It’s not enough.

That’s what many Porter Ranch residents expressed Thursday night about a $1 million health study that was presented in early draft form to them by officials with the South Coast Air Quality Management District.

About 100 people packed the Porter Ranch High School auditorium to listen to options and give their opinions to help guide the final scope of the study, to be overseen by local air regulators. Officials with the AQMD said the goal of the study will be to examine unexplained health symptoms that were reported during and after the massive gas leak that began in 2015, when 100,000 metric tons of methane spewed from a well above Porter Ranch in the Aliso Canyon gas fields.

Among the options proposed is an assessment survey on about 100 people who have experienced serious health symptoms. The assessment would have some details about each person, but the option would leave no additional funding for testing and may be limited in scope, AQMD officials noted in their draft.

Another option is to use data already collected a year ago by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. That includes samples of pollutants collected in some homes as well as reported health symptoms. If the option is selected, some funds may be left over to do additional testing, AQMD officials wrote.

But both options were deemed inadequate by some residents because they failed to address the top concerns, including the toxicity of the air and what was in the natural gas itself besides mercaptan odorants. Mercaptan is an odorant mixed with natural gas that smells like rotten eggs so leaks can be quickly detected. It’s unclear what the long-term effects of such odorants are. Residents have said they are concerned about cancer.

“I think one of the things we need to know is why did the AQMD settle for $1 million?” asked Sandi Naiman, who has been a Porter Ranch resident for 36 years. “That’s a drop in the bucket. We need researchers to find out what were the chemicals in the gas. The odorants don’t begin to consider the toxins in the well.”

The $1 million health study is funded through an $8.5 million settlement reached in February between Southern California Gas Co. and the AQMD. Air quality regulators sued in 2016 after the massive natural gas leak at SoCalGas’ Aliso Canyon natural gas storage facility.

The amount allotted for the health study drew sharp criticism from Los Angeles county health officials, local residents and politicians, who argued $1 million was not enough to examine the range of health problems area residents have experienced since one of 115 aged wells at the underground facility began spewing tons of methane into the atmosphere for more than three months in October 2015.

Thousands of people temporarily left their homes in Porter Ranch, the community just below Aliso Canyon.

RELATED STORY: 2 years after a gas leak filled the air over Porter Ranch, what’s next for Aliso Canyon?

Residents said they continued to suffer from headaches, nausea, dizziness nosebleeds, and other health issues long after the well was capped in February 2016. Some have filed lawsuits saying toxins from the natural gas complicated existing illnesses that resulted in deaths.

Los Angeles County health officials said an adequate study to measure long term effects would cost upwards of $40 million. But the study has yet to be started.

Philip Fine, the deputy executive officer of the AQMD, said he was unable to answer the question about the legalities of the settlement, but told the crowd he understood they wanted more answers.

“It’s what we have to work with,” he said of the funding. AQMD officials said the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health would assist in conducting the study.

In October, local physician Dr. Jeffrey Nordella released results of his own independent health study on about 100 patients and found high levels of uranium, lithium and a synthetic chemical used to make plastics present in the urine and hair samples of residents who live near the gas field.

RELATED STORY: Porter Ranch residents exposed to Aliso Canyon gas leak have uranium, lithium and other chemicals in their bodies, health study shows

Officials with SoCalGas have said the health study funded through the settlement was consistent with a commitment made with the AQMD in 2016.

They also have said the company has implemented new layers of protection against leaks, including injecting and withdrawing natural gas only through the inner metal tubing of approved wells — instead of through both the tubing and the casing. State regulators have so far deemed about half of the wells in the fields safe to operate.

Some residents agreed with the higher cost of a deeper study ($40 million as estimated by county health officials), saying they deserved a more comprehensive examination of their present health problems and if they are in danger of developing anything worse.

Matt Pakucko, the co-founder of the group Save Porter Ranch and a 10-year area resident, called the AQMD’s proposed draft “white washing.”

“We need a health study based on the real issues, not on this silly stuff. Give the community the $1 million and let us do it ourselves,” Pakucko said to applause. “We don’t trust you. We don’t trust the AQMD governing board. We don’t trust Los Angeles County Public Health. Let us take care of business.”

The AQMD held the meeting to collect input from the community. At least 30 people signed up to speak during the evening meeting.

In January, the agency is expected to complete compiling comments. After several meetings with advisory groups, which include a member local residents and others, as well as other protocol, a final plan is expected to be approved later next year.