Porter Ranch Residents Get All-Clear To Return Home, But Some Don't Want To Just Yet

PORTER RANCH (CBSLA.com) — Displaced homeowners and businesses are relieved to hear that the methane gas leak near their Porter Ranch neighborhood was declared Thursday permanently sealed. But not many are eager to go back home just yet.

Some said they want multiple confirmations that the air is safe to breathe again, even though Los Angeles County Interim Health Officer Jeffrey Gunzenhauser said it is safe to return home.

"Once the gas is completely gone, the odorant will dissipate and will no longer cause those symptoms," Gunzenhauser said. He said air samples taken from the storage field and from neighborhoods show extremely low levels of contaminants.

Nearly 6,500 families have relocated to hotels or rental homes since the massive leak was detected in late October. They complained of headaches, nausea, dizziness and nosebleeds.

Kim LePage is among those who relocated. She moved into a rental in Sherman Oaks two months ago. But she said she will not pack up again until she knows it is safe. "I really don't know who to trust or what to believe."

LePage said she and others want samples taken inside their homes before they pack up and go back home. And that, she said, is not an easy decision. "I'm not sleeping well. This is not my home. Just symptoms of anxiety. It's impacting family life and work life."

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said Thursday that he is disappointed SoCal Gas refused to reimburse people for mental health needs or to release infrared camera footage to the public.

The mayor also said the eight-day time period families have to get reimbursed for their move home is not long enough.

"For example, parents need time to ensure children ready to change schools again. They may not be an eight-day process," Garcetti said.

LePage and her family have a lease until the end of March that the gas company will honor. But even once she is back home, her worries are not over. "What are we going to do to prevent this from happening in the future? And that's really what I want to know."

State regulators said air samples will continue to be taken daily, and a comprehensive investigation is underway to figure out what caused the leak.