Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Movement

UPDATE 12/10/2024  

SoCalGas is continuing to explore short- and long-term solutions to safely reconnect customers’ natural gas service on the Palos Verdes Peninsula when land conditions make it safe to do so. We understand that this remains a difficult situation for some residents.

SoCalGas recently determined that localized conditions in the immediate vicinity of three homes located in the City of Rolling Hills and one home located in the Seaview neighborhood are currently posing a significantly lower risk of land movement. After determining that those homes could safely accommodate a temporary natural gas solution, SoCalGas on Nov. 22 offered to install temporary compressed natural gas (CNG) pods to serve those homes. Those homeowners had already installed alternative energy sources. SoCalGas is continuing to evaluate reconnection options on a location-by-location basis.

We have been encouraged that the Palos Verdes Peninsula has recently seen a significant deceleration in the rate of surface land movement in the vicinity of dewatering wells. However, the land movement impacting the Peninsula remains dynamic. The City of Rancho Palos Verdes in mid-November reported that, "the landslide complex as a whole is still moving approximately 25 times faster than it was two years ago."

SoCalGas’s Gas Engineering and Integrity Management staff continues to work with third-party experts to conduct geohazard threat evaluations for the affected areas of the Palos Verdes Peninsula. This includes the recent installation of a GPS survey monitoring program which will provide further data regarding the nature and extent of the localized land movement impacting the Peninsula.

SoCalGas has also installed two isolation valves in the City of Rolling Hills, which would allow us to safely manage the flow – and possible isolation – of natural gas service should gas service resume.

Although SoCalGas does not presently know when it may be able to safely restore gas service to the impacted homes, SoCalGas will continue to look for opportunities for localized restoration. SoCalGas is proactively working to determine what conditions in addition to land movement stabilizing are needed to allow restoration of service in the impacted areas. The conditions being evaluated are focused on the infrastructure fitness, isolation valves, pressure monitoring, and automatic shutoff options. SoCalGas will include this in its operational process for safely re-pressurizing the pipelines where natural gas has been removed. Further, SoCalGas is collaborating with other utilities on their efforts to monitor the land movement and is incorporating that information into its analysis.

HOW TO REACH US

For customer service inquiries, please contact us at 1-877-238-0092 or email us at projectinfo@socalgas.com.

If you suspect a natural gas leak, please don’t wait - call us immediately at 1-800-427-2200

FAQ

What areas are affected?

• The land movement in certain areas of the Palos Verdes Peninsula remains dynamic and SoCalGas is actively monitoring conditions as they evolve. We understand this remains a difficult situation for the community.
• Communities there sit on top of a geologically active zone, which consists of four active landslides impacting the Palos Verdes Peninsula. Although Rolling Hills and Rancho Palos Verdes are separate and distinct municipalities with different geographical locations, the two cities are similarly impacted by the four active landslides.

Will service be restored?

• Unfortunately, we do not know when it will be safe to restore service in these areas but will continue to evaluate our ability to serve impacted homes.  
• SoCalGas continues to coordinate our work with City leaders, public safety agencies and others responding to the ongoing land movement.  
• SoCalGas personnel will inform the community and contact customers when restoration of service is safe to operate our infrastructure.  

Could additional areas require gas service shutoffs?

• Unfortunately, we do not know. Parts of the Palos Verdes Peninsula continue to experience significant new land movement damaging roads, homes and further threatening the safety of SoCalGas’ infrastructure.
• SoCalGas continues to take steps to minimize the impacts to natural gas service caused by land movement, where possible. However, if we identify potential safety concerns with the natural gas infrastructure serving your community, SoCalGas may be required to turn off natural gas service to protect public safety. If service shutoffs are required, we will notify you as quickly as possible.
• SoCalGas will continue to coordinate with first responders, city officials and third-party experts monitoring and responding to dynamic land movement conditions.  
• SoCalGas will also continue to provide updates to customers and local city officials on its efforts to safeguard natural gas infrastructure for customers.

Why is this happening now?

• The land movement in certain areas of the Palos Verdes Peninsula remains dynamic and SoCalGas is actively monitoring conditions as they evolve.  
• SoCalGas technical and operational personnel, and third-party experts, have been closely monitoring land movement in the Palos Verdes Peninsula. Beginning in approximately November of 2023 and through the winter season, heavy precipitation in the area resulted in increasingly active land movement which has been continuing.
• The movement, which may be moving up to 4.5 feet per month in some areas, has significantly compromised the safe operation of the natural gas pipelines serving certain areas in the Palos Verdes Peninsula.
• Recent geological hazard surveys have shown that pipelines located within the active landslide area are experiencing a high degree of stress due to the ground disturbance and a recent water main break demonstrates the strain on buried infrastructure such as our natural gas infrastructure.
• Further, based on geotechnical data recently obtained by SoCalGas, multiple sections of underground gas pipeline within the affected area of the City of Rolling Hills, including in the location of the recent water main break, are within an active landslide area that is exhibiting a high degree of ground movement from differential land movement. This data indicates that SoCalGas’s infrastructure in the area is presently under significant stress caused by a high degree of land movement.
• In addition, performing daily leak surveys are not adequate to act as a predictor to identify a potential pipeline breakage within these geologically active areas.
• A gas main line break in the Seaview community of RPV on August 30, 2024, necessitated shutting off gas service to 23 homes using a shutoff valve that SoCalGas installed due to land movement in the area. This main break, caused by sudden tensile overload, resulted in about 5 inches of separation between the broken ends of the line.
• Of note, SoCalGas was performing daily leak surveys in this area. However, there were no gas leaks detected prior to the sudden main break, so leaks do not seem to be predictive of larger main breaks.
• Areas impacted only have one pipeline to feed them and lack alternative means to deliver natural gas that would avoid the landslide zones.
• These observations and assessments made by our personnel require that we discontinue service to these areas to promote the safety of the community.    
• SoCalGas regrets the need to shut off service at this time and is continuing to monitor the ongoing land movement in the community with the intent of restoring gas service if and when it may be reasonably safe to do so.

Will I receive financial assistance for having my service disconnected?

• SoCalGas will be donating $50,000 to the Palos Verdes Peninsula Rotary Foundation to help establish a relief fund for residents impacted by recent land movement in the City of Rancho Palos Verdes and the City of Rolling Hills.  
• In July, SoCalGas also provided one-time assistance payment to the impacted residents to assist with meeting immediate needs and potentially transitioning to alternative sources of energy.
• Since then, the dynamic and fast-changing land movement on the Palos Verdes Peninsula has entered a new phase, prompting several decisive actions to protect affected residents and business owners:
  • Southern California Edison has shut off electric service to hundreds of homes in the Portuguese Bend and Seaview areas, some indefinitely.
  • The City of Rancho Palos Verdes issued an evacuation warning for the Portuguese Bend Community Association telling residents that they should, “prepare to evacuate and seek alternative housing.”
  • Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency for the City of Rancho Palos Verdes due to increasing land movement and utilities’ increasing inability to safely serve portions of the community.

Will I still receive a SoCalGas Bill?

• You will not be billed for gas service for the period when it’s unavailable to you.
• SoCalGas will forgive the current bill for impacted account holders. Customers with an account credit will receive a refund.