The California Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources (DOGGR) confirmed Feb. 18 that the well that was leaking methane at the Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) Aliso Canyon storage facility has been permanently sealed and taken out of service.

Now that the well is permanently sealed, there is no longer any gas or odorant being released from the well. As a result, residents should no longer experience short-term health symptoms related to the release of odorants from the gas well, SoCalGas reported.

Residents in Porter Ranch who temporarily relocated because of the gas leak have been notified, as have other residents of Porter Ranch and the surrounding communities. Residents who have temporarily relocated to short-term housing, such as hotels, will have up to eight days/seven nights to transition back home, and residents who have been placed in rental housing will have through the agreed term of their leases to return home. SoCalGas has provided specific information on the return process and exceptions for special circumstances.

On Dec. 4, 2015, SoCalGas started drilling a relief well to stop the natural gas leak by plugging the well at its base. On Feb. 11, heavy fluids were pumped in to control the flow of methane, and on Feb. 12, cement from the relief well was pumped into the base of the leaking well, the company said; that process was finished on Feb. 17.

Dennis V. Arriola, chairman, president and CEO of SoCalGas, said that the company will partner with state and local agencies to help the local community and impacted residents return to normal. He also said that DOGGR would now focus on determining the cause of the leak.

On Feb. 17, Reuters reported that SoCalGas entered a not guilty plea during an arraignment in Los Angeles County Superior Court in Santa Clarita, Calif., on charges that it waited three days to report the huge methane leak and on the additional misdemeanor count of illegally discharging air contaminants.

The California Air Resources Board and the South Coast Air Quality Management District have been monitoring, on an hourly basis, methane levels in the community. Both agencies have reported an abrupt decline of methane levels in the community, consistent with the temporary control of the flow of gas on Feb. 11.