Sacramento Natural Gas Storage will meet a vital regional need ensuring public health and safety with enhanced energy security, and added economic benefits (including jobs) - without adverse impacts to the community.

Health and Safety
The proposed Sacramento Natural Gas Storage project is committed to a high level of safety. City, County, State and Federal regulatory agencies will ensure the safety of the project construction and ongoing operations.

There is still gas remaining in this existing field today.

Sacramento Natural Gas Storage proposes to store processed clean natural gas, in the existing gas field, and will replace some of the natural gas taken out by Union Oil in the 1980s. 

Sacramento Natural Gas Storage will be a safe and simple operation 

• Storing natural gas underground is a long-established practice (since World War II) with hundreds of facilities safely operating all over the country.
• Operations will be similar to when the Florin Gas Field was safely supplying gas in the 1980s.
• Sacramento Natural Gas Storage will use cutting-edge technology and proven safety procedures and it will be strictly regulated and monitored by the California Public Utilities Commission.
• The existing natural depository is located far underground, well below the water table and underneath a thick layer of solid cap rock.
• Gas will be stored in a layer of permeable, porous sandstone, somewhat like a sponge since there is no oxygen present in this layer of sandstone there is no risk of explosion. There is gas existing in this sandstone today.
• The geology of the dry gas underground storage field is seismically stable.

The Sacramento Natural Gas Storage project conducted a series of comprehensive safety studies to confirm the scientific and geologic integrity and viability of the storage reservoir and to ensure public safety. In addition, the SNGS project is currently undertaking a comprehensive and thorough Environmental Impact Report (EIR) on the project. Summaries of the safety studies conducted to date are provided below and can be downloaded in their entirety.

Proponent Environmental Assessment (PEA) Public Health and Safety Section (prepared by EIP Associates, a division of Atkins, formerly PBS&J)  The purpose of the PEA is to provide an adequate level of information to the CPUC to assist in determination of impacts that may be of concern and to facilitate preparation of a California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) document. The analysis conducted for this PEA indicates that no aspect of this project (as proposed with mitigation) would cause a significant and unavoidable impact on the environment.

Safety Record Study (prepared by International Gas Consulting)  
The study examined the safety operating history of all the depleted gas fields and water aquifer natural gas storage projects throughout the country that were operating during 1976-2006.

Contemporary Safety History of Natural Gas Storage Facilities (prepared by Sierra Energy and Risk Assessment, Inc.)  The incident data reflected a complete absence of casualties and very modest total property damage over a period of nearly four decades during the period 1970 to present.

Gas Migration Opinion (prepared by Ryder Scott Company, Petroleum Consultants) 
An assessment was made to determine the potential for gas migration in the Florin Gas Field.

Gas Migration Review Comments (prepared by John F. Matthews, Jr., Consulting Petroleum Engineer)    
A technical and professional review of migration issues raised in GAS MIGRATION, Events Preceding Earthquakes, and applicable relevance to the Sacramento project was performed to identify comparable seismic, geological and associated mathematical models on forecasting natural disasters.

Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) released April 2009     The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) is the state regulatory agency with the primary responsibility for reviewing the proposed project under the California Environmental Quality Act. The CPUC assessed potential impacts for 12 issue areas and 79 specific potential impacts. The CPUC has determined that 76 of the 79 have "no impact" or a "less than significant impact" including:

The project will be operated safely and in accordance with stringent and
continuous regulatory oversight. The CPUC's own independent study provides strong and convincing evidence confirming that the project can be operated safely.

EIR Access
A copy of the EIR is available for review in the SNGS office. A CD can be provided upon request. Copies of the EIR can also be obtained at City of Sacramento libraries, and the CPUC.  Call CPUC representative Eric Chiang at
(415) 703-1956 for assistance.

1. Colonial Heights Library (4799 Stockton Boulevard)
2. Sacramento Public Library (828 I Street)
3. Southgate Public Library (6132 66th Avenue)
4. www.cpuc.ca.gov/environment/info/dudek/sngs/sngs_home.htm
5. www.sacnaturalgas.com