Hundreds of methane-emitting hot spots have been identified across the Los Angeles Basin, including a "clean ports" truck refueling facility near the Port of Long Beach, power plants, water treatment facilities, and cattle in Chino, according to new findings by the University of California, Irvine.
Atmospheric scientists conducted a mobile survey across Los Angeles, Orange and Riverside counties, and their results, published this week in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, identify the region's highest emitters. Methane is the second-largest known contributor to global climate change, behind carbon dioxide.
The survey was done before the Aliso Canyon gas well leak temporarily displaced thousands from their Porter Ranch homes. The findings could be used by the Southern California Gas Co. to meet orders by Gov. Jerry Brown and the state Air Resources Board to offset the gas leak by removing as much of the fast-acting greenhouse gas from the air as was emitted from the Aliso Canyon site, the researchers said.