Letter Writing Campaign
Neighbors,
At the last city council meeting, Mayor Cruikshank expressed the need for residents to reach out to government officials for assistance. To date the city has not received any direct support either financial or otherwise from Federal or State government. It is clear that this landslide needs and deserves the full force of every state resource, including the State Geologist, Army Corps Of Engineers, and funding to continue to repair our infrastructure.
Denny and Tashia have shared letters to the Governor asking for him to support Senate Bill 1461, which would include a landslide in the Emergency Services Act. Additionally we are asking for the Governor to tour the landslide complex along with the State Geologist.
I have copied two versions of the letter below and would ask that everyone take a minute to use, or preferably personalize a letter to Governor Newsom. Tashia had an email returned and if you go to the state website, it suggests the best method to communicate is via the online form. It also says you can mail a letter, but it is not as expeditious.
I will post this on the new HOA forum, which will make finding these posts much easier. When you go to the forum be sure to follow any category you are interested in. By doing so you will get an email notification when a new post is made.
Dear Governor Newsom,
On behalf of residents in the City of Rancho Palos Verdes, I am writing to respectfully request your signature on Senate Bill (SB) 1461, which would include a landslide among those conditions constituting a state of emergency or local emergency.
Existing law authorizes the Governor of California to declare a state of emergency when certain conditions are met as a result of natural, manmade, or war-caused disasters. While catastrophic events such as wildfires, earthquakes, and floods are recognized as disasters by the California Office of Emergency Services, whether a landslide is included is ambiguous, which can bar them from the same emergency responses and resources that are available following other natural disasters.
In 1956, prior to the City’s 1973 incorporation, Los Angeles County triggered the ancient Portuguese Bend Landslide Complex while expanding Crenshaw Boulevard to Palos Verdes Drive South. As a result, the City has experienced a slow-moving landslide over its fifty years of cityhood, which had been manageable until climate-driven extreme rainfall and runoff caused the ground water table to rise significantly. This increased groundwater has dramatically changed the nature of the landslide complex, hastening the speed from two inches a year to approximately thirteen inches a week depending on the area. The Portuguese Bend Landslide Complex is known throughout the world as the fastest moving landslide in North America.
The situation in Rancho Palos Verdes is quite dire. In July, Southern California Gas Company suddenly turned the gas off to approximately 135 homes due to the instability of the land, and days after, Southern California Edison sent letters to 500 households indicating that power may be shut off indefinitely if conditions worsen. Today, SCE shut off power to 140 of these homes indefinitely.
The area is under continual land movement, which would be a South Bay regional disaster and ecological catastrophe particularly because the Los Angeles County Sanitation District’s force main line that serves the southern portion of the Palos Verdes Peninsula is threatened. In fact, on August 24, this main force line ruptured causing 10,000 gallons of a raw sewage to spill onto Palos Verdes Drive South immediately above the coastline.
Continued land movement puts local infrastructure in continuous peril for catastrophic failure and increases the likelihood of a wildfire from downed power lines in this state-designated very high wildfire severity zone. On August 29, a downed power line sparked a small brush fire in the same general area as the force main break a few days earlier resulting in temporary power shut-off. Up to this point, the City has received conflicting interpretations from the Office of Emergency Services and SB 1461 would once and for all clarify that the Portuguese Bend Landslide constitutes a state of emergency.
In addition to signing SB 1461 into law, the City respectfully requests you and the State Geologist to tour the landslide to see firsthand the destruction that is being experienced by this natural disaster. It is effecting residents and the general public especially with the closure of two public beaches and closures of approximately 10 miles of trails in the Palos Verdes Nature Preserve because of fissures and crevices.
It is absolutely critical that the City is able to take all possible measures to stem the landslide. For these reasons, we respectfully request your signature on SB 1461 and encourage you to come see the devastation for yourself.
The Honorable Gavin Newsom
Governor, State of California
1021 O Street, Suite 9000
Sacramento, CA 95814
RE: SENATE BILL 1461 (ALLEN) – REQUEST FOR SIGNATURE
Dear Governor Newsom,
On behalf of the City of Rancho Palos Verdes and residents like myself, I am writing to make you aware of a potentially devastating natural disaster that is occurring in our city. Two years of unprecedented rainfall has reactivated the largest and fastest-moving landslide in North America. Unlike other natural disasters like wildfires, earthquakes, and floods, that can potentially cause instant and irreversible devastation this is potentially avoidable; However without immediate action hundreds of homes will be lost along with an important part of our coastline .
Today 140 homeowners were issued an evacuation warning, and de-energized, in addition to no power, they have lost gas, and water service. The public utilities and city staff are fighting a losing battle, and need your help.
Existing law authorizes the Governor of California to declare a state of emergency when certain conditions are met. Landslides are ambiguous, which can bar them from the same emergency responses and resources that are critical and available following other natural disasters. Your signature on Senate Bill (SB) 1461, would include a landslide among the conditions constituting a state of emergency in the Emergency Series Act.
In addition to signing SB 1461 into law, the City respectfully requests that you and the State geologist personally tour the landslide to see firsthand the destruction that is being experienced by this natural disaster. It is absolutely critical that the City is able to take all possible measures to stem the landslide. For these reasons, we respectfully request your signature on SB 1461 and encourage you to come see the devastation for yourself.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,