Christmas

Temporary School Erected for Students Moved Away From Porter Ranch Gas Leak

The order will bring additional state resources to manage and investigate the leak.

The Gas Company says it will try to capture and burn off at least some of the gas that has been leaking in Porter Ranch.

The leak has forced hundreds of families to move out of their homes. The agreement between the Gas Company and regulators comes with a number of requirements, including:

  • removing the existing gas from the leaking facility as quickly as possible;
  • using an infrared camera to continuously monitor the leak;
  • paying for better air monitoring;
  • and funding a health study on the potential impacts to the community.

Hundreds of students, meanwhile, are preparing to move to a new school because of the health risk.

"It's been quite the challenge," said Robert Doyon, LAUSD maintenance supervisor.

Never has LA Unified had to do what it did in such a short amount of time over the last 21 days.

"Twenty one days ago there was nothing here but game lines and basketball hoops," Doyon said.

Doyon said the school will be home to 1,100 Porter Ranch students on Monday.

"We've moved in 32 classrooms, two restroom buildings and one office building," he said. "We literally took their stuff from their room and moved it to a room here and gave them the same room number. Just to make them feel like their stuff is here, the kid's gonna open his desk and his pencil and paper that he left in Porter Ranch is now here."

Jennifer white, a kindergarten teacher, said she had trouble with the idea at first.

"I changed my mind twice," White, said. "I didn't want to leave our community. When we heard we'd all be on the same campus, several of us began crying. I'm a crier, so yes I did. We were just happy that we could be together."

 What should have taken six months to complete, happened in 21 days. Crews worked every day since, except Christmas.

"There were hundreds of men in the yellow suits from top to bottom in the pouring rain setting everything upm" White said.

The students will be housed at the school through the end of the school year.

"Drastic measures for necessary means, I think," White said.

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