify their plan to install brand new methane compressors across from an elementary school in Ventura. These errors are a reminder of why it is so important to have an _Independent_ CEQA review by the PUC of these plans.

SoCalGas's self-assessment is like a fox inspecting the henhouse fence. “Our children's lives are worth more than this error-ridden self-justification of a report masquerading as an "environmental assessment." We need a fully independent CEQA review.

September 19, 2022

President Alice Reynolds

California Public Utilities Commission

505 Van Ness Avenue

San Francisco, CA 94102

SUBJECT: Clarification Regarding the Alternatives Analysis for the Devil’s Canyon

Road Site in the Southern California Gas Ventura Compressor Station

Modernization Project Feasibility Study dated March 2022

President Alice Reynolds:

The County of Ventura (County) Planning Division coordinates with State agencies and

neighboring jurisdictions to review and comment on projects that could affect the

unincorporated area of Ventura County. This letter is provided regarding the Feasibility

Study of Potential Alternatives in the Ventura Compressor Station Modernization Project

(Feasibility Study), published in March 2022 by the Southern California Gas Company

(SoCalGas). The Feasibility Study included analysis of the County’s zoning ordinance

and the Ventura County Save Open Space and Agricultural Resources (SOAR) Initiative,

as it pertains to the Devil’s Canyon Road Site that is not consistent with the County’s

actual land use rules. This letter clarifies that the County’s existing General Plan and

zoning ordinance authorize the development of public utilities at the Devil’s Canyon Road

Site. In addition, the project would not implicate, let alone be inconsistent with, the SOAR

Initiative.

Project Characteristics

According to the Feasibility Study, compressor stations are required to provide the

pressurization needed to move gas through transmission pipelines which is then stored

or used for consumer uses or electricity generation. The existing Ventura Compressor

Station was originally constructed in 1923 with the current equipment installed in the

1980’s. In 2021, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) requested that

SoCalGas prepare a feasibility study to replace the existing facility. As part of this study,

SoCalGas was required to identify and evaluate alternative sites. Ten sites were

evaluated and five were dismissed as they did not meet all of the evaluation criteria. The

Devil’s Canyon Road location was included in the final five to be further reviewed. The

site is located at 600 West Shell Road near the City of Ventura in unincorporated County

(Assessor’s Parcel Number 060-0-310-165); further, the site is located within a highly

disturbed area previously used for oil production.

The Feasibility Study identifies the Devil’s Canyon Road site as being located on a 336-

acre parcel with a General Plan land use designation of Open Space and Non-Coastal

Zoning Ordinance (NCZO) designation of Open Space (OS). On page 199, the Feasibility

Study identifies the OS zone as allowing for “generally passive uses, including

preservation of natural resources, managed production of resources, outdoor recreation,

and areas requiring special management due to hazardous or special conditions (e.g.,

earthquake fault zones, unstable soil areas, flood plains, high fire severity areas), among

others.” It then states that the “the selection of the Devil’s Canyon Road Site is not

consistent with existing land use and zoning for the on-site location to facilitate the types

of operational uses required by the project. In addition, the underlying land use of the

compressor station site is included in the County of Ventura Measure C, SOAR Initiative—

2050.” On page 200, the final Evaluation and Score section for Devil’s Canyon Road also

states that the operational components would be located on parcels with zoning that does

not support industrial and/or manufacturing uses and that the site is further constrained

by inconsistencies with the SOAR Initiative.

Analysis of County Regulations

Land uses in unincorporated Ventura County are governed by the General Plan and

zoning ordinances. The SOAR Initiative, which is included in the General Plan, applies to

proposals to re-designate lands that are currently designated as Open Space, Agricultural

Exclusive or Rural, and also applies to proposals to amend the General Plan policies

pertaining to these land use designations.

Public Service/Utility Facilities Use Category in the Non-Coastal Zoning Ordinance

NCZO Section 8105-4, includes a permissible land use category called “Public

Service/Utility Facilities” that allows public utilities in the OS zone. The OS zone has eight

main purposes, primarily for the preservation of natural resources, outdoor recreation,

and limiting urban sprawl/confining urban development, and the managed production of

resources including but not limited to forest lands, rangelands, recharge of groundwater

basins, and areas containing major mineral deposits. Because a natural gas compressor

station operated by SoCalGas would be a public utility, it is expressly allowed in the OS

zone.

The Table shows an excerpt from NCZO Section 8105-4 and that “Public

Service/Utility Facilities” are allowed within the OS zone through a Conditional Use Permit

(CUP).

Save Open Space and Agricultural Resources Initiative

The SOAR Initiative was most recently adopted by Ventura County voters in 2016. It

generally only applies to proposals to re-designate land that is currently designated as

Open Space, Agricultural Exclusive or Rural in the General Plan, and to proposals to

amend the policies applicable to these General Plan designations to allow for more

intensive land uses within these designated lands.

As stated above in the zoning analysis, the compressor station, as a public utility, is

expressly allowed in the OS zone. There is also currently “vertical consistency” between

the site’s OS zone and its existing Open Space General Plan land use designation. The

Devil’s Canyon Road Site would not require a land use re-designation under the General

Plan, and so the project would not implicate the SOAR Initiative. Consequently, the

project would be consistent with the existing General Plan which includes the SOAR

Initiative.

Analysis of State Regulations

While the County’s General Plan and NCZO authorize a compressor station as a "public

service/utility facilities," it is also necessary to look to the California Public Utilities Code

(PUC) to determine if there are preemptions of local authority for a compressor station

that would be owned and operated by SoCalGas. A "public utility" is defined by the PUC

Section 216(a)(1) to include "every common carrier, toll bridge corporation, pipeline

corporation, gas corporation, electrical corporation, telephone corporation, telegraph

corporation, water corporation, sewer system corporation, and heat corporation, where

the service is performed for, or the commodity is delivered to, the public or any portion

thereof." Moreover, according to PUC Section 216(b) carriers and corporations that fall

within the definition of a "public utility" are "subject to the jurisdiction, control, and

regulation of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC)." SoCalGas falls under

the state definition of a public utility and is subject to the jurisdiction, control, and

regulation of the CPUC, therefore the project could be authorized by the CPUC without

authorization by the County. Section 5.2.1 in the Feasibility Study also discusses the

overarching authority of the CPUC to preempt the need for local discretionary permits.

Conclusion

The Feasibility Study inaccurately characterizes the regulatory environment, local zoning

conditions, and the SOAR Initiative with respect to the alternative analysis for the Devil’s

Canyon Road Site. Local regulations could allow the compressor station on the Site.

Moreover, the CPUC is the lead agency in permitting a SoCalGas compressor station

and therefore a local land use permit would not be required for this project.

If you have any questions about this letter, please contact me at 805-654-2481 or

Dave.Ward@ventura.org.

Sincerely,

Dave Ward, AICP

Planning Director

County of Ventura Planning Division

Letter from California Public Utilities Commission to SoCalGas, August 20, 2021

This is the full text of the letter sent today, August 20, 2021 from Rachel Peterson, Executive Director of the California Public Utilities Commission to Scott Drury, Chief Executive Officer of Southern California Gas (SoCalGas). The original pdf of this letter can be downloaded here. Key lines of the letter have been bolded to highlight the instructions to halt further planning.

August 20, 2021 

VIA E-MAIL 

Scott Drury, Chief Executive Officer 

Southern California Gas Company 
555 West Fifth Street 
Los Angeles, CA 90013-1011 

SUBJECT: Ventura Compressor Station 

Dear Mr. Drury: 

Thank you for the Data Request 5 (DR-5) response submitted by Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas) on August 6, 2021 and your letter of August 13, 2021. 

This letter memorializes SoCalGas’ commitment to meaningfully engage the public by more fully discussing SoCalGas’ plans for the Ventura Compressor Station in a public forum. This approach will increase community engagement and may lead to the incorporation of community interests into SoCalGas’ plans. The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) also looks forward to reviewing a more detailed feasibility analysis of potential alternative sites and equipment configurations. 

While SoCalGas is performing more detailed feasibility analysis of alternative sites and configurations, the CPUC requests that SoCalGas halt further planning and procurement for the Ventura Compressor Station modernization project. Until SoCalGas completes all additional review that SoCalGas has committed to do in the DR-5 response, it would be premature to commit to costly purchases. 

To be clear, the CPUC expects SoCalGas to continue with soil remediation work as planned in accordance with the Department of Toxic Substances Control’s (DTSC) requirements.

Sincerely, Rachel Peterson
Executive Director

cc: President Marybel Batjer, CPUC
Commissioner Martha Guzman Aceves, CPUC
Commissioner Clifford Rechtschaffen, CPUC
Commissioner Genevieve Shiroma, CPUC
Commissioner Darcie L. Houck, CPUC
Edward Randolph, Deputy Executive Director for Energy and Climate Policy, CPUC
Terrie Prosper, Director, News and Outreach Office, CPUC
Allison Brown, Public Advisor, CPUC
Senator Monique Limón, District 19
Assemblymember Steve Bennett, District 37
Meredith Williams, Executive Director, Department of Toxic Substances Control
Laki Tisopulos, Air Pollution Control Officer, Ventura County Air Pollution Control District
Sofia Rubalcava, Mayor, City of Ventura
Mike Johnson, Councilmember, City of Ventura
Service Lists to A.17-10-007/A.17-10-008, A.21-05-010, A.21-05-011, R.20-01-007

Letter from California Public Utilities Commission to SoCalGas, August 5, 2021

This is the full text of the letter sent today, August 5, 2021 from Rachel Peterson, Executive Director of the California Public Utilities Commission to Scott Drury, Chief Executive Officer of Southern California Gas (SoCalGas). The original pdf of this letter can be downloaded here. Light formatting has been added for highlighting the two sections of the letter

August 5, 2021 
VIA E-MAIL 
Scott Drury, Chief Executive Officer 
Southern California Gas Company 
555 West Fifth Street 
Los Angeles, CA 90013-1011 

SUBJECT: Ventura Compressor Station 

Dear Mr. Drury: 

As you are aware, there has been considerable public concern about the safety and air quality impacts from the Ventura Compressor Station modernization project. During recent public comment periods at California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) Voting Meetings, for example, we heard numerous callers from the Ventura County region express these concerns This public outcry raises questions about how Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas) conducts community outreach and incorporates community interests into its plans. 

It is imperative that SoCalGas understand the importance of responding to community concerns. We expect SoCalGas to work with the community, including representatives from the City of Ventura, to explore solutions to their concerns. 

Commission staff transmitted the attached request for data and information to SoCalGas on July 23, 2021. The request is for SoCalGas’s analysis of alternatives for the compressor station project, including SoCalGas’s analysis of engineering, sites and locations, and the compressor station’s role in the pipeline system. 

SoCalGas’s response to this request is due Friday, August 6, 2021. Commission staff will post SoCalGas’s response on our website at https://www.cpuc.ca.gov/industries-and-topics/natural-gas. 

The CPUC also expects SoCalGas to fully explain to the community its plans for the project. The CPUC expects SoCalGas to hold a public forum to present (1) full analysis of all options considered for the compressor station upgrade, (2) the basis for rejecting all alternatives, including but not limited to electric compressors for all or part of the project, (3) all alternative sites that were considered and SoCalGas’s reasons for rejecting them, and (4) an explanation of how this project factors into both local and statewide safe and reliable service and the state’s decarbonization efforts. Letter to Scott Drury re Ventura 

This public forum should be held prior to any next steps in procurement and planning that may occur in accordance with SoCalGas’ construction schedule. Additionally, SoCalGas shall address public concerns at this public forum to provide robust community engagement and respond to any additional questions from community members. Please send your outreach plan to the CPUC’s Public Advisor, Allison Brown (Allison.Brown@cpuc.ca.gov), in the News and Outreach Office three weeks prior to your event to ensure adequate notice and robust outreach to all local governments. 

Sincerely, 

Rachel Peterson 

Executive Director 

cc: President Marybel Batjer, CPUC 

Commissioner Martha Guzman Aceves, CPUC 

Commissioner Clifford Rechtschaffen, CPUC 

Commissioner Genevieve Shiroma, CPUC 

Commissioner Darcie L. Houck, CPUC 

Edward Randolph, Deputy Executive Director for Energy and Climate Policy 

Terrie Prosper, Director, News and Outreach Office 

Allison Brown, Public Advisor, CPUC 

Senator Monique Limón, District 19 

Assemblymember Steve Bennett, District 37 

Meredith Williams, Executive Director, Department of Toxic Substances Control 

Laki Tisopulos, Air Pollution Control Officer, Ventura County Air Pollution Control District 

Sofia Rubalcava, Mayor, City of Ventura 

Mike Johnson, Councilmember, City of Ventura 

Service Lists to A.17-10-007/A.17-10-008, A.21-05-010, A.21-05-011, R.20-01-007 

CPUC – ENERGY DIVISION 

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GAS COMPANY – DATA REQUEST 5 

RE: VENTURA COMPRESSOR STATION 

DATE REQUESTED: JULY 23, 2021 

DATE DUE: AUGUST 6, 2021 

1. JPL NASA detected methane emissions on October 16, 2017, at or near the Ventura Compressor Station site. Please provide details of the incident, including, but not limited to the questions below: a. Where did the leak or venting of methane occur? 

   b. Did any sensors (including air/emissions monitoring and/or pressure-loss sensors) get activated? 

   c. Was it a blowdown purge? (Evacuating trapped gas when shutting compressor station.) 

   d. How often does SoCalGas have to purge the blowdown stack? 

   e. If it wasn’t a blowdown purge, what caused the incident? 

   f. What equipment was leaking? 

   g. What measures were taken to fix the methane leak? 

   h. What activities were performed at the Ventura Compressor Station on about October 16, 2017. Please include a list of all Operation and Maintenance on that date 

2. Please provide specific analyses of technical feasibility, costs, metrics, and engineering constraints that were conducted for considering the use of electric-driven compressors. If no formal analysis was done, please explain in detail why not and what barriers exist to using electric compressors at this site.

   a. SoCalGas has stated that one reason it decided not to use electric compressors was the local risk of public safety power shut-off (PSPS) events. If electric compressors were used and the power went out for an extended period, can the La Goleta storage field provide enough withdrawal capacity and/or pressure to keep gas flowing to customers at a rate sufficient to avoid a widespread need to relight customer pilot lights? If so, how many hours/days could La Goleta supply adequate gas/pressure? 

   b. Can back-up electricity generation be installed at Ventura to support electric-driven compressors during PSPS events or other outages e.g., batteries, hydrogen fuel cells, or natural gas fuel cells? Can a dedicated and/or redundant electric line be brought into the compressor station to ensure continued service during a PSPS event? 

   c. Is it possible to install a hybrid half-electric, half-gas driven compressor configuration in Ventura, similar to what is planned for the Moreno Compressor Station?

   i. What horsepower are the proposed gas and electric compressors at Moreno Compressor Station? 

3. Do the existing compressor safety devices have dual-system controls (electronics and air pneumatic)? Would the new compressors have the same safety devices and controls as the old compressors, fewer safety devices and controls, or more safety devices and controls? 

4. Are there any other sites where this compressor station could be located while still providing its essential functions? If so, please explain in detail what the relative pros and cons are for the alternative site(s) compared to the existing site. If not, please explain in detail what barriers exist to locating this compressor station elsewhere. 

5. Please provide a map of pipelines going into and out of Ventura Compressor Station that includes the pipeline numbers, diameter, and maximum and minimum operating pressure. 

6. Does the Ventura Compressor station play a role in directing flow into different converging pipelines? If so, would relocating the compressors affect operations for directional flow management? 

7. What are the logistical requirements and cost for relocating Ventura Compressor Station to a different site. 

8. Please provide the estimated combined noise decibels for the new compressors compared to the existing compressors.