A portion of the money ($1 million) will also be used for an independent health study that will be conducted on potential health impacts from the 2016 gas leak. The leak is considered the largest natural gas leak in U.S. history, which forced the relocation of more than 2,200 households in Porter Ranch for months.
In addition to the study, $5.65 million will pay for emission fees related to the leak, $1.6 million will reimburse the district for air monitoring costs and $250,000 will go toward legal fees.
Despite SoCalGas stating methane levels are now normal at the facility, dozens of residents still complain of getting sick after they returned home. The district continues to monitor methane gas levels at the facility as well.