Erin Brockovich lends star power to legal fight over huge California methane leak

The environmental activist, portrayed by Julia Roberts in the 2000 film, lives just 20 miles from the leaky gas storage well: 'I call it the BP oil spill on land'

Erin Brockovich sat in an empty hall, awaiting hundreds of people who would soon stream in from a cold California night seeking answers and reassurance, and gave a sigh of familiarity.

"I've been doing this for 20-plus years and I've learned that it won't get better - it'll get worse, and they'll need to know that Superman is not coming to rescue them."