Methane leak: Crews continue work on plugging Hawthorne well

Crews on Tuesday were still working on a solution to a retired well in Hawthorne that had been leaking methane gas.

Los Angeles County Fire Department Capt. Brian Jordan said a stretch of Imperial Highway would likely be closed for about an hour Tuesday as crews “mix a solution to push into the well.”

“There’s nothing coming out right now, they just have to make sure they can hold it,” Jordan said.

Thirty-seven families remain under an evacuation order, he said.

Last week, crews with Golden State Water Co. tried to plug the retired well when they stumbled on a flow of water. Tests then showed the well water had mixed with methane gas.

Officials said it is unclear what caused the leak.

“This situation and repairs have no effect on the local water supply, which continues to meet all drinking water quality standards,” Patrick Scanlon, vice president of Golden State Water Co., said Monday in a statement.

In order to control the mixture of high-pressure water and methane gas, Golden State Water Co. hired the capping company Boots & Coots International Well Control.

On Monday, they blasted 208 barrels of water under high pressure into the well spout to try and stop the flow of methane and water.

Authorities said it appeared they had the situation under control until it began leaking methane again.

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