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WVPE is your gateway to green and sustainable resources in Michiana. Sustainability is meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. This is accomplished by finding a balance between businesses, the environment, and our society (people, planet, and profit).State, National and International resources on sustainability include:The Environmental Protection AgencyThe Natural StepSustainability Dictionary45 Sustainability Resources You Need to Know Explore ways to support sustainability in the Michiana area through the Green Links Directory.Sept. 17, 2019 from 2-3:30pm"Global Warming: A Hot Topic"Sept. 17, 19, 24, and 26All sessions are from 2-3:30pmGreencroft Goshen Community Center in the Jennings Auditorium1820 Greencroft Blvd.Goshen, IN 46526The event will look at possible solutions and suffering as well as consequences beyond warmer weather. The event will examine what other civilizations have or haven’t done when faced with environmental problems. Plus there will be an exploration of the biggest unknown in the climate system: What will the humans do? Paul Meyer Reimer teaches physics, math and climate change at Goshen College. The events are presented by the Lifelong Learning Institute. The Institute can be reached at: (574) 536-8244lifelonglearning@live.comhttp://life-learn.org/

Appeals Court Gives Residents 30 Days, Not 8, To Return Home After Porter Ranch Leak

By Bill Chappell

Published March 3, 2016 at 8:12 AM EST

A woman walks to her home in Porter Ranch, Calif., last month, after state regulatory officials announced that SoCalGas Co.'s leaking well had finally been plugged.

Backing a lower court's decision that extends a grace period for people displaced by a huge natural gas leak, an appeals court says Southern California Gas Co. should pay for temporary housing for an additional 30 days, rather than the eight-day period the company had planned.

The issue centers on the time frame for residents to return to the Porter Ranch community after state officials declared the area safe to inhabit again. Last month, SoCalGas announced it had finally succeeded in plugging a leak that had spewed some 5 billion cubic feet of natural gas into the air over several months.

From member station KPCC:

"The LA County lawyers argued that some of those who have already returned home to Porter Ranch are reporting health issues, so the gas company should be forced to continue paying to house them elsewhere while officials conduct additional air monitoring to confirm there is no health threat.

"SoCalGas argued that the eight-day timeframe was sufficient because it was based on data showing that the air in and around Porter Ranch 'has returned to the typical air-quality conditions that existed prior to the leak.' "

Wednesday's ruling means that residents can remain in temporary housing until March 18.

In addition to seeking a longer period to resettle in their homes, Porter Ranch residents have been pressing state legislators to shut down the Aliso Canyon Storage Facility that was the source of the leaked gas.

Residents are also asking officials to ensure that SoCal Gas pays for cleanup costs in the area. As CBS Los Angeles recently reported, some people who returned to their homes in Porter Ranch have found "goopy residue coating their homes inside and out."

In a bulletin to residents, the Los Angeles County public health department says the oily residue isn't the result of methane and other leaked gases, but comes from recent drilling near the well.

"Residents should avoid contact with fruits, vegetables, and any surfaces that appear to be coated with an oily residue," the department says.