The Rancho Palos Verdes City Council Wednesday urged Gov. Gavin Newsom to help about 135 households affected by an ongoing gas shutoff due to land movement that began over a year ago.
Mayor John Cruikshank sent a letter to the governor requesting a state of emergency be declared to make public and individual financial and in-kind assistance — such as from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers — available to the community. The letter requested permitting requirements be waived or suspended for projects to help impacted residents.
Council members voted Tuesday night to extend the city’s existing local emergency in the area of the land movement.
On July 29, despite protests from residents and city officials, Southern California Gas cut off natural gas service to 135 homes in the city’s Portuguese Bend community due to concerns about the land movement.
Gas company officials said the area “continues to experience significant new land movement damaging roads, homes and further threatening the safety of SoCalGas’ infrastructure.”
Land movement has increased following the heavy rains that impacted the area starting in the spring of 2023.
The city also said in an update Tuesday that Southern California Edison has warned customers “that, due to land movement, it may discontinue electricity in the future, if conditions warrant.”
Residents spent the first weekend after the gas shutoff hustling to find propane and electric alternatives so they could stay in their homes, according to the city. Officials did not order evacuations because no gas leaks have been detected, but they requested a delay to give residents more time to secure gas alternatives.
“There are residents with babies, and some with elderly spouses in diapers who need access to hot water,” the city said at the time.
The utility, however, would not relent. SoCalGas did announce that it is providing all impacted customers with $2,500 to help them secure alternatives.
“We know this is difficult for the community, especially given the current uncertainty about future natural gas service and the continued land movement,” SoCalGas Senior Vice President and Chief Infrastructure Officer Rodger Schwecke said in a statement. “We want to help our customers meet some of their immediate needs, whether that’s laundry or meals, or to help residents with longer term appliance choices.”
Since spring 2023, the city has seen a significant increase in movement that has resulted in roadway damage and the red-tagging of two homes that were damaged severely enough to be dangerous to inhabit. The land movement has also caused water and gas distribution pipes to break, displaced sanitary sewer collection pipes and made utility poles lean.
SoCalGas officials said the utility has already relocated more than 600 feet of pipeline due to the land movement, and installed an isolation valve to quickly shut off gas in the community in the event of an emergency. The company has also stepped up leak inspections, although none are known to have been reported.
Residents impacted by the land movement were invited to a briefing by government officials on Thursday from 2-8 p.m. at the Ladera Linda Community Center at 32201 Forrestal Drive. The event will feature Los Angeles County services, state agencies, nonprofits and emergency preparedness resources.