CC SR 20250204 02 - Landslide Emergency Extension Feb 4 2025
CITY COUNCIL MEETING DATE: 02/04/2025
AGENDA REPORT AGENDA HEADING: Regular Business
AGENDA TITLE:
Consideration and possible action on the Greater Portuguese Bend-Ancient Altamira
Landslide Complex.
RECOMMENDED COUNCIL ACTION:
(1) Receive and file an update on current activities and conditions in the Greater
Portuguese Bend-Ancient Altamira Landslide Complex;
(2) Receive and file the Abalone Cove Landslide Hazard Abatement District’s
(ACLAD) deep dewatering well plan that they will install, operate, and maintain;
(3) Affirm use of the loan in the amount of $1.6 million approved by the City Council
on July 2, 2024 for ACLAD to implement their deep dewatering well plan;
(4) Appropriate $100,000 from the Capital Improvement Fund for in-kind project and
construction management services provided by the City to assist the Abalone Cove
Landslide Hazard Abatement District with implementation of their deep dewatering
wells plan without waiving ACLAD’s responsibilities as identified in the Plan of
Control;
(5) Adopt Resolution No. 2025-___, A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF
THE CITY OF RANCHO PALOS VERDES, CALIFORNIA, EXTENDING FOR A
TERM OF 60 DAYS THE TEMPORARY PROHIBITION ON TRAVEL BY
UNICYCLES, BICYCLES, MOTORCYCLES, AND OTHER ONE- OR TWO-
WHEELED VEHICLES ON PALOS VERDES DRIVE SOUTH WITHIN THE
LANDSLIDE COMPLEX DUE TO CONTINUED ROADWAY CONDITIONS;
(6) Adopt Resolution No. 2025-__, A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE
CITY OF RANCHO PALOS VERDES, CALIFORNIA, CONTINUING THE LOCAL
EMERGENCY DECLARATION AS ESTABLISHED BY RESOLUTION NO. 2023 -
47 ADOPTED ON OCTOBER 3, 2023 FOR AN ADDITIONAL 60 DAY PERIOD;
and
(7) Adopt Resolution No. 2025-__, A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE
CITY OF RANCHO PALOS VERDES, CALIFORNIA, EXTENDING THE STATE
OF LOCAL EMERGENCY WITHIN THE GEOGRAPHIC BOUNDARIES OF THE
PORTUGUESE BEND COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION, PORTUGUESE BEND
BEACH CLUB, AND SEAVIEW NEIGHBORHOODS BASED ON SUDDEN
ENERGY SHORTAGES, PLANNED DEENERGIZING EVENTS, AND INTERNET
SERVICE SHUT OFFS AS ESTABLISHED BY RESOLUTION NOS. 2024-52 AND
2024-57 FOR AN ADDITIONAL 60 DAYS.
FISCAL IMPACT: The Portuguese Bend Landslide emergency response is projected
to reach approximately $46.7 million beginning in October 2022 through the fiscal year
ending June 30, 2025. This amount is funded through various sources, including the
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CITYOF RANCHO PALOS VERDES
General Fund, CIP Fund, ARPA, Supervisory Hahn’s Social Program Grant, and Metro
Funds (see Fund Sources table on the next page).
Of the $46.7 million, approximately $35 million is funded in FY 2024-25:
• $23.9 million for emergency response, boreholes and deep dewatering wells. This
amount also includes the $9.6 million approved on May 7, 2024 (unspent balance
by June 30, 2024 was carried over in FY 2024-25) and $6.1 million on October 1,
2024.
• $4 million for emergency stabilization measures for additional deep dewatering
wells approved on October 1, 2024.
• $4 million for winterization approved on October 1, 2024.
• $1.1 million for operations and maintenance of deep dewatering wells between
January and March 31, 2025, approved on December 17, 2024.
• Approximately $3.9 million of the following Capital Improvement Program (CIP)
projects are deferred to FY 2025-26 as approved on January 21, 2025:
o $0.6 million for Crenshaw Blvd. Rehab;
o $0.6 million for Park Playground Improvements;
o $0.55 million for the Sidewalk Management program;
o $1.7 million for Western Avenue Beautification; and,
o $0.5 million for Altamira Canyon Drainage
• $2 million for operations and maintenance of deep dewatering wells (approximately
$1.5 million from April 1, 2025 through June 30, 2025) and approximately $0.5
million for additional fissure filling approved on January 21, 2025.
In addition to the FY 2024-25 budget of $35 million, Staff seeks City Council approval this
evening for an additional appropriation of $100,000 from the CIP Fund for in-kind project
and construction management services provided by the City to assist the Abalone Cove
Landslide Hazard Abatement District with implementation of their deep dewatering wells
plan. VR
Adopted Budget on June 18, 2024: $4,840,000
Revised Budget with continuing appropriations from original hydraugers
project, emergency response, and mitigation efforts: $35,000,000
Additional Appropriation: $100,000 from CIP Fund
Account Number(s): Current funding sources:
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*If $100,000 of additional appropriation from the CIP is approved by the City
Council this evening, the overall total in FY 2024-25 will increase to $35.1 million.
ORIGINATED BY: Ramzi Awwad, Director of Public Works
Vina Ramos, Director of Finance VR
Brandy Forbes, Director of Community Development
Katie Lozano, Open Space Manager
William Wynder, City Attorney
REVIEWED BY: Catherine Jun, Deputy City Manager
APPROVED BY: Ara Mihranian, AICP, City Manager
ATTACHED SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS:
A. Resolution No. 2025-___ Continuing Temporary Prohibition of One- or Two-
Wheeled Vehicles on Palos Verdes Drive South for 60 Days (Page A-1)
B. Resolution No. 2025-___ Continuing Local Emergency (Page B-1)
C. Resolution No. 2025-___ Continuing Local De-energization Emergency
(Page C-1)
D. ACLAD DDW Concept Plan (Page D-1)
E. Displacement Rate Contour Map up to January 7, 2025 (Page E-1)
F. Landslide GPS Survey Report through January 7, 2025 (Page F-1)
G. FEMA’s Notice of Denial Letters (Page G-1)
H. Public Comments (Page J-1)
I. June 4, 2024 City Council Meeting on Geologic Hazard Abatement District
Rate Assessment
https://rpv.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=5&clip_id=4549&meta_
id=119635
BACKGROUND:
On October 3, 2023, the City Council conducted a discussion regarding the conditions of
the Greater Portuguese Bend Landslide Complex, sometimes called the Ancient Altamira
Landslide Complex (Landslide Complex). After considering information presented that
evening, including public testimony, the City Council unanimously adopted Resolution No.
Funding Sources TOTAL
In Millions
CIP Fund 13.2
CIP Fund (Reserves)5.0
General Fund (Reserves) 6.4
General Fund 3.4
ARPA Fund 3.4
Metro Funds 1.4
Sup. Hahn's Social Program Grant 2.2
TOTAL $35.0
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4r
2023-47 declaring the existence of a local emergency within the geographic boundaries
of the Landslide Complex and adopted Urgency Ordinance No. 674U to establish a 45-
day moratorium on the acceptance or processing of applications, issuance of permits,
and construction of all structures within the Landslide Complex (Moratorium). The City
Council has extended the local emergency on multiple occasions, and it remains in effect
until February 17, 2025, unless extended again this evening.
On August 20, 2024, the City Council authorized the emergency installation of immediate
stabilization and protection measures consisting of deep dewatering wells (DDWs) in
response to exponential acceleration of the Landslide Complex as a result of historic
rainfall during the 2022-23 and 2023-24 rainy seasons. The City Council appropriated a
total of an additional $9,635,000 for this emergency work at that meeting.
On October 1, 2024, the City Council authorized an expansion of the DDW program to
the Abalone Cove area, on City-owned property, and appropriated an additional $4 million
for this work. Additionally, the City Council authorized a winterization program on City-
owned property in the Landslide Complex without waiving the Abalone Cove Landslide
Hazard Abatement District’s (ACLAD) and Klondike Canyon Landslide Hazard
Abatement District’s (KCLAD) responsibilities as identified in their plans of control; and
appropriated an additional $4 million for this work.
On December 17, 2024, the City Council appropriated and additional $1.1 million for
operations and maintenance of the DDW program through March 31, 2025. Additionally,
the City Council directed Staff to return with a list of projects in the current CIP that could
potentially be deferred to make additional funds available for implementation of new
DDWs. Further, the City Council asked Staff to provide a full -build out plan so that the
City Council may understand what future funding needs may exist to remedia te the
Landslide Complex including installation and indefinite annual operation and
maintenance costs.
On January 21, 2025, Staff presented a Conceptual Comprehensive Landslide
Remediation Plan (build-out plan), developed by Geo-Logic Associates (GLA), the City’s
project geologist, to remediate movement within the Landslide Complex to negligible
amounts. The conceptual build out plan shows approximate locations of remediation
elements based on currently available subsurface information and is unconstrained with
respect to financial resources, land ownership, and responsible agency. It is noted that
some elements of the conceptual plan are within the jurisdictional responsibility of ACLAD
and KCLAD. The recommended plan elements are in addition to dewatering wells and
drainage improvements currently in place by KCLAD and ACLAD.
That evening, the City Council appropriated an additional $2 million to extend
maintenance and operations of the City’s DDW program and winterization efforts through
June 30, 2025. The City Council also directed Staff to work with ACLAD, GLA and the
City Geologist, to develop a deep dewatering plan within ACLAD’s jurisdictional boundary
that would be funded by the City at a not to exceed cost of $5 million, including $1.6
million from the Council authorized loan, and to determine whether the additional funds
would be in the form of a loan or grant for consideration at the February 4, 2025 City
Council meeting.
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DISCUSSION:
Current Conditions and Activities
Geologic Conditions
The Landslide Complex encompasses four historically active landslide areas in the City:
the Portuguese Bend Landslide (PBL), the Abalone Cove Landslide (ACL), the Klondike
Canyon Landslide (KCL), and the Beach Club Landslide (BCL). However, it also includes
areas outside of the City’s historical boundaries of those known landslides, predominantly
uphill from the PBL and ACL, within the Landslide Complex as mapped by various
agencies (i.e., U.S. Geological Survey and California Geo logical Survey) and other
researchers.
The City Geologist continues to report that rainfall and the resulting runoff and infiltration
into the Landslide Complex continues to have a lingering adverse effect on the landslide
area, following a significantly wetter than average rainy season in 2022-23 and 2023-24;
which were approximately 193% and 170% of the season average over the past 67 years
of the Rolling Hills Fire Station rain gauge, respectively. Only 0.31 inches of rain has fallen
since the start of the 2024-25 rainy season (October 1, 2024) and only 0.35 inches over
the past 8 months; therefore, the adverse effects of the season’s rainfall are now
manifested as increased groundwater pressures within and beneath the landslide.
Recent GPS survey data published by McGee Surveying Consulting for the approximately
“monthly” monitoring period of December 3, 2024 through January 7, 2025 were reviewed
and analyzed (Attachment F).
Over that time period, horizontal land movement rates (velocities) in the Landslide
Complex have variably accelerated or decelerated to a rate of about 3.5 to 5.3 inches per
week in the ACL, and about 0.4 to 3.9 inches per week in the PBL. The greater Altamira
Complex areas outside of the historical ACL and PBL boundaries are moving 1.9 to 4.9
inches per week. The KCL has essentially stopped moving as of October 13, 2024. Some
questionable movement on the margins of the KCL outside of the Seaview Tract and
PBBC was reported in December; however, further analysis of the data indicates that this
was instrument “noise” (i.e., error), not movement. Figure 1 presents scaled displacement
rates (i.e., movement velocities) movement vectors, and contours (aka “heat map”) of
displacement rates for the January 7, 2025 full monitoring period. The contours of
movement velocity are largely unchanged from the December 3, 2024 plot. The fastest
moving areas continue to be the upper portion of the ACL (historical boundary) at 5.3
inches per week and in the ancient “Altamira” complex behind the ACL, at about 4.9
inches per week. The most significant deceleration in this monitoring period is in the toe
area of the ACL. In general, the lack of significant continuing deceleration (which was
observed from August 1 through October 29, 2024 ), in a dry period, for the collective
group of monitoring points continues to suggest that the landslide movement has reached
a steady state in the PBL and is still decelerating slightly in the ACL and upper Altamira
Complex areas. In addition, the weekly GPS monitoring to assess the impact of
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dewatering indicates that movement has generally leveled off over the past 11 weekly
readings (i.e., since October 27, 2024).
Figure 1: Scaled Displacement Rates for January 7, 2025 Monitoring Period
For all points monitored across the entire Landslide Complex, following are the key
conclusions over the past approximately 5 weeks (35 days):
• Overall average movement velocity decelerated 3%, with a range of 18%
acceleration to 29% deceleration. However, there is significant variation among
individual points, some of which are close to each other. In general, it appears that
the movement rates are reaching a steady state of significantly reduced movement
due to the City’s DDW program, KCLAD and ACLAD dewatering wells, and dry
conditions; with some variation depending on local conditions.
• Perimeter points that have been historically stable are not moving, indicating that
the areas outside the mapped landslide boundaries are currently unchanged.
• New points that were established on Schooner Drive in the Seaview neighborhood
in August to assess and affirm the limits of the Landslide Complex continue to be
stable.
• Some residents in Seaview and PBBC neighborhoods have recently reported
observing vertical dropping of the ground surface. While significant vertical motion
has not been recorded on the network of GPS monitoring points in these areas,
localized vertical movements are possible and may represent loc al consolidation
of the landslide mass. It is important to note that all movements (horizontal and
vertical) reported in the GPS monitoring surveys are below the range of instrument
error. The KCL in whole is deemed to not be moving as a mass, but this does not
rule out localized internal movements.
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EXPLANATION
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The past year has been marked by a significant and unprecedented change in movement
behavior from historical movements of the PBL, ACL and KCL. The entire active
Landslide Complex (area of major land movement now evident at the ground surface)
continues to represent an expansion of the combined historical boundaries of the
ACL/PBL/KCL of about 380 acres to an estimated 700 acres in size within the Altamira
Landslide Complex.
In summary, the average movement velocity for the entire Landslide Complex has
decelerated approximately 3% since December 3, 2024. Based upon review of
approximately weekly readings of 20 select GPS monitoring points at the toe of the
Landslide Complex, with continued dry weather conditions and the ongoing dewatering
effort which has removed over 125 million gallons from the landslide area, the PBL is
generally viewed as having reached a steady state of movement since the end of October,
while the ACL and upper Altamira Complex points continue to slightly decelerate.
The City Geologist will be attending the February 4 meeting virtually to provide the City
Council and public with an updated report since the January 21, 2025 meeting.
Deep Dewatering Well Program Status
The DDW component of the emergency stabilization work funded by the City Council is
generally complete, along with the associated test boreholes and monitoring wells. Figure
2 on the following page shows the location of the DDWs, test boreholes, and monitoring
wells.
Continued on the Next Page
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Figure 2: Deep Dewatering Wells
Table 1 below shows the installation dates and dewatering statistics of the 11 DDWs.
Table 1: DDW Current Water Extraction Rates as of January 27, 2025
DDW
No. Date Operational
Current Approximate
Water Extraction Rate
(Gallons Per Minute)
Total Water Extraction to Date
Acre-Ft Million Gallons
1 9/13/2024 85 51 16.6
2 9/17/2024 100 55 17.9
3 9/21/2024 90 51 16.6
4 9/21/2024 75 37 12.3
5 9/25/2024 105 re-drilled 12/27/24 50 16.3
6 9/28/2024 90 re-drilled 12/29/24 41 13.4
7 10/15/2024 15 8 2.6
8 10/17/2024 0 re-drill in progress 28 9.1
9 10/25/2024 Decommissioned 11/07/24 2 0.7
9A 11/16/2024 65 re-drilled 12/29/24 20 6.5
10 10/24/2024 115 48 15.7
11 12/03/2024 15 1 0.3
Totals 755 392 127
As of January 27, 2025, the total combined water extraction rate of DDWs 1 through 11
is currently approximately 755 gallons per minute or approximately 1.1 million gallons per
day. Since the start of the DDW program, over 127 million gallons, or approximately 392
acre-feet, of water have been extracted from certain locations of the toe of Landslide
Complex.
8
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To assess the effectiveness of the DDW program, a survey of a select sample of surface
monitoring points at the toe of the landslide is being conducted on an approximately
weekly basis using Global Positioning System (GPS) surveying. To establish a baseline
rate of movement, a survey of the select sample of surface monitoring points was
conducted on September 4, 2024. Figure 3 presents the results of the weekly GPS
surveying as of January 22, 2025.
Figure 3: GPS Survey Movement Rates of Sample Points: Sept 4, 2024 to Jan 22, 2025 (in. / week)
GPS survey data of land movement in the vicinity of the DDWs near the Portuguese Bend
Beach Club (PBBC) shows that horizontal displacement of the ground surface in the
Seaview Neighborhood and the PBBC has been below instrument error and in random
directions since October 13, 2024. Additionally, the amount of vertical movement for those
areas has been below instrument error since October 29, 2024. GLA, and the project peer
reviewer, Cotton Shires & Associates (CSA), have therefore concluded that due to several
months of dry weather, DDWs 1-6, and dewatering efforts by KCLAD, there is no
measurable land movement in Seaview Neighborhood and PBBC.
The rate of movement in the vicinity of DDWs 7 and 8, which have been in operation for
nearly two months, is approximately 20% less than the rate of movement further west
towards Abalone Cove where DDWs have been in operation for a shorter period of time.
Extraction of water from DDWs 9A, 10, and 11 does appear to directly correlate with
confirmed reduction in ground movement of nearby surface survey monuments within the
toe region of the ACL; which are moving at a slower rate than monuments further up in
the middle and upper portions of the ACL. Movement rates have been erratic (both
decreases and increases) and inconsistent during the short time of water extraction thus
far. The effectiveness of DDWs 9A, 10, and 11 can be better evaluated after they are
monitored for at least a few more months.
9
CJ Survey Points within
close proximity of
De watering Wells
Deep
Dewatering
Well
Numbers in boxes represent
percent decrease in surface
movement for the stated
t i me period. Red = rate o n
9/4/24 and Black = rate on
1/22/25 in inches per week
In addition to the select sample of GPS survey monitoring points show ing a very strong
correlation between water extraction and a decrease in the rate of surface movement , the
groundwater monitoring wells within the DDW areas have shown a marked decrease in
water pressure (the main driving force of landslide movement). The GPS survey data for
the select sample of points will continue to be collected on an approximately weekly basis
to continue to monitor this trend.
Emergency Winterization
The City Council funded temporary emergency winterization work consisting of filling and
lining of fissures in canyons as well as the Seaview neighborhood, among other items.
Figure 4 shows the primary locations of winterization work.
The cost of some of the winterization work has been more costly than originally estimated,
primarily due to many fissures being deeper than anticipated. As a result of these
unforeseen conditions, winterization of Paintbrush and Ishibashi Canyons could not be
done within the $4 million budget authorized by the City Council.
On January 21, 2025, the City Council authorized additional funding of approximately
$500,000 for maintenance and repairs of winterization work due to fissures and grabens
re-opening with ongoing land movement in certain areas of the Landslide Complex.
Continued on the Next Page
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Figure 4: Winterization Program
The following emergency winterization work funded by the City Council is substantially
complete as follows:
• Shaping, fissure filling, and installation of pond liners at Klondike, Altamira and
Kelvin Canyons
• Shaping and fissure filling of Portuguese Canyon
• Winterization of the graben at the intersection of Dauntless and Exultant Drives
• Re-grading and filling of fissures on Exultant, Admirable, and Dauntless Drives
• Installation of a drainage swale between the northern cul-de-sac at the Palos
Verdes Drive South frontage street and the Palos Verdes Drive South main road
• Fissure filling and drainage improvements along Palos Verdes Drive South
Drainage pipes in the Seaview neighborhood and along Palos Verdes Drive South have
been assessed, and repairs are being scheduled, to the extent feasible within the context
of continued landslide movement in the ACL and PBL. Where possible, repairs are
anticipated to be complete by mid-February, and in some cases before forecasted rain.
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1 • Altam ira Canyon 3 • Klondike Canyon
-Canyon grading & liner at base
-Fill ing fissures and grabens in nearby areas 4 • Seaview Community
-Street re -grading & re-surfac ing : Exultant & Admirable Drive
2 • Portuguese, lshibashl, Paintbrush Canyons -Exultant & Dauntless protect ive measures
A work plan is being developed to re-grade and fill fissures that have re-opened in areas
in and around Altamira Canyon, as well as adjust and further strengthen existing currently
installed pond liner systems as advised by GLA and CSA.
Winterized areas were inspected during and following the wet weather experienced over
the weekend of January 25-26, 2025. In general, winterized areas performed as intended
in the context of ongoing land movement in certain parts of the Landslide Complex.
Lessons learned are being developed to identify any improvements that can be made
within available funding and land movement conditions. Inspections will continue in
advance of wet weather forecasts to identify necessary monitoring and/or repairs before
a wet weather event occurs.
KCLAD Activities:
Following is the current status of KCLAD activities:
• Well Inventory: Two active Dewatering Wells (KCLAD 5 and KCLAD 6) with
submersible pumps set at 110 feet.
• Current Production: Dewatering Wells KCLAD 5 and KCLAD 6 are extracting a
combined 370 gallons per minute, with a water depth of approximately 77 feet.
• Future Development: Winterization and maintaining extraction rates from the
existing wells are the current priority.
• Additional Data: Weekly readings are uploaded to the KCLAD website (which was
recently updated at KCGHAD.org).
KCLAD and Staff continue to discuss implementation of KCLAD’s 5 -Step Plan and
coordinate drainage work and planning for future wells.
ACLAD Activities:
Following is the current status of ACLAD activities:
• Active Wells: 10 using generator power and producing a combined 50 to 70 gallons
per minute.
• Inactive Wells: 4 due to lack of power (below PVDS)
• Sheared Wells: 8 (sheared in February 2024)
By comparison, ACLAD had 20 active wells producing 90 to 120 gallons per minute prior
to January 2024.
ACLAD has been working on a DDW plan, which will be presented in a later section of
this report.
Open Space, Palos Verdes Nature Preserve, Trails, and Beach Conditions
Much of the Portuguese Bend, Filiorum, and Abalone Cove Reserves (subareas of the
Palos Verdes Nature Preserve), the open space area commonly referred to as the
Archery Range (east of Portuguese Point), and Abalone Cove Beach, Sacred
CoveBeach, and the beach below the archery range are located within the Landslide
Complex and are sustaining substantial landslide-related damage including fissures,
rockslides, sink holes, unstable trails, and large-scale erosion.
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On November 2, 2024, a CalWater break caused severe damage to upper Burma Road
Trail and surrounding areas, necessitating the closures of upper Portuguese Bend and
Filiorum Reserves as repairs are made. With this additional damage, all of the Portuguese
Bend Reserve and upper Filiorum remain temporarily closed until repairs are completed.
Additionally, land movement had previously obliterated most much of Burma Road Trail,
which is no longer safely passable by the public. Numerous other damaged trails within
Portuguese Bend, Filiorum, and Abalone Cove Reserves continue to experience
increased damage and elevation changes and further widening of fissures.
In July, the City temporarily closed the Abalone Cove and Sacred Cove Beach access
trails and the beaches themselves due to land movement-related conditions. On
September 27, the City additionally temporarily closed the open space area commonly
referred to as the “Archery Range” and the beach below the Archery Range due to land
movement-related conditions. In October, the City temporarily closed Eucalyptus, Kelvin
Canyon, part of Zote’s Cutacross, and Rattlesnake Trails, because these trails are in
close proximity to the winterization project in Filiorum Reserve and will not be safe to
access during the project’s duration.
In summary, out of concern for public safety and in consultation with the City Geologist,
the City Manager has temporarily closed large areas of the Preserve and open space
areas consisting of approximately 16 miles of passive recreational trails. The City
Manager has also temporarily closed Abalone Cove Beach, Sacred Cove Beach, and the
beach below the Archery Range in close coordination with the City Geologist, Los
Angeles County Lifeguards, and the California Coastal Commission. Staff continue to
monitor these and other areas, and extensive repairs will likely be needed before these
trails can be reopened for public use after the area has been stabilized.
Natural Gas
On July 29, 2024, Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas) shut off natural gas to
the PBCA; stating that engineers determined the system could no longer be safely
operated due to a confluence of issues such as excessive breaks, lines suspended in the
air, and swing joints in tension.
On August 30 and September 6, 2024, SoCalGas shut off natural gas to the part of the
Seaview neighborhood affected by land movement for the same reasons noted above.
On August 2, 2024, SoCalGas began installing isolation valves to create multiple shut-off
points, so that if service needs to be shut off for a short-term repair or for long-term
reasons, the number of homes impacted would be significantly reduced. The installation
was completed, separating homes west of Schooner Drive from those east of Schooner
Drive, and separating the gas lines west of Schooner on a street-by-street basis.
On September 6, 2024, SoCalGas shut off natural gas to the PBBC community for the
same reasons noted above. SoCalGas has stated that re-routing gas lines supplying the
neighborhoods experiencing shutoffs would not resolve the problems with the system
within the neighborhood.
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On October 21, 2024, the City Manager and Public Works Director met with Transtech
Engineers, CSA, and SoCalGas to enhance coordination efforts for service restoration in
response to recent movement data trends. The meetings focused on updates regarding
progress, service restoration efforts, and strategies for both short- and long-term risk
management with an emphasis on restoring gas to the Seaview and PBBC
neighborhoods due to recent GPS data previously discussed in this report . Discussions
emphasized monitoring, safety protocols, and the development of long-term strategies for
stabilization. SoCal Gas emphasized the priority of safety in determining when gas
service could be restored, with a focus on monitoring pipeline strain limits.
On November 11, 2024 and on November 25, 2024, the City Manager and Public Works
Director reconvened with representatives from Transtech Engineers, CSA, and
SoCalGas to discuss ongoing efforts and progress for reinstating gas service to the
affected communities, particularly the PBBC and Seaview communities, where there has
been no recorded land movement for four consecutive GPS surveys. SoCalGas reported
that they were continuing to conduct detailed system integrity assessments to determine
the feasibility of safe restoration outlining that existing infrastructure strain and potential
residual stress on pipelines pose additional risks, requiring detailed assessments and
mitigation strategies.
Since the previous meetings, coordination between the City and SoCalGas has
continued, with progress made on assessing pipeline resilience and determining a
potential path forward for restoration.
On January 23, 2025, representatives from the City, SoCalGas, and supporting
consultants reconvened to review updated findings from pipeline testing and land
movement data. SoCalGas provided encouraging updates regarding recent structural
assessments, which indicate that the steel pipelines in PBBC and Seaview have shown
a higher-than-expected resilience to subsurface movement and stress. Initial testing of a
previously deformed segment revealed no significant compromise to pipeline integrity.
These results suggest that underground movement has not had the impact previously
feared, offering a positive outlook for potential restoration. SoCalGas emphasized the
need for additional sample testing, particularly in the PBBC area, where pipeline material
differs from that in other parts of the City.
The City and SoCalGas will reconvene on February 6, 2025, to review final results from
the pipeline resilience model and discuss next steps for potential restoration. Continued
collaboration will focus on refining monitoring protocols, evaluating restoration feasibility,
and maintaining safety as the primary priority.
Electricity
On August 31, 2024, Southern California Edison (SCE) notified 193 metered accounts
(which equates to approximately 140 households and 53 business or city accounts) in the
PBCA that power will be turned off to their property on September 1, 2024 for an indefinite
period of time. SCE stated that the accounts will not be reenergized until land movement
is controlled to a level acceptable to SCE, without specifying the threshold of land
14
movement. The power shut off not only affects residents in the PBCA, but also the ability
to power the City’s sewer system in the area and the ACLAD’s dewatering wells.
SCE issued a further notice that on September 2, 2024, homes in the Seaview
neighborhood would be subject to the following service shut offs: 75 properties will be
deenergized for varying hours ranging from 24 hours to 1-3 weeks while a box loop is
constructed and 30 properties will be deenergized indefinitely. This was done to prevent
the risk of wildfires from equipment damaged by the land movement.
On September 6, 2024, SCE notified customers that power would be shut off in the PBBC
neighborhood. SCE followed through, de-energizing the area on September 9th.
Also, on September 9, 2024, SCE restored power to the 38 properties that had been
planned to be without electricity for 1-3 weeks. At this time, 30 properties remain without
electricity in Seaview.
On October 21, 2024 and on November 21, 2024, the City Manager and Public Works
Director met with representatives from Transtech Engineers, CSA, and SCE to address
power disruptions, infrastructure challenges, and explore potential solutions to support
re-energization efforts in response to recent land movement data trends. Like the meeting
with SoCalGas, the focus was on updates regarding progress, re-energization efforts, and
strategies for managing both short- and long-term risks.
SCE informed the City that it planned to re-energize 16 customers located primarily on
Fruit Tree Road, Plumtree Road, and Narcissa Drive in the western portion of the
Landslide Complex.
A key topic of discussion was the importance of aligning land survey data with
infrastructure assessments to ensure re-energization efforts are conducted safely and
effectively. SCE emphasized that its ability to design a system to restore power to
impacted customers depends on the collection of data that consistently demonstrates
land stability over time. The City offered to prioritize ongoing monitoring in areas that will
further support re-energization and service restoration efforts.
SCE will continue to evaluate conditions and explore alternative methods to enable safe
power restoration. As part of this effort, the City will collaborate with SCE to share land
movement trends, noting that some areas have consistently returned to pre-2023 levels.
To support long-term solutions, SCE announced the establishment of a Project
Management Office (PMO) structure to provide sustained oversight and coordination.
This structure will focus on developing engineering strategies such as tension relief
systems and exploring the potential use of microgrid applications. Both short - and long-
term strategies are being developed to address risks, particularly with the approaching
winter rains, which could introduce additional challenges.
Future meetings were scheduled to maintain progress, including technical discussions
with geologists to refine mitigation strategies. The meeting concluded with participants
reaffirming their commitment to collaboration and ongoing efforts to restore power safely
while ensuring the long-term stability of the area’s infrastructure.
15
On December 10, 2024, the City Manager sent a letter to Steven D. Powell and Pedro J.
Pizarro the Presidents and CEOs of SCE and Edison International to request an in person
meeting at the earliest opportunity to discuss an action plan with specific steps and
thresholds for restoring power.
On December 18, 2024, the City Manager also sent a letter to CPUC President, urging
the Commission to agendize a discussion in January on the prolonged utility shutoffs. The
letter emphasized the severe impacts on residents and critical infrastructure, called for
regulatory oversight to hold SCE and SoCalGas accountable, and requested a clear
timeline and action plan for restoring services. Additionally, the City requested an in-
person meeting with CPUC leadership in early January 2025 to further advocate f or
urgent solutions.
As a result of these advocacy efforts, on January 13, 2025, the Landslide Council
Subcommittee, consisting of Mayor Bradley and Councilmember Perestam, along with
the City Manager, met with SCE CEO and President Steve Powell to discuss power
restoration for landslide-impacted residents. As a result, SCE proposed a plan to
temporarily restore power to up to 116 customers, including approximately 76 properties
in the PBBC and Seaview neighborhoods, by approximately the end of Q1 (March 31,
2025), excluding red-tagged homes. To support this process, residents received
individual calls outlining inspection requirements necessary for reconnection.
Additionally, SCE is exploring the integration of deep dewatering wells in the PBBC and
Seaview areas into the power grid.
To facilitate a smooth restoration process, SCE hosted an invitation -only workshop on
January 23, 2025 at Ladera Linda, where affected property owners could complete
necessary documentation and address any questions. To ensure ongoing
communication, SCE has also established a dedicated customer service line at 1 -800-
250-7339. A formal letter from SCE, detailing the restoration process, was sent to
impacted residents on January 14, 2025. The City’s Building and Safety Division is
diligently working closely with property owners to conduct inspections to ensure that
power may be restored quickly once SCE has authorized it.
As part of broader infrastructure planning efforts, on January 23, 2025, City and SCE
representatives convened to discuss potential redesign options for the Box Loop system,
in the Seaview neighborhood a critical component of power distribution in the landslide -
impacted area. SCE presented two potential re-routing options. The existing agreement
for the box loop pole in Ladera Linda Park is set to expire in March 2025, but SCE has
the option to seek up to two extensions (three months each, for a total of si x months). If
no alternative is approved, SCE will be required to remove the existing pole in the park,
leaving 34 customers without power until another viable solution is identified. This
extension request is scheduled for City Council consideration on March 4, 2025.
SCE confirmed that any new infrastructure would adhere to wildfire mitigation standards,
incorporating covered conductors and taller poles as part of the long-term Tension Relief
Strategy to mitigate land movement risks. Further technical assessments and community
discussions will be necessary to evaluate the best course of action while ensuring reliable
16
power service and minimizing impacts on both residents and the surrounding
environment.
The City will continue working with CPUC and SCE to prioritize power restoration, explore
viable infrastructure improvements, and advocate for solutions that align with public safety
and community needs.
Sanitary Sewer – Portuguese Bend Community
The sanitary sewer system in the PBCA is known as the Abalone Cove Sanitary Sewer
System and is owned, maintained, and operated by the City. The system includes grinder
pumps that pump wastewater from individual buildings to the main sewer lines at
approximately 40 locations where buildings are at a lower grade than the main sewer
lines, requiring pumping to overcome the grade . The system also includes four pump
stations that receive wastewater from low-lying areas and pump it up to higher elevations
where it can continue to flow via gravity. The grinder pumps and pump stations require
power to operate.
Crews continue to regularly inspect the sewer lines and make repairs as breaks are
identified through inspections or resident notification. Parts of the system have been
brought above ground and have had flexible components installed. Engineers continue
to evaluate the system to determine where additional sections need to be brought above
ground or otherwise modified.
Sanitary Sewer – Seaview Neighborhood
The sanitary sewer system in the Seaview neighborhood is maintained and operated by
the Los Angeles County Public Works (LACPW), which has been inspecting the sewer
system in areas affected by the landslide and performing repairs when needed. No recent
damage has been observed to the sanitary sewer mains in the Seaview neighborhood
and accordingly no repairs have recently been made recently. LACPW continues to
conduct regular inspections.
Sanitary Sewer – Portuguese Bend Beach Club
The sanitary sewer system in the PBBC is privately owned, operated, and maintained
and discharges into the Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts (LA CSD) sewer trunk
line on PVDS. LACSD have been coordinating with the PBBC, so that the sewer line
integrity is maintained. It should be noted that this sanitary sewer system is also powered
by SCE.
Sanitary Sewer – Palos Verdes Drive South Main Lines
The sanitary sewer main lines adjacent to PVDS are owned, maintained, and operated
by the Los Angeles County Sanitation District (San District). These main lines convey an
average of 1.4 million gallons of wastewater per day from roughly Sea Cove Drive to
Yacht Harbor Drive. They consist of approximately 1,400 linear feet of single 14” buried
ductile iron pipe, 7,200 linear feet of dual above -ground rigid steel pipes, and
approximately 1,180 linear feet of newly installed above -ground flexible dual 16” high-
density polyethylene (HDPE) pipes.
17
Due to continued ground movement, the San District has decided to replace the
remaining 8,600 linear feet of aging and inflexible steel pipe with flexible HDPE pipe to
both increase the force main’s resilience to ground movement and to provide more
effective redundancy preventing single points of failure. The San District will attempt to
schedule the work in a manner that reduces impacts to traffic on PVDS to the extent
possible. The work began in early January 2025 and is expected to continue for several
more weeks, depending on the availability of materials.
Water
Cal Water continues their work to bring water lines above ground to further increase the
resiliency of their system and minimize the potential of breaks in the water lines.
Throughout the PBCA, Cal Water has brought sections of water lines above ground and
installed other emergency systems as follows:
• April 16, 2024: a section of water line was brought above ground along Clovetree
Place and an emergency portable booster connection was installed near the
intersection of Fruit Tree Road and Narcissa Drive.
• April 16, 2024: sections of water line along PVDS, near the Wayfarers Chapel,
were brought above ground.
• August 21, 2024: water lines along PVDS n ear the entrance to the Seaview
neighborhood were brought above ground.
• October 4, 2024: various water lines within the Seaview neighborhood along
sections of Dauntless Drive, Exultant Drive, and Admirable Drive were brought
above ground.
• October 24, 2024: a section of water line along Yacht Harbor Drive within the PBBC
was brought above ground.
• October 24, 2024: a segment of water line near the top of Vanderlip Drive and
along Burma Road was brought above ground
• November 14, 2024: various segments along Narcissa Drive, Ginger Root Lane,
Cinnamon Lane, and Figtree Road were brought above ground
• December 2, 2024: additional segments of water line were brought above ground
near the intersection of Narcissa Drive and Cinnamon Lane
• December 6, 2024: a water line near 100 Vanderlip Drive was brought above
ground and tied into the existing above ground water line along Vanderlip Drive.
Cal Water is discussing future plans for the water lines at Burma Road with the City.
Communications
There are two providers of communications infrastructure in the Landslide Complex area,
Cox Communications and Frontier Communications (Frontier). On September 9, 2024,
Cox Communications disconnected 146 customers in the PBCA. Frontier has indicated
to the City that they will keep their facilities operational so long as they have power supply.
Public Works Staff have been reaching out directly to wireless carriers and installers to
increase the number of small wireless facilities (SWFs) and improve cellular service.
18
Carriers and installers are currently determining feasible locations to install SWFs but
have indicated that the use of Communications on Wheels (mobile facilities) are not
feasible for economic reasons. Once applications for new facilities are received, Public
Works Staff will work to expedite those applications.
Public Works Staff have engaged in conversations with Frontier about installing fiber optic
communications lines in the PBCA. Frontier has investigated the feasibility and is
preparing to move forward with a preliminary solution to install fiber in the PBCA. Frontier
and Public Works Staff will coordinate the upcoming work as Frontier completes their
planning.
The City Council is being asked to receive and file an update on activities and conditions
in the Landslide Complex.
ACLAD DDW Plan
On January 21, 2025, the City Council directed staff to work with ACLAD to fund up to a
not to exceed amount of $5 million, including the $1.6 authorized loan, for ACLAD to drill
DDWs within its jurisdictional boundaries. How funding, either a loan, grant or a
combination of both, would be considered at a future meeting.
Since the January 21 meeting, Staff facilitated discussions between ACLAD’s geologist,
Scott Kerwin with WSP, and the City’s team of geologists, GLA and CSA, with the goal of
ACLAD developing a DDW Plan acceptable to GLA and CSA. A concept plan, shown in
Figure 5 on the following page, was agreed upon with the caveat that the plan must be
implemented sequentially so that data collected from each DDW or monitoring can be
used to inform the subsequent installation and make revisions to the plan (Attachment
D).
The concept plan, which is preliminary and subject to revisions as well as additional
details, consists of eight to ten new DDWs in the upper portion of ACLAD where
dewatering wells have historically been most productive (Attachment D). The locations
shown are approximate and subject to revisions in the field and modifications as data is
collected. The DDWs are currently expected to be approximately 250 feet deep to
penetrate through the ACL slip plane and will be located near existing drainage
infrastructure to the extent feasible. The current relatively high producing ACLAD wells
will continue to operate.
Continued on the Next Page
19
Figure 5: Conceptual ACLAD DDW Plan
Because data from each DDW installation will be used to inform modifications to the
subsequent DDW, the plan is likely to unfold over several weeks to a few months.
Additionally, ACLAD is still in the process of refining cost estimates for the wells. However,
ACLAD has indicated that they can install a DDW at approximately $200,000 each without
instrumentation and project management costs, which would equate to approximately
eight DDWs which could be funded with the $1.6 million loan authorized by the City
Council. Therefore, Staff recommends that the City Council affirm use of the $1.6 million
loan and defer additional funding, whether as an additional loan or as a grant, to a future
date when there is more certainty around the total cost and timing of when additional
funds are needed.
ACLAD requested in-kind services from the City in the form of project management and/or
construction management to assist with implementing the plan. Although the details of
ACLAD’s specific needs remain under discussion, based on Staffs’ current understanding
of what ACLAD needs, Staff estimates that project management and/or construction
management costs over the next several months will be in the range of $100,000.
The City Council is being asked to receive and file the ACLAD DDW plan that they will
install, operate, and maintain and approve and approve additional appropriation of
$100,000 from the CIP for in-kind project and construction management services
provided by the City to assist the ACLAD with implementation of their deep dewatering
wells plan without waiving their responsibilities as identified in the Plan of Control,
ACLAD Loan Status
20
Keep existing high performing wells
• WW1, WW11 , WW12 , WW13, WW1 5
• Timed operation of WW3, WW6 ,
WW17
... e~:~J' .. ~~~i!,..,~ Add 1 0 Deep Dewatering Wells
• Replace Sheared Wells (7)
• New locations (3)
• Add 2 monitoring wells
Expenditures to Date and FY 2024-25 Year-End Estimates
Overall, the City’s estimated expenditures for the Portuguese Bend Landslide from
October 2022 through June 2025 are approximately $46.7 million. Of this amount, $35
million is funded in FY 2024-25.
As shown in Table 2 below, total expenditures for FY 2022-23 are $1.9 million, followed
by an increase of 416% to $9.8 million in FY 2023-24. In the current fiscal year, $27.4
million has been incurred and encumbered, with an additional of $7.7 million expenditures
projected by June 30, 2025 for a total of $35 million, reflecting a 257% increase from the
prior year. These costs include emergency response efforts such as test boreholes, deep
dewatering wells, maintenance of the deep dewatering wells until June 30, 2025,
winterization, fissure filling, road repairs, sewer repairs, estimated time and costs for
personnel dedicated to the project, legal services, loans to districts, and increased tax
assessments.
Table 2 – PB Landslide Costs – Emergency Response/Other – October 2022 - June 2025
ACLAD/KCLAD Loans Update:
On August 20, 2024, the City received the signed loan agreements from ACLAD and
KCLAD for loans to the Geologic Hazard Abatement Districts (GHADs) in the amounts of
$1.6 million and $1.9 million, respectively. The loan amounts are included as projected
expense in FY 2024-25 as shown in Table 2 above.
Since the City Council’s loan approval on July 2, 2024, KCLAD has submitted a loan
drawdown in the amount of $343,756 of eligible costs (July 2024 -September 2024) for
dewatering wells. The City Geologist reviewed the completed work and determined that
it has been beneficial to stopping the KCL movement. Staff has process ed and disbursed
the eligible amount on December 13, 2024.
To date, ACLAD has not made any requests for loan drawdowns.
DESCRIPTION
FY 22-23
ACTUAL
FY 23-24
ACTUAL
FY 24-25
YTD + PO'S
As of 1/30/2025
FY 24-25
PROJECTED TOTAL
Stabilization Measures in millions
DDW Program ($4M approved Oct.1)1.9 15.6 0.4 17.9
Winterization (approved Oct. 1) 4.0 0.0 4.0
Emergency Response
Other (Prof/Tech, Sheriff, Misc) 1.2 1.0 0.3 2.5
Fissure Filling 0.6 0.14 1.0 1.7
Road Repairs 1.0 2.8 1.5 1.8 7.1
Ab Cove Sewer Repairs 0.04 0.8 2.5 0.6 4.0
Personnel Costs 0.1 1.2 1.3 0.3 2.8
Legal Services 0.02 0.1 0.2 0.1 0.4
PBL Remediation 0.5 1.1 0.1 0.0 1.6
ACLAD/KCLAD Loans 0.3 3.2 3.5
Tax Assessments 0.2 0.2 0.7 0.0 1.1
TOTAL: October 2022 - June 2025 1.9 9.8 27.4 7.7 46.7
21
ACLAD Loan:
On January 21, 2025, the City Council directed Staff to work with ACLAD to develop a
DDW plan that would be funded by the City at a not to exceed cost of $5 million, including
the $1.6 million loan that was previously authorized by the City Council on July 2, 2024.
The loan has a 12-year term with a 2.5% interest rate, and the first estimated payment is
scheduled for December 2025, based on the amount disbursed to ACLAD (none to date).
Based on ACLAD’s report to City Council on July 2, 2024, the $1.6 million approved loan
was for the following:
• System improvements $1 million
o Four (4) new and replaced de-watering wells (not deep dewatering wells)
o Modify existing drainage system to add expansion joints at fissure locations
and extended straight lengths
o Well repairs and system optimization
• Surface Drainage $610,000
o Soft costs for conceptual plan for BRIC grants or ACOE grants
o Line Altamira Canyon from Figtree drain to PVDS culvert
o Improve drainage along Narcissa from the PBRC fissure to Narcissa and
Ginger Root
o Improve drainage from Narcissa and lower Cinnamon to culvert
o Replace swale across the corner of the riding club between Upper Narcisa
and Ginger Root
o Add curbing to Upper Cinnamon
o Modify drainage from Lower Cinnamon through Ride-to-fly and the adjacent
lots
o Add curb to lower Vanderlip Dr and bridge stormwater across 3 major
fissures on Upper Vanderlip Dr
o Repair and replace the deep swale along Figtree to direct the stormwater
flow to the culvert
o Lengthen Thyme swale into Altamira Canyon
o Add Curbing around 30 Narcissa
As presented at the July 2, 2024 meeting, based on City Council direction, staff worked
with ACLAD and developed a 10-year financial model (Table 3) using ACLAD’s estimated
assumptions for repairs and maintenance. Based on assumptions provided by ACLAD,
the model estimates the following assessments:
• Maintain the same assessment of approximately $598,000 for Year 1 through Year
4 (FY 2024-2028).
• Level off assessments from Year 5 through Year 10 (FY 2029-2034), ranging from
approximately $549,000 to $577,000.
• Since the City is the major landowner and if estimated assessments meet Prop
218 requirements, the City’s estimated tax is approximately 60% of the
assessments, totaling an average of $350,000 annually or $3.5 million for 10 years
(FY 2024-2034) for ACLAD only. This amount would be paid out of the City’s
general fund.
• For FY 2024-25, the fiscal impact of the increase in tax assessments from the prior
22
year is $204,547 (+117%) for ACLAD and $284,949 (+560%) for KCLAD (see
Table 4a and Table 4b below). Table 4c is the table for benefit assessment formula
from the districts. These details were presented to the City Council on June 4, 2024
(https://rpv.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=5&clip_id=4549&meta_id=11
9635)
Table 3a: ACLAD 10-Year Financial Model – Year 1 to Year 5 (Estimates Only)
These projections are for illustrative purposes only and do not guarantee or imply that
assessments will increase or reflect actual assessments in future years. Any assessments are
subject to Prop 218 requirements.
Continued on the Next Page
Abalone Cove Landslide Abatement
District 2024-25 2025-26 2026-27 2027-28 2028-29
Proposed Expenditures
Total Administrative 21,150 21,785 22,438 23,111 23,805
Total Maintenance & Operations 476,850 329,805 338,094 346,632 355,426
Total Replacement of Reserves 100,000 100,000 91,000 82,000 23,500
Total Debt Services - Loan Payment 0 146,231 146,231 146,231 146,231
Total Estimated Expenditures 598,000 597,821 597,763 597,974 548,961
Proposed Sources of Funds
Use of Reserves
Assessments 598,000 597,821 597,763 597,974 548,961
RPV Reimb Well Monitoring Expense 2,400 2,400 2,400 2,400 2,400
Grants
Total Est. Sources 600,400 600,221 600,163 600,374 551,361
Est. Beg. Balance - Reserves 56,000 158,400 264,100 368,100 467,200
Add: Replacement Reserves 100,000 100,000 91,000 82,000 23,500
Add: Interest Earnings 10,600 14,700 9,300
Deduct: Use of Reserves
Est. Total Reserves 156,000 261,700 365,700 464,800 500,000
23
Table 3b: ACLAD 10-Year Financial Model – Year 6 to Year 10 (Estimates Only)
These projections are for illustrative purposes only and do not guarantee or imply that
assessments will increase or reflect actual assessments in future years. Any assessments are
subject to Prop 218 requirements.
Table 4a: FY 2024-25 Total Increase in Tax Assessments (Paid by the City)
Table 4b: FY 2024-25 Total Parcel Units and Total Assessments (City)
Abalone Cove Landslide Abatement
District 2029-30 2030-31 2031-32 2032-33 2033-34
Proposed Expenditures
Total Administrative 24,519 25,254 26,012 26,792 27,596
Total Maintenance & Operations 364,484 373,813 383,423 393,320 403,515
Total Replacement of Reserves 0 0 0 0 0
Total Debt Services - Loan Payment 146,231 146,231 146,231 146,231 146,231
Total Estimated Expenditures 535,233 545,298 555,665 566,343 577,342
Proposed Sources of Funds
Use of Reserves
Assessments 535,233 545,298 555,665 566,343 577,342
RPV Reimb Well Monitoring Expense 2,400 2,400 2,400 2,400 2,400
Grants
Total Est. Sources 537,633 547,698 558,065 568,743 579,742
Est. Beg. Balance - Reserves 502,400 514,800 527,500 540,500 553,700
Add: Replacement Reserves - - - - -
Add: Interest Earnings 10,000 10,300 10,600 10,800 11,100
Deduct: Use of Reserves
Est. Total Reserves 512,400 525,100 538,100 551,300 564,800
City's Tax Assessments ACLAD KCLAD Total
FY 2023-24 175,074 50,877 225,951
FY 2024-25 379,621 335,826 715,447
Total Increase ($) 204,547 284,949 489,496
Total Increase (%)117% 560% 217%
ACLAD KCLAD
Total Units (approx)1,472 Total Units (approx)475
Total Units (City)862 Total Units (City)279
Percentage 59%Percentage 59%
FY 2024-25 Budget 598,000$ FY 2024-25 Budget 570,570$
Cost Per Unit 440$ Cost Per Unit 1,201$
FY 2024-25 Assessment (City) 379,621$ FY 2024-25 Assessment (City) 335,644$
24
Table 4C: Benefit Assessment Formula
In summary, in accordance with City Council’s approval on July 2, 2024, the $1.6 million
financial assistance loan to ACLAD remains in the FY 2024-25 CIP budget and is
available for disbursement. If approved, the funds would support ACLAD’s conceptual
plan to install eight to ten new DDWs in the upper portion of ACLAD where dewatering
wells have historically been most productive.
Palos Verdes Drive South (PVDS) Bicycle, Motorcycle, Unicycle and Other Similar
wheeled Vehicle Prohibition
Since the City Council’s declaration of a local emergency, the City Geologist, Mike Phipps
of CSA has been regularly conducting field mapping throughout the Landslide Complex;
observing conditions at various locations, reviewing survey and rainfall data; and
participating in various discussions with stakeholders. While the City’s geologist reports
the rate of subsidence and land movement has slowed, pavement conditions on PVDS
remain very poor, with cracks, bumps, fissures, and other irregularities. Moreover, recent
25
B enefit Asse ssment Formula
To help in understanding the B enefit Assessment Fomml a , ~ere is the foromla as adopted by the Board of
Directors.
Type of Propertv
1. Land (improved & unimproved)
2. H abitable area*
3. Public highways
4 . Public Us e
Units of Assessment
@ 1 tmit per acre (43 ,560 square feet)
@ 1 tmit per each 1,000 square feet of improvements
@ 1 tmit per 5,000 s quare feet of public roads
@ 2 tmits per acre
* Improvements are defined as the habitable area -living quarters on the prope1ty .
For example : For a Non-Public property, if the parcel is 13 ,068 square feet, this equals 13 ,068
divided by 43 ,560 = 0.300 acres in size, or 0.300 units
In additi on, the habitable area is 2 175 squ are feet , which equals 2.175 units
So , the Total Units for the property = (0.300) (2.175) = 2.475
The Assessment P er Unit is the Tot.al Operating Cost of the District d iv ided by the Grand Total Units in the
D istrict.
For example : If the Total Operating Cost of the p istrict is $648 ,000
And the Total Units in the D istrict is 1,471.66
Then the Assessment Per Unit = $64K000 / 1471.66 = $440.32 **
** This is as of04/18/2024 . The numbers always change slightly.
To detennine the assessment for the property, multiply the Assessment Per Unit by the Total Units for the
property.
In the example above, the assessment per unit is $440.32 times 2.4 75 Total Units for the property =
$1,098.79 assessment fo r the property.
roadway experience indicates the roadbed of PVDS will show evidence of emerging
cracks, bumps, fissures, and potholes sometimes forming almost overnight. The rate of
movement on PVDS is up to four inches per week in certain areas.
Although four-wheeled vehicles (i.e. cars) can, with due care, navigate the road under
these conditions, the impact on two -wheeled vehicles remains pronounced. Despite the
added signs prohibiting bicyclists and motorcyclists from traversing the landslide, there
remain those who ignore the prohibition at their peril. Were the City Council to end the
current prohibition, the Office of the City Attorney remains of the considered legal opinion
that permitting one- or two-wheeled vehicle traffic across the landslide will pose a liability
risk to the City and that the same is not presently safe for these vehicles to travel on
PVDS, even using due care, across the landslide for the reasons noted above. Staff and
the City Attorney recommend extending the existing re solution prohibiting one- or two-
wheeled vehicles on PVDS for an additional 60 days.
The City Council is being asked to adopt the attached resolution thereby extending the
temporary prohibition of one- and two-wheeled vehicles on PVDS by 60 days (Attachment
A).
Extension of the Local Emergency Declaration
On October 3, 2023, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 2023-47 declaring a local
emergency. The emergency declaration is deemed to continue to exist until its termination
is proclaimed by the City Council in accordance with law. Government Code § 8630
requires the City Council to review the need for continuing the local emergency at least
once every 60 days until the City Council determines the local emergency within the
geographic boundaries of the Landslide Complex has been abated or mitigated to
insignificance.
The City Council has extended the local emergency on multiple occasions within the 60
day window and it remains in effect until February 17, 2025, unless extended again this
evening. At this time, the City Council is being asked to extend the local emergency
declaration an additional 60 days through April 5, 2025, which does not require a public
hearing. If extended this evening, the Council would consider renewing the local
emergency declaration again during the next landslide update on March 18, 2025.
The City Council is being asked to adopt the attached resolution thereby extending the
Declaration of Local Emergency by 60 days (Attachment B).
Extension of the Local Emergency Declaration for Utility Shutoffs
On August 6, 2024, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 2024-52 declaring a local
state of emergency because of a sudden and severe energy shortage caused by shutting
off of natural gas service to approximately 135 homes in the PBCA due to safety
concerns. On September 3, 2024, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 2024-57,
declaring a local state of emergency because of a sudden and severe energy shortage
caused by shutting off of natural gas service, planned de-energization events, and
internet shut-offs in the PBCA, Seaview, and PBBC neighborhoods. The emergency
declaration is deemed to continue to exist until its termination is proclaimed by the City
26
Council in accordance with law. Government Code § 8630 requires the City Council to
review the need for continuing the local emergency at least once every 60 days until the
City Council determines the local emergency because of a severe energy shortage has
been abated or mitigated to insignificance.
The City Council has extended the local emergency declaration for utility shutoffs on
multiple occasions within the 60 day window and it remains in effect until February 17,
2025, unless extended again this evening. At this time, the City Council is being asked to
extend the local emergency declaration an additional 60 days through April 5, 2025, which
does not require a public hearing. If extended this evening, the Council would consider
renewing the local emergency declaration again during the next landslide update on
March 18, 2025.
The City Council is being asked to adopt the attached resolution thereby extending the
Declaration of Local Emergency due to a severe and sudden energy shortage by 60 days
(Attachment C).
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Continuing the Emergency Work and Emergency Contract
As a separate item on tonight’s agenda, the City Council is being provided with an update
on the Portuguese Bend Landslide Emergency construction contracting and being asked
to reconfirm the need to continue the emergency work. This is a recurring agenda matter.
Source Water/Hydrology and Hydraulics Study
The City Council previously requested a study into the source of water contributing to land
movement, including water originating outside City limits and from upper watersheds.
Staff issued a request for proposals (via the PlanetBids online platform) for qualified
engineering firms to perform a study into the source of water contributing to land
movement and solutions to re-direct water away from the landslide.
Proposals for the Source Water/Hydrology and Hydraulics Study were received and
evaluated by a panel consisting of the City Manager, Director of Public Works, Director
of Community Development, representative of ACLAD, and representative of KCLAD.
Qualified firms were short-listed and interviews were conducted by the Director of Public
Works, representative of ACLAD, and representative of KCLAD. The selection panel
identified the highest rated firm and Staff will begin finalizing the scope and negating a
fee. Staff will present a recommendation for the City Council’s consideration to enter into
a professional services agreement with a qualified firm to perform the study in March
2025.
Study to Create a Toll Road on PVDS
On January 21, 2025, the City Council directed staff to pursue alternative or additional
funding sources for landslide remediation and management efforts. One funding source
that has been suggested by community stakeholders is a toll on PVDS.
27
In the coming weeks, Staff will issue a request for proposals to industry consultants for a
study detailing how PVDS from Seaview to Abalone Cove could be converted into a toll
road. Among other items, the study will identify technology options for collecting a toll,
cost of administering a toll road, expected revenue generation, administrative costs,
impacts on other roads such as Palos Verdes Drive East and Western Avenue, legal
implications, and other considerations.
FEMA Voluntary Property Acquisition Buyout Program
On October 28, 2024, the City, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA),
and the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) announced a $42
million Voluntary Property Acquisition Buyout Program (Buyout Program) for property
owners in the Landslide Complex whose homes have been damaged or threatened by
land movement. Established with funding from FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program
(HMGP), which is a grant not disaster assistance, the Buyout Program is intended to help
eligible homeowners relocate to safer areas by offering a fair market value for their
properties based on pre-disaster appraisals. Properties acquired by the City through this
Buyout Program will be permanently converted to open space and deed -restricted,
protecting the community from future redevelopment risks in these vulnerable areas.
Generally speaking, FEMA’s HMGP is funded whenever a federal disaster is declared by
the President. Funding that becomes available through the HMGP can be applied to any
city in a state for which a federal disaster is declared and is not limited to the aff ected
City. FEMA is funding this Buyout Program in the amount of $42 million to the City based
on the Federally declared California disaster for the winter storms that occurred between
January 31 and February 9, 2024. Additional future grant funds for the Buyout Program
cycles may become available to affected residents depending on whether a federal
declared disaster occurs in California including the recent wildfire storms in Pacific
Palisades and Altadena.
The application deadline for property owners of interest with structures that are destroyed,
damaged, or imminently at-risk to be considered eligible within this first round of the
Program offering was November 8, 2024. The City received 85 applications.
In an effort to expedite the review of applications, Cal OES will initially review the property
applications for red-tagged homes to ensure that each property meets FEMA’s eligibility
requirements and will pass cost-effectiveness (Benefit Cost Analysis ((BCA)),
environmental and historic preservation (EHP) reviews. The City along with Cal OES and
FEMA must ensure that each application follows program rules/regulations and comply
with BCA and EHP laws and guidance. Properties deemed eligible by FEMA for the
Program will then proceed to the selection process.
Minimum eligibility includes:
• The property is not bank owned (mortgages do not constitute bank ownership for
purposes of this Program). This Program does not apply to properties currently
owned in title by a bank or other institutional financial institution through a
foreclosure or other similar means nor a Monks or Blacks litigation property;
• The property has not sold since December 1, 2022 (based upon Los Angeles
County Tax and/or parcel records;
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• The property must be improved with a legally permitted structure(s) based on
records on file with the City’s Building and Safety Division; and,
• Applicants must be the legal owners of the improved structures according to the
Assessor’s records and building permit records on file at the City’s Building and
Safety Division.
A property will be selected by the City to proceed with escrow based on the following
prioritization order:
• Properties with a structure that has been red-tagged by the City’s Building Official;
• Properties with a structure that has been yellow-tagged by the City’s Building
Official;
• Properties with structures that are in imminent jeopardy of becoming red - or yellow-
tagged due to their close proximity to land movement elements (i.e. fissures,
grabens, sinkholes, etc.);
• Properties that have been de-energized indefinitely;
• Properties that may benefit the City’s Landslide stabilization and winterization
efforts as determined by the City’s Public Works Director; and,
• Properties that contribute to the overall value of the adjacent Palos Verdes Nature
Preserve as determined by the City’s Recreation and Parks Director.
Property owners interested in the provisions of this Buyout Program were encouraged to
request a voluntary inspection by the City’s Building Official. By the application deadline,
78 inspections were conducted. Of those, 20 homes were red -tagged and 37 were yellow-
tagged. Prior to the October 28, 2024 announcement of the program, only 2 homes had
been red-tagged and 4 homes had been yellow-tagged, due to the voluntary nature of
property inspections.
If a property owner voluntary chooses to participate in this Buyout Program, FEMA’s grant
funding will pay 75% of the total fair market value as established on December 1, 2022.
The total fair market value will include the following:
a. Property value as established by licensed real-estate appraiser
b. Appraisals costs
c. Title search costs
d. Lot survey costs, if necessary
e. Real estate transaction fees
f. Closing costs
g. Demolition costs
h. Environmental/hazardous waste remediation (lead-based paint, asbestos, etc.)
costs
i. Site restoration (grading, seeding) costs
The remaining cost share of 25% for these costs will be borne by the seller (property
owner) except for certain in-kind costs borne by the City estimated at approximately
$330,000 or less than 1% of the total grant program. The contribution of these costs will
be done as a reduction in the final payment at closing to the property owner.
29
Questions have been raised regarding how the cost share will be addressed. Below is the
City’s general explanation of the buyout monetary explanation relating to the 75% / 25%
cost share formula:
The demolition costs would generally come from the 25% that is withheld. For a
hypothetical case for demonstrative purposes, assume the value of the property with the
improvements is appraised at $3.5 million and that the remaining b. through i. of "Eligi ble
Costs" are approximately $180,000. Of those remaining “Eligible Costs”, the property
owner’s share would be $45,000 (25%). The total costs of items a. through i. would be
$3,680,000. In this scenario, the property owner would cover 25% of that ($920,000)
through the reduced payout from FEMA ($3,500,000-$920,000 = $2,580,000). Another
way to calculate is subtracting the $45,000 from the reduced purchase price (($3,500,000
* .75) - $45,000 = $2,580,000). The property owner would not be required to front the
costs for b. through i., rather they would contribute their 25% through the reduced payout.
This Program is strictly voluntary. Homeowners are not being forced to relinquish their
property and the City will not use eminent domain to acquire a property. Property owners
who have been selected to proceed with the purchase of their property may with drawal
at any time prior to closing. Once closing occurs, the real estate transaction is complete
and final.
The City has issued Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for appraisal services, title
companies, escrow professionals, and land surveyors. Proposals were due on January
20, 2025. The City is currently reviewing the proposals and expects to bring professional
services contracts for City Council consideration in March 2025.
Over the past several weeks, many applicants of the Voluntary Buyout Program have
been asking if the program is still active considering the recent wildfire storms and the
latest announcement by the President regarding freezing all federal grants, payments and
obligations. According to the City’s CalOES representative who is administering the
Voluntary Buyout Program, the President’s order leaves uncertainty, despite the “stay”
issued by the courts until Monday, with the release of future funds issued through the
HMGP. However, CalOES and FEMA continue to review the applications, albeit at a
slower rate because most of their staff are in Southern California assisting with the wildfire
recovery, and Requests for Information (RFI) is expected to be transmitted to the City
within the next few weeks. An RFI is issued if more information is needed to complete the
application review process.
More information on this program and application materials can be found at the City’s
website at www.rpvca.gov/DocumentCenter/View/22752/Voluntary-Property-Buyout---
Guidelines-and-Application.
CalOES and FEMA Updates
On September 11, 2024, the City Manager and Public Works Director met with Nancy
Ward, Director of CalOES; Robert Fenton, FEMA District 9 Administrator; and Kevin
McGowan, Director of Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management and their
respective staff. The meeting was in response to the City’s repeated requests for state
and federal assistance with the Landslide Complex; including individual assistance (IA),
30
public assistance (PA), and technical assistance (TA). The City was informed that IA and
PA would not be deployed for the reasons detailed in the October 1, 2024 staff report.
CalOES and FEMA informed the City that TA would be provided to the City and that
various agencies such as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), the Federal
Highway Administration (FHWA), USGS, and CGS would be deployed. On September
26, 2024, the City Manager, Public Works Director, ACLAD, and K CLAD met with
geologists from USACE, FEMA, CalOES, and CGS. The purpose of the meeting was to
scope the specific TA that would be provided. Representatives of the agencies clearly
stated that they would not provide engineering, project management, or construction
assistance. The City and Districts requested TA in the form of sharing new ideas for
landslide mitigation, peer reviewing planned actions, and providing surveying and/or other
measurements of the landslide. The agencies stated that they would provide peer review
services and consider any other assistance that may be available after consulting with
their leadership.
On November 7, 2024, the City Manager and Public Works Director met with
representatives of FEMA and CalOES for an update on the TA efforts. At that meeting,
the City was informed that the USACE had declined to provide TA. Staff were later
informed that USACE considers activities related to the Landslide Complex outside of
their authorized role because they consider the acceleration of, and activation of certain
dormant parts of, the Landslide Complex due to the January 31, 2024 to February 9, 2024
winter storm a pre-existing condition.
On December 5, 2024, CalOES sent the City a draft report prepared by the California
Geological Survey (CGS) on the assessment of the City of Rancho Palos Verdes
landslide movement using remote sensing techniques. On December 13, 2024, CalOES
sent the City a draft report prepared by the CGS on best practices applicable to the
Landslide Complex. The reports were reviewed by the City Geologist and the Public
Works Director. On January 7, 2025, the Landslide Council Subcommittee, consisting of
Mayor Bradley and Councilmember Perestam, along with the City Manager and Public
Works Director met with CalOES and the State Geologist to discuss the reports. The
Public Works Director provided technical comments to CalOES and the State Geologist ,
who stated that they would make clarifications to the reports based on the discussions
and provide updated versions.
Disaster Cost Recovery Applications Update (FEMA and CalOES)
In response to the declared federal disaster for the winter storms that occurred between
January 31 and February 9, 2024 and the Governor’s state of emergency for the indefinite
de-energization of power, the City tabulated the costs it incurred through September 12,
2024 for reimbursement consideration by FEMA and CalOES. Table 6 summarizes the
City’s requests for cost recovery from CalOES and FEMA in the amount of $61.4 million.
Of this amount, $39.4 million is public assistance (City) and $22 million of individual
assistance (residents).
Table 6 – Cost Recovery Applications
31
AGENCY COST RECOVERY TYPE EVENT REQUESTED
AMOUNT
In Millions
FEMA Public Assistance (City)
Winter Storm
(Jan/Feb 24) 38.4
CalOES Public Assistance (City) Energy Shutoff 1.0
CalOES Individual Assistance Energy Shutoff 22.0
TOTAL $61.4
As reported in previous staff reports, according to FEMA and CalOES, natural disaster
recovery funds will not be provided for landslide remediation efforts because it is
considered “pre-existing.” Out of the $39.4 million application for public assistance (City),
Staff is projecting only approximately $1.5 million in potential disaster recovery funds from
the Winter Storm and Energy Shutoff. These recovery funds are still in the application
stage and are not guaranteed. If deemed eligible, the reimbursement process could take
anywhere from one to three years before the City receives the funds. Due to the
uncertainty of these funds, $1.5 million is not included as part of the funding sources in
the financial reports.
For the $22 million individual assistance application that the City submitted on behalf of
the residents, the City has been notified that these funds will not become available.
Additionally, on January 17, 2025, of the $38.4 million applied for public assistance
related to the winter storm, summarized and shown in Table 7 on the next page, the City
received seven (7) denial letters from FEMA for $32.5 million (Attachment G). The City
continues to seek funding assistance from all levels of government and remains
committed to pursuing disaster recovery, including appealing decisions. The City has
initiated this process and plans to partner with KCLAD and ACLAD, as well as hiring a
consultant to support these efforts.
Continued on the Next Page
32
Table 7 – Cost Recovery FEMA Applications (Denied)
BRIC Grant Update
In January 2023, the City applied for a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) FY22 cycle grant for the
COST
RECOVERY TYPE CATEGORY DESCRIP-
TION
REQUESTED
AMOUNT DENIAL REASON
Public
Assistance (City)
#754845
Category D -
Water Control
Facilities
Lanslide -
Drainage 200,000
(1) Damage not directly caused by the
severe winter storms;
(2) Facilities were unstable based on pre-
disaster evidence.
Public
Assistance (City)
#754846
Category F -
Utilities
Landslide
Utilities 3,000,000
(1) Damage not directly caused by the
severe winter storms;
(2) Facilities were unstable based on pre-
disaster evidence.
Public
Assistance (City)
#753361
Category B -
Emergency
Protective
Measures
PVDS
Temporary
Civil Repairs
5,375,000
(1) Damage not directly caused by the
severe winter storms;
(2) Roads ineligible because another
Federal Agency is legally responsible for the
repairs and maintenance of the roads;
(3) Emergency work claimed is due to an
existing unstable landslide.
Public
Assistance (City)
#753364
Category B -
Emergency
Protective
Measures
PB
Landslide
Stabilizatio
n and
Monitoring
9,000,000
(1) Work claimed is not required as a result
of the declared disaster;
(2) Facility (slopes, canyons, hilldsides) is an
ineligible unimproved natural feature;
(3) Existing unstable landslide.
Public
Assistance (City)
#754843
Category C -
Utilities
Landslide
Roads 11,635,000
(1) Work claimed is not required as a result
of the declared disaster;
(2) Facility were unstable based on pre-
disaster evidence.
Public
Assistance (City)
#754842
Category G -
Parks,
Recreational
Facilities, and
Damages at
Portuguese
Bend Trails,
Filiorum
3,231,000
(1) Work claimed is not required as a result
of the declared disaster;
(2) Facility were unstable based on pre-
disaster evidence.
Public
Assistance (City)
#730185
Category G -
Parks,
Recreational
Facilities, and
Other Items
Peppertree,
Burma
Road X Rim
Trails
11,415
(1) Work claimed is not required as a result
of the declared disaster;
(2) Facility were unstable based on pre-
disaster evidence.
TOTAL COST RECOVERY - DENIED $32,452,415
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Portuguese Bend Landslide Remediation Project (PBL Remediation Project). The grant
application was for the entire project including five hydrauger arrays with five drains each,
surface drainage swales with a flow reduction area, and fissure infilling. The total cost of
construction as well as associated professional services was estimated in November
2022 to be approximately $33.3 million. The City applied for funding for 70%, or $23
million, of the cost of the project. The BRIC program requires the $10 million balance of
the project cost to be funded through non-federal sources.
On August 28, 2023, FEMA announced the PBL Remediation Project was selected, with
$23.3 million being allocated, not obligated, for the City’s project. This means that the
project met the basic eligibility requirements and enters the next phase of the awar ds
review process.
The emergency protective and stabilization measures are a separate scope from the PBL
Remediation Project; therefore, the BRIC grant funds cannot be used for the emergency
protective and stabilization measures. Because some of the emergency protective and
stabilization measures overlap with portions of the PBL Remediation Project footprint , the
City was required to submit a revised BRIC grant to exclude any overlap between the
emergency protective and stabilization measures footprint and PBL Remediation Project
footprint. The revised PBL Remediation Project BRIC grant amount is now approximately
$16.4 million, with a required non-federal match of approximately $7 million.
On July 31, 2024, CalOES received notification that FEMA approved Phase 1 of the City’s
application which includes project management, final engineering, environmental
deliverables, construction documents, project agreements, and permits. The total
obligation amount (corrected from what was reported at the July 31 Neighborhood Q&A
and the August 6 Council meeting) is $2,295,091, up to actual approved costs, and a non -
federal share of 30% up to $718,138. A funding decision for Phase 2, or the construction
and related activities phase, will be made upon completion of Phase 1.
Staff are in the process of considering how to request a modification to the BRIC grants
scope considering the emergency work that has occurred to date and the conceptual
build-out estimated costs.
Public Comments
Attached are public comments received for tonight’s agenda item (Attachment H).
CONCLUSION:
Between the December 3, 2024 GPS survey and the most recent January 7, 2025 GPS
survey; horizontal land movement rates (velocities) in the Landslide Complex have
variably accelerated or decelerated to a rate of about 3.5 to 5.3 inches per week in the
ACL, 1.9 to 4.9 inches per week in the greater Altamira Complex areas outside of the
historical ACL and PBL, 0.4 to 3.9 inches per week in the PBL, and remained at no
measurable movement in the KCL.
Since there has been no measurable movement in the Seaview and PBBC
neighborhoods since October 29, 2024; the City has been advocating that SCE restore
34
power to those neighborhoods. As a result, SCE proposed a plan to temporarily restore
power to up to 116 customers, including approximately 76 properties in the PBBC and
Seaview neighborhoods, by March 31, 2025, excluding red -tagged homes. To support
this process, residents have been receiving individual calls outlining inspection
requirements necessary for reconnection.
The DDW component of the emergency stabilization work funded by the City Council is
generally complete, along with the associated test boreholes and monitoring wells. As of
January 27, 2025, the total combined water extraction rate of DDWs 1 through 11 is
currently approximately 755 gallons per minute or approximately 1.1 million gallons per
day. Since the start of the DDW program, over 127 million gallons, or approximately 392
acre-feet, of water have been extracted from certain locations of the toe of Landslide
Complex. To assess the effectiveness of the DDW program, a GPS survey of a select
sample of surface monitoring points at the toe of the landslide is being conducted on an
approximately weekly basis. This sample of survey monitoring points shows a very strong
correlation between water extraction and a decrease in the rate of surface movement.
Additionally, the groundwater monitoring wells within the DDW areas have shown a
marked decrease in water pressure (the main driving force of landslide movement).
The temporary emergency winterization work consisting of filling and lining of fissures in
canyons as well as the Seaview neighborhood, among other items , is substantially
complete. A work plan is being developed to re-grade and fill fissures that have re-opened
in areas in and around Altamira Canyon, as well as adjust and further strengthen existing
currently installed pond liner systems as advised by GLA and CSA; particularly in
response to lessons learned from the recent wet weather event.
In response to the City Council’s direction to work with ACLAD to develop a deep
dewatering plan within its jurisdictional boundary that would be funded by the City at a not
to exceed cost of $5 million in the form of a loan or grant; Staff facilitated the development
of an ACLAD concept plan agreed upon by GLA and CSA. The concept plan, which is
preliminary and subject to revisions as well as additional details, consists of eight to ten
new DDWs in the upper portion of ACLAD where dewatering wells have historically been
most productive (Attachment D). The current relatively high producing ACLAD wells will
continue to operate.
Because data from each DDW installation will be used to inform modifications to the
subsequent DDW, the plan is likely to unfold over several weeks to a few months.
Additionally, ACLAD is still in the process of refining cost estimates for the wells.
Therefore, Staff recommends that the City Council defer increasing the City’s financial
contribution to ACLAD, whether as an addition loan or as a grant, to a future date when
there is more certainty around the cost and timing of when funds are needed.
Staff recommend the City Council to approve an additional appropriation of $100,000 for
in-kind project management and construction management costs to assist ACLAD with
implementing the plan.
Due to ongoing high rates of movement and associated impacts in certain parts of the
Landslide Complex, Staff recommend that the City Council extend the temporary
35
prohibition on one- and two-wheeled vehicles, extend the local emergency declaration,
and extend the de-energization emergency declaration for an additional 60 days.
ALTERNATIVES:
In addition to Staff recommendation, the following alternative actions are available for
the City Council’s consideration:
1. Take no action, and receive and file this report.
2. Do not affirm use of the loan in the amount of $1.6 million approved by the City
Council on July 2, 2024 for ACLAD to implement their DDW plan and instead direct
staff to prepare a proposal for alternate use of the funds for City Council
consideration.
3. Do not approve the additional appropriation of $100,000 from the CIP for in-kind
project and construction management services by the City to assist ACLAD with
implementation of their DDW plan.
4. Do not extend the temporary prohibition of one- or two-wheeled vehicles on PVDS
and allow one- and two-wheeled to begin using PVDS again.
5. Do not adopt one, or both, of the resolutions continuing the local emergency
declarations.
36
RESOLUTION NO. 2025-__
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE
CITY OF RANCHO PALOS VERDES, EXTENDING
FOR A TERM OF SIXTY (60) DAYS THE
TEMPORARILY PROHIBITION ON TRAVEL BY
UNICYCLES, BICYCLES, MOTORCYCLES, AND
OTHER ONE- OR TWO-WHEELED VEHICLES ON
PALOS VERDES DRIVE SOUTH WITHIN THE
LANDSLIDE COMPLEX DUE TO CONTINUED
ROADWAY CONDITIONS
WHEREAS, the Greater Portuguese Bend Landslide Complex (t he
Landslide Complex) encompasses four historically active landslide areas in the
City: the Portuguese Bend Landslide (PBL), the Abalone Cove Landslide (ACL),
the Klondike Canyon Landslide (KCL), and the Beach Club Landslide (BCL). It also
includes the Flying Triangle Landslide (FTL) in the City of Rolling Hills as mapped
by various agencies (i.e., U.S. Geological Survey, California Geological Survey)
and other researchers; and
WHEREAS, following the 2022-23 rainy season, the Landslide Complex’s
movement has accelerated exponentially. Therefore, on October 3, 2023, the City
Council of the City of Rancho Palos Verdes adopted Resolution No. 2023 -047
based on its authority pursuant to Section 8610 et seq. and Section 8630 et seq.
of the Government Code, and Chapter 2.23 of the Rancho Palos Verdes Municipal
Code, declaring a state of local emergency for the Landslide Complex based on
the accelerated movement of the land. The declaration of emergency has been
renewed as required by law and currently applies; and
WHEREAS, following the City Council’s declaration of a local emergency,
the City experienced another record-setting rainy season; and
WHEREAS, since the City Council’s declaration of a local emergency, the
City Geologist, Mike Phipps of Cotton, Shires, and Associates, Inc. (CSA), has
been regularly conducting field mapping throughout the Landslide Complex;
observing conditions at various locations, and reviewing survey and rainfall data;
and
WHEREAS, the City Geologist most recently reported to the City Council
on May 7, 2024, in summary, that the Landslide Complex continues moving at
unprecedented rates, predominantly in response to the two consecutive seasons
of significantly above average rainfall; and
WHEREAS, the City Geologist stated that land movement continued to
manifest at the ground surface in the form of landslide scarps, fissures,
grabens/sinkholes, tensional cracking, shear zones and thrust features; and that
due to the continued acceleration, the groun d movement features have continued
to enlarge, expand, widen, or grow depending on the type of feature and location ,
A-1
Resolution No. 2025-__
Page 2 of 4
which also affects Palos Verdes Drive South (PVDS) as it traverses the Landslide
Complex area; and
WHEREAS, the City Geologist summarized that road conditions on PVDS
continue to be adversely impacted due to differential rates of land movement
ranging from about 5 to 8 inches per week, at the time of the report to the City
Council on May 7, 2024; and
WHEREAS, traffic signs on PVDS in the landslide area include various
signs warning of the landslide conditions, with some specifically directed at
bicyclists and motorcyclists. Out of an abundance of caution, Staff (through a
consultant), conducted a review of signs on PVDS. As a result, additional signs
were installed, including signs installed on June 1, 2024 specifically directed at
bicyclists and motorcyclists; and
WHEREAS, despite the existing bicycle warning signs, Staff has been
anecdotally informed of bicycle crashes, and at least one claim has been filed
against the City (which was prior to the additional bicycle and motorcycle signs
installed on June 1); and
WHEREAS, Section 8610 of the Government Code provides the local
disaster council with broad powers to “develop plans for meeting any condition
constituting a local emergency or state of emergency, including, but not limited to,
earthquakes, natural or manmade disasters specific to that jurisdiction, or state of
war emergency….”; and
WHEREAS, Chapter 2.24 designates the City Council, the director of
emergency services, the assistant director of emergency services, and the chiefs
of emergency services as the City’s Disaster Council; and
WHEREAS, the director of emergency services (the city manager), “[i]n the
event of the proclamation of a local emergency […], the director [of emergency
services] is empowered: a. To make and issue rules and regulations on matters
reasonably related to the protection of life and property as affected by such
emergency….”; and
WHEREAS, the City Council finds that despite consistent and recently
increased signage, riders of bicycles and motorcycles continue to use PVDS, and
that the land movement is creating frequent localized deviations in the road, which
can be navigated safely in cars and trucks, but that are more dangerous for two-
wheeled vehicles such as bicycles and motorcycles; and
WHEREAS, the City Council finds that the safety of bicycle, motorcycle and
other two-wheeled riders is a compelling interest; and
A-2
Resolution No. 2025-__
Page 3 of 4
WHEREAS, the City Council finds that in order to further the City’s
compelling interest in the safety of riders, it is appropriate to temporarily route
bicycles and motorcycles away from the portion of PVDS within the Landslide
Complex, until such time as the City may be able to slow the land movement
sufficiently to reduce the frequency and severity of road deviations to minimize the
risk of injury to persons or property; and
WHEREAS, on June 18, 2024, the City Council duly adopted Resolution
No. 2024-39 prohibiting, for a period of six (6) months, bicycles, motorcycles, and
other two-wheeled vehicles from traversing PVDS with the Landslide Complex;
and
WHEREAS, on December 17, 2024, the City Council duly adopted
Resolution No. 2024-76 prohibiting, for a period of ninety (90) days, unicycles,
bicycles, motorcycles, and other one- or two-wheeled vehicles from traversing
PVDS with the Landslide Complex; and
WHEREAS, staff and the Office of the City attorney are of the opinion that
conditions on PVDS have not stabilized to the point that this prohibition should be
allowed to terminate and is of the further opinion the existing prohibition should be
extended for an additional sixty (60) day period.
NOW, THEREFORE THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF RANCHO
PALOS VERDES DOES HEREBY FIND, DETERMINE AND RESOLVE AS
FOLLOWS:
Section 1: The above recitals are true and correct and incorporated herein
by reference.
Section 2: For a period of sixty (60) calendar days from and after the date
of this resolution, the portion of PVDS within the Landslide Complex shall be closed
to unicycle, bicycle, motorcycle, and other one- or two-wheeled vehicle traffic.
Section 3: Updates on the rate of movement and repair of PVDS will be
provided at City Council meetings where the City Council is considering extending
the local state of emergency, including an assessment of the relative safety of
traveling on PVDS by unicycles, bicycles, motorcycles, and other one- or two-
wheeled vehicles through the Landslide Complex, with the purpose of lifting the
prohibition as soon as possible.
Section 4: This Resolution shall be effective immediately upon adoption by
the City Council upon a majority vote.
A-3
Resolution No. 2025-__
Page 4 of 4
PASSED, APPROVED, AND ADOPTED at a regular meeting of the City
Council of the City of Rancho Palos Verdes, California, on this 4th day of February,
2025.
David Bradley, Mayor
ATTEST:
Teresa Takaoka, City Clerk
STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES )ss
CITY OF RANCHO PALOS VERDES )
I, Teresa Takaoka, City Clerk of the City of Rancho Palos Verdes, do hereby certify
that the foregoing Resolution No. 2025-__, was duly and regularly passed and
adopted by the said City Council at a regular meeting thereof held on February 4,
2025
__________________________________
Teresa Takaoka, City Clerk
A-4
01203.0023/1027433.1
RESOLUTION NO. 2025-__
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE
CITY OF RANCHO PALOS VERDES, CALIFORNIA,
CONTINUING THE LOCAL EMERGENCY
DECLARATION AS ESTABLISHED BY
RESOLUTION NO. 2023-47 ADOPTED ON
OCTOBER 3, 2023 FOR AN ADDITIONAL 60 DAY
PERIOD
WHEREAS, on October 3, 2023, the City Council of the City of Rancho Palos
Verdes adopted Resolution No. 2023 -47, declaring a local state of emergency because
of the alarming increase of land movement in the Greater Portuguese Bend Landslide
Complex, as depicted in Resolution No. 2023-47 Exhibits “A” and “B”. Resolution No.
2023-47, and the exhibits thereto, is incorporated by reference;
WHEREAS, on October 3, 2023, the City Council by a 4/5 vote also adopted
Interim Urgency Ordinance No. 674U, establishing a moratorium on all construction in the
Landslide Complex;
WHEREAS, on November 14, 2023, the City Council by a 4/5 vote adopted
Resolution No. 2023-56, extending the state of emergency for an additional 60 days;
WHEREAS, on December 19, 2023, the City Council by a 4/5 vote adopted
Resolution No. 2023-61, extending the state of emergency for an additional 60 days;
WHEREAS, on February 6, 2024, the City Council by a 4/5 vote adopted
Resolution No. 2024-05, extending the state of emergency for an additional 60 days;
WHEREAS, on March 19, 2024, the City Council by a 5-0 vote adopted Resolution
No. 2024-13, extending the state of emergency for an additional 60 days;
WHEREAS, on May 7, 2024, the City Council by a 5-0 vote adopted Resolution
No. 2024-20, extending the state of emergency for an additional 60 days;
WHEREAS, on July 2, 2024, the City Council by a 5-0 vote adopted Resolution
No. 2024-44, extending the state of emergency for an additional 60 days;
WHEREAS, on August 6, 2024, the City Council by a 5-0 vote adopted Resolution
No. 2024-51, extending the state of emergency by an additional 60 days ;
WHEREAS, on October 1, 2024, the City Council by a 5-0 vote adopted Resolution
No. 2024-50, extending the state of emergency by an additional 60 days ;
WHEREAS, on November 19, 2024, the City Council by a 5-0 vote adopted
Resolution No. 2024-70, extending the state of emergency by an additional 60 days; and
WHEREAS, on December 17, 2024, the City Council by a 5-0 vote adopted
Resolution No. 2024-77, extending the state of emergency by an additional 60 days; and
B-1
Resolution No. 2025-__
Page 2 of 3
WHEREAS, the state of emergency is deemed to continue to exist until its
termination is proclaimed by the City Council in accordance with law. Government Code
§ 8630 requires the City Council to review of the need for continuing the local emergency
at least once every 60 days until the City Council determines the local emergency within
the geographic boundaries of the Landslide Complex has been abated or mitigated to
insignificance; and,
WHEREAS, after consideration of all facts reasonably available the City Council
now desires to extend the declaration of a state of local emergency within the Landslide
Complex.
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF RANCHO PALOS
VERDES, CALIFORNIA, HEREBY FINDS, DETERMINES, AND RESOLVES AS
FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Recitals. The City Council hereby determines that the above recitals
are true and correct and incorporates the same as the findings of the City Council.
Section 2. Proclamation of Emergency. The City Council finds, pursuant to
RPVMC Chapter 2.24 and Government Code §§ 8630 and 8680.9, there exists an actual
condition of peril to the safety of persons and property exiting within the Greater
Portuguese Bend Landslide, comprised of the Portuguese Bend Landslide, the Abalone
Cove Landslide, and the Klondike Canyon Landslide), as depicted in Exhibits “A” and “B”
of Resolution No. 2023-47, and based on the staff report and recommendations and
public testimony, and hereby proclaims that a state of local emergency continues to exist
throughout the same.
Section 3. Authority Granted. It is further proclaimed and ordered that during
the existence of said local emergency, the powers, authority, functions and duties of the
Disaster Council, Director, and the City’s emergency services organizations shall be
those prescribed by State Law, City ordinances, Resolution No. 2023-47 and any other
applicable resolutions, and approved plans of the City in order to mitigate the effects of
the local emergency.
Section 4. Immunity Invoked. To the maximum extent permitted by law, and
pursuant to Government Code § 866, the City Council hereby invokes the immunity
afforded to the City of Rancho Palos Verds in adopting and implementing the declaration
of local emergency within the Landslide Complex
Section 5. Duration. The local emergency shall be deemed to continue to exist
until its termination is proclaimed by the City Council in accordance with law.
Section 6. Continuing Declaration. Government Code § 8630 requires the
City Council to review of the need for continuing the local emergency at least once every
60 days until the City Council determines the local emergency within Landslide Complex
has been abated or mitigated to insignificance.
B-2
Resolution No. 2025-__
Page 3 of 3
Section 7. Severability. If any subsection, sentence, clause, phrase, or word of
this Resolution or any application of it to any person, structure, gathering, or circumstance
is held to be invalid or unconstitutional by a decision of a court of competent jurisdiction,
then such decision will not affect the validity of the remaining portions or applications of
this Resolution.
Section 8. Effectiveness. This Resolution shall take effect immediately. A copy
of the Proclamation and this Resolution shall be forwarded to the California Emergency
Management Agency. The City Clerk shall certify to the passage and adoption of this
resolution..
PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED on this 4th day of February, 2025.
________________________________
David Bradley, Mayor
ATTEST:
________________________________
Teresa Takaoka, City Clerk
STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES ) ss
CITY OF RANCHO PALOS VERDES )
I, Teresa Takaoka, City Clerk of the City of Rancho Palos Verdes, hereby certify that
the above Resolution No. 2025-__ was duly and regularly passed and adopted by the
said City Council at a regular meeting thereof held on February 4, 2025.
___________________________
Teresa Takaoka, City Clerk
B-3
01203.0023/1027441.1
RESOLUTION NO. 2025-__
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
RANCHO PALOS VERDES, CALIFORNIA, EXTENDING
THE STATE OF LOCAL EMERGENCY WITHIN THE
GEOGRAPHIC BOUNDARIES OF THE PORTUGUESE
BEND COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION, PORTUGUESE BEND
BEACH CLUB, AND SEAVIEW NEIGHBORHOODS,
BASED ON SUDDEN ENERGY SHORTAGES, PLANNED
DEENERGIZING EVENTS, AND INTERNET SERVICE
SHUT OFFS AS ESTABLISHED BY RESOLUTION NOS.
2024-52 AND 2024-57 FOR AN ADDITIONAL 60 DAYS
WHEREAS, the City of Rancho Palos Verdes is home to four out of five sub -slides
that comprise the Greater Portuguese Landslide Complex (Landslide Complex): the
Portuguese Bend Landslide, Abalone Cove Landslide, Klondike Canyon Landslide, and
Beach Club Landslide. The Portuguese Bend Landslide encompasses the Portuguese
Bend Community Association (PBCA), the Seaview Neighborhood (Seaview), and the
Portuguese Bend Beach Club (PBBC). The Landslide Complex has been active since the
1950s;
WHEREAS, the 2022-2023 rainy season brought exceptional amounts of rain to
the region, dumping 20.9” of rain or 190% of the average annual rainfall in the region ;
WHEREAS, by April 26, 2024, total rainfall for the 2023-24 season (beginning Oct
1, 2023) was 23.01" or 169% of the historical 67-year average of 13.63" for this rain
gauge. (All data based on LACDPW Rainfall Gauge No. 1011B at Rolling Hills FS.);
WHEREAS, beginning in 2018, but particularly since May 2023, the land
movement in the Landslide Complex has increased significantly due to increased rainfall
in the last two rainy seasons, which caused the water table to rise dramatically and
destabilize the landslides. The City has established, via repeated geologic studies, that a
significant factor in the speed of land movement in the Landslide Complex is the amount
of water in the soil;
WHEREAS, on October 3, 2023, the City Council of the City of Rancho Palos
Verdes adopted Resolution No. 2023-47, declaring a local state of emergency due to the
alarming increase of land movement in the Landslide Complex. The state of emergency
based on the land movement has been extended as required by law and is still active;
WHEREAS, on August 6, 2024, the City Council by unanimous vote adopted
Resolution No. 2024-52, declaring a local state of emergency because of a sudden and
severe energy shortage caused by shutting off of natural gas service to approximately
135 homes in the PBCA due to safety concerns;
WHEREAS, on September 3, 2024, the City Council by unanimous vote adopted
Resolution No. 2024-57, declaring a local state of emergency because of a sudden and
severe energy shortage caused by shutting off of natural gas service, planned de-
energization events, and internet shut-offs in the PBCA, Seaview, and PBBC;
C-1
Resolution No. 2025-__
Page 2 of 3
WHEREAS, on October 1, 2024, the City Council by unanimous vote adopted
Resolution No. 2024-61, declaring a local state of emergency because of a sudden and
severe energy shortage caused by shutting off of natural gas service, planned
deenergization events, and internet shut-offs in the PBCA, Seaview, and PBBC;
WHEREAS, on November 19, 2024, the City Council by unanimous vote adopted
Resolution No. 2024-71, declaring a local state of emergency because of a sudden and
severe energy shortage caused by shutting off of natural gas service, planned
deenergization events, and internet shut-offs in the PBCA, Seaview, and PBBC;
WHEREAS, on December 17, 2024, the City Council by unanimous vote adopted
Resolution No. 2024-78, declaring a local state of emergency because of a sudden and
severe energy shortage caused by shutting off of natural gas service, planned
deenergization events, and internet shut-offs in the PBCA, Seaview, and PBBC;
WHEREAS, after consideration of all facts reasonably available the City Council
now desires to extend the declaration of a state of local emergency within the Landslide
Complex.
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF RANCHO PALOS
VERDES, CALIFORNIA, HEREBY FINDS, DETERMINES, AND RESOLVES AS
FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Recitals. The City Council hereby determines that the above recitals
are true and correct and incorporates the same as the findings of the City Council.
Section 2. Extension of Local State of Emergency. The City Council finds,
pursuant to RPVMC Chapter 2.24 and Government Code §§ 8630, 8680.9, and 8558
there exists an actual condition of peril to the safety of persons and property existing
within the PBCA, Seaview, and PBBC, as established by Resolutions No. 2024-52 and
2024-57, and based on the staff report and recommendations and public testimony, and
hereby proclaims that a state of local emergency continues to exist throughout the same.
Section 3. Authority Granted. It is further proclaimed and ordered that during
the existence of said local emergency, the powers, authority, functions and duties of the
Disaster Council, Director, and the City’s emergency services organizations shall be
those prescribed by State Law, City ordinances, Resolution Nos. 2023-52 and 2024-57,
and any other applicable resolutions, and approved plans of the City in order to mitigate
the effects of the local emergency.
Section 4. Immunity Invoked. To the maximum extent permitted by law, and
pursuant to Government Code § 866, the City Council hereby invokes the immunity
afforded to the City of Rancho Palos Verds in adopting and implementing the declaration
of local emergency within the Landslide Complex.
Section 5. Duration. The local emergency shall be deemed to continue to exist
until its termination is proclaimed by the City Council in accordance with law. Government
Code § 8630 requires the City Council to review of the need for continuing the local
C-2
Resolution No. 2025-__
Page 3 of 3
emergency at least once every 60 days until the City Council determines the local
emergency within the geographic boundaries of the Landslide Complex has been abated
or mitigated to insignificance.
Section 6. Continuing Declaration. Government Code § 8630 requires the
City Council to review of the need for continuing the local emergency at least once every
60 days until the City Council determines the local emergency within the PBCA has been
abated or mitigated to insignificance.
Section 7. Severability. If any subsection, sentence, clause, phrase, or word of
this Resolution or any application of it to any person, structure, gathering, or circumstance
is held to be invalid or unconstitutional by a decision of a court of competent jurisdiction,
then such decision will not affect the validity of the remaining portions or applications of
this Resolution.
Section 8. CEQA. The City Council finds that this Resolution is proposed to allow
the City to continue to address and mitigate an imminent threat to public health and safety
and therefore is exempt from CEQA pursuant to Public Resources Code, Section
21080(b)(4) and CEQA Guidelines, Section 15269.
Section 9. Effectiveness. This Resolution shall take effect immediately. A copy
of the Proclamation and this Resolution shall be forwarded to the California Office of
Emergency Management. The City Clerk shall certify to the passage and adoption of this
resolution.
PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED on this 4th day of February, 2025.
________________________________
David Bradley, Mayor
ATTEST:
________________________________
Teresa Takaoka, City Clerk
STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES ) ss
CITY OF RANCHO PALOS VERDES )
I, Teresa Takaoka, City Clerk of the City of Rancho Palos Verdes, hereby certify that
the above Resolution No. 2025-__ was duly and regularly passed and adopted by the
said City Council at a regular meeting thereof held on February 4, 2025.
___________________________
Teresa Takaoka, City Clerk
C-3
Deep DeWatering Well Plan
•Keep existing high performing wells
•WW1, WW11, WW12, WW13, WW15
•Timed operation of WW3, WW6,
WW17
•Add 10 Deep Dewatering Wells
•Replace Sheared Wells (7)
•New locations (3)
•Add 2 monitoring wells
D-1
X
Average Well Expenses
•Site Preparation $10K
•Well Drilling $100K to $150K
•Pump Installation $5K
•Drain Line $5K to $10K
•Generator Instl.$5K to $10K
•Propane Instl.$5K
•Clean-up $5K
•Total $140-$200K
D-2
0 250 500 1000
(feet)
PONY TRAIL
PORTUGUESE
BEND
LANDSLIDE
FLYING
TRIANGLE
LANDSLIDE
KLONDIKE
CANYON
LANDSLIDE
ABALONE
COVE
LANDSLIDE
ABALONE
COVE
PORTUGUESE
POINT
INSPIRATION
POINT
SACRED
COVE
BURMA ROAD
PALOS VERDES DRIVE SOUTH
%850$
ROAD
EXPLANATION
Limits of the Ancient Portuguese Bend Landslide Complex
Limits of Historically Mapped Landslides
2023/2024 Landslide Features
(based on CSA field mapping)
SEAVIEW TRACT
Limits of 2023-2024 Major Landslide Movement
(based on CSA field mapping and bathymetry survey)
LIMITS OF 2023-2024
MAJOR LANDSLIDE
MOVEMENT
GPS Monument Displacement Rate
(December 3, 2024 to January 7, 2025)
Displacement Vector Scale 1"= 8"/week
Displacement Rate Table
Minimum Rate
(inch/week)
2.00
3.00
4.00
5.00
6.00
7.00
8.00
9.00
Maximum Rate
(inch/week)
3.00
4.00
5.00
6.00
7.00
8.00
9.00
10.00
Color
10.00 11.00
11.00 12.00
1.00 2.00
12.00 13.00
0.00 1.00
APPROXIMATE BOUNDARY OF
ANCIENT PORTUGUESE BEND
LANDSLIDE COMPLEX
BEACH CLUB
LANSDSLIDE
RP02
0.00
CW08
0.00
FT10
0.01
RP03
0.01
FT08
0.01
AB64
0.01
AB76
0.01
AB01
0.01
CR60
0.02
RP05
0.02
RP01
0.02
AB79
0.02
CR56
0.03
CR59
0.03
KC37
0.03
KC29
0.04
KC21
0.04
KC33
0.04
FT09
0.04
KC35
0.04
CW06
0.04
KC16
0.04
KC36
0.05
CR57
0.05
KC34
0.05
KC07
0.06
AB17
0.06
AB80
0.07
CR50
0.07AB77
0.07
KC13
0.07
CR53
0.07
KC14
0.07
KC17
0.07
KC18
0.08
KC28
0.08
KC23
0.08
KC22
0.08
KC25
0.09
KC05
0.09
CR58
0.09
CW05
0.09
KC20
0.09
KC24
0.09
KC30
0.09
CR51
0.10
KC31
0.10
KC26
0.10
KC15
0.10
CW01
0.12
KC19
0.12
KC38
0.16
KC06
0.29
AB78
0.31
PB13
0.39
PB29
0.48
PB26
0.73
UB02
0.85
PB12
1.36
PB67
1.42
PB76
1.55
PB09
1.76
AB50
1.92
PB20
2.05
PB08
2.11
PB27
2.16
PB06
2.24
PB21
2.34
PB07
2.44
AB74
2.55
PB55
2.65
PB72
3.17
PB69
3.20
PB59
3.29
AB67
3.30
PB04
3.31
PB68
3.32
PB75
3.35
AB73
3.40
PB70
3.40
AB16
3.44
AB62
3.54
AB05
3.82
PB18
3.91
PB54
3.94
AB57
3.98
AB65
4.09
AB51
4.14
AB63
4.17
PB71RP
4.21
CR54
4.26
AB04
4.28
AB66
4.46
AB81
4.48
AB53
4.48
AB68
4.48
AB75
4.62
AB21
4.63
AB59
4.74
AB60
4.64
AB70
4.87
AB58
4.88
AB13
4.96
AB24
5.31
COTTON,SHIRES AND ASSOCIATES, INC.
CONSULTING ENGINEERS AND GEOLOGISTS
RANCHO PALOS VERDES, CALIFORNIA
SC6163
POS
MP
January 14, 2025
1"=500'
FIGURE NO.
PROJECT NO.
DATE
SCALE
APPROVED BY
GEO/ENG BY
GPS MONITORING DISPLACEMENT RATE
CONTOUR MAP (1/7/25 DATA)
1
Abalone Cove, Portuguese Bend, Klondike Canyon
Hillshade basemap produced from publicly available LiDAR:
"2015 - 2016 LARIAC Lidar DEM: Los Angeles Region, CA"
&5(6752$'
C-1E - 1
E-1
0 250 500 1000
(feet)
PONY TRAIL
PORTUGUESE
BEND
LANDSLIDE
FLYING
TRIANGLE
LANDSLIDE
KLONDIKE
CANYON
LANDSLIDE
ABALONE
COVE
LANDSLIDE
ABALONE
COVE
PORTUGUESE
POINT
INSPIRATION
POINT
SACRED
COVE
BURMA ROAD
PALOS VERDES DRIVE SOUTH
%850$
ROAD
EXPLANATION
Limits of the Ancient Portuguese Bend Landslide Complex
Limits of Historically Mapped Landslides
2023/2024 Landslide Features
(based on CSA field mapping)
SEAVIEW TRACT
Limits of 2023-2024 Major Landslide Movement
(based on CSA field mapping and bathymetry survey)
LIMITS OF 2023-2024
MAJOR LANDSLIDE
MOVEMENT
GPS Monument Displacement Rate
(October 29, 2024 to December 3, 2024)
Displacement Vector Scale 1"= 8"/week
Displacement Rate Table
Minimum Rate
(inch/week)
2.00
3.00
4.00
5.00
6.00
7.00
8.00
9.00
Maximum Rate
(inch/week)
3.00
4.00
5.00
6.00
7.00
8.00
9.00
10.00
Color
10.00 11.00
11.00 12.00
1.00 2.00
12.00 13.00
0.00 1.00
RP03
0.03
APPROXIMATE BOUNDARY OF
ANCIENT PORTUGUESE BEND
LANDSLIDE COMPLEX
AB01
0.05
AB17
0.03
AB64
0.09
AB77
0.04
AB78
0.15
AB79
0.02
AB80
0.04
CR53
0.14
CR56
0.05
CR57
0.06
CR59
0.07
CW01
0.02
CW05
0.07
CW06
0.07
CW08
0.09
FT08
0.07
FT09
0.06
FT10
0.08
KC06
0.06
KC07
0.04
KC13
0.04
KC14
0.02
KC15
0.06 KC16
0.04
KC19
0.08
KC20
0.06
KC21
0.03
KC23
0.04
KC24
0.05
KC25
0.06
KC26
0.02KC28
0.06
KC29
0.08
KC33
0.10
KC34
0.04KC35
0.05
KC36
0.02
KC37
0.06
KC38
0.10
AB04
4.41
AB13
5.32
AB16
3.84
AB21
4.52
AB24
5.73
AB50
2.27
AB51
4.63
AB53
4.83
AB57
4.12
AB58
4.97
AB59
5.13
AB60
4.80
AB62
3.77 AB63
4.56
AB65
4.46
AB66
4.90
AB67
3.57
AB68
4.83
AB70
5.47
AB73
3.37
AB74
2.80
AB75
4.52
AB76
0.13
CR50
0.13 CR51
0.16
CR54
4.46
CR58
0.14
CR60
0.17
KC05
0.11
KC17
0.14
KC18
0.16 KC22
0.11
KC30
0.17
KC31
0.17
PB04
3.41 PB06
2.45
PB07
2.54 PB08
2.13
PB09
1.76
PB12
1.23
PB13
0.39
PB18
4.25
PB20
1.93
PB21
2.31
PB26
0.77
PB27
1.98
PB29
0.49
PB54
4.16
PB55
2.25
PB59
3.46
PB67
1.32PB68
3.43
PB69
3.15PB70
3.50
PB71RP
4.07
PB72
3.31
PB74
1.10
PB75
3.57
PB76
1.43
UB02
0.87
BEACH CLUB
LANSDSLIDE
COTTON,SHIRES AND ASSOCIATES, INC.
CONSULTING ENGINEERS AND GEOLOGISTS
RANCHO PALOS VERDES, CALIFORNIA
SC6163
POS
MP
December 12, 2024
1"=500'
FIGURE NO.
PROJECT NO.
DATE
SCALE
APPROVED BY
GEO/ENG BY
GPS MONITORING DISPLACEMENT RATE
CONTOUR MAP (12/03/24 DATA)
1
Abalone Cove, Portuguese Bend, Klondike Canyon
Hillshade basemap produced from publicly available LiDAR:
"2015 - 2016 LARIAC Lidar DEM: Los Angeles Region, CA"
C-2E - 2
E-2
0 250 500 1000
(feet)
PONY TRAIL
PORTUGUESE
BEND
LANDSLIDE
FLYING
TRIANGLE
LANDSLIDE
KLONDIKE
CANYON
LANDSLIDE
ABALONE
COVE
LANDSLIDE
ABALONE
COVE
PORTUGUESE
POINT
INSPIRATION
POINT
SACRED
COVE
BURMA ROAD
PALOS VERDES DRIVE SOUTH
%850$
ROAD
EXPLANATION
Limits of the Ancient Portuguese Bend Landslide Complex
Limits of Historically Mapped Landslides
2023/2024 Landslide Mapping
SEAVIEW TRACT
Current Limits of Major
Landslide Movement (March
2024)
CURRENT LIMITS OF
MAJOR LANDSLIDE
MOVEMENT (MARCH 2024)
GPS Monument
Displacement Rate
(October 8, 2024 to
October 29, 2024)
Displacement Vector
Scale 1"= 8"/week
Displacement Rate Table
Minimum Rate
(inch/week)
2.00
3.00
4.00
5.00
6.00
7.00
8.00
9.00
Maximum Rate
(inch/week)
3.00
4.00
5.00
6.00
7.00
8.00
9.00
10.00
Color
10.00 11.00
11.00 12.00
1.00 2.00
12.00 13.00
0.00 1.00
UB02
0.68
UB02
0.68
UB02
0.68
UB02
0.68
UB02
0.68
UB02
0.68
UB02
0.68
UB02
0.68
UB02
0.68
UB02
0.68
UB02
0.68
UB02
0.68
UB02
0.68
UB02
0.68
UB02
0.68
UB02
0.68
UB02
0.68
UB02
0.68
UB02
0.68
UB02
0.68
UB02
0.68
UB02
0.68
UB02
0.68
UB02
0.68
UB02
0.68
UB02
0.68
UB02
0.68
UB02
0.68
UB02
0.68
UB02
0.68
UB02
0.68
UB02
0.68
UB02
0.68
UB02
0.68
UB02
0.68
UB02
0.68
UB02
0.68
UB02
0.68
UB02
0.68
UB02
0.68
UB02
0.68
UB02
0.68
UB02
0.68
UB02
0.68
UB02
0.68
UB02
0.68
UB02
0.68
UB02
0.68
UB02
0.68
UB02
0.68
UB02
0.68
UB02
0.68
UB02
0.68
UB02
0.68
UB02
0.68
UB02
0.68
AB01
0.13
AB04
4.32
AB13
5.32
AB16
3.91
AB17
0.09
AB21
4.63
AB24
5.64
AB50
2.07
AB51
4.17
AB53
4.51
AB57
4.83
AB58
5.10
AB59
5.04
AB60
5.29
AB62
3.64 AB63
4.37
AB64
0.62
AB65
4.21
AB66
4.74
AB67
3.61
AB68
4.72
AB70
5.46
AB73
3.53
AB74
3.06
AB75
4.70
AB76
0.11
AB77
0.06
AB78
0.13
AB79
0.12
AB80
0.07
CR50
0.08 CR51
0.10
CR53
0.01
CR54
4.68
CR56
0.04
CR57
0.09
CR58
0.07
CR59
0.08
CR60
0.03
CW01
0.02
CW05
0.08
CW06
0.08
CW08
0.16
FT08
0.04
FT09
0.06
FT10
0.07
KC05
0.19
KC06
0.22
KC07
0.11
KC13
0.12
KC14
0.11
KC15
0.19 KC16
0.13
KC17
0.11
KC18
0.14
KC19
0.28
KC20
0.16
KC21
0.04
KC22
0.19
KC23
0.20
KC24
0.11
KC25
0.09
KC26
0.08KC28
0.17
KC29
0.12
KC30
0.16
KC31
0.22
KC33
0.24
KC34
0.14KC35
0.12
KC36
0.10
KC37
0.16
KC38
0.22
PB04
3.25 PB06
2.21
PB07
2.46 PB08
1.97
PB09
1.67
PB12
1.28
PB13
0.38
PB18
4.01
PB20
2.03
PB21
2.48
PB26
0.56
PB27
2.08
PB29
0.36
PB54
4.23
PB55
2.88
PB59
3.38
PB67
1.14PB68
3.25
PB69
3.63PB70
3.47
PB71
4.36
PB72
3.22
PB74
0.97
PB75
3.49
PB76
1.55
RP01
0.11
RP03
0.01
UB02
0.68
APPROXIMATE BOUNDARY OF
ANCIENT PORTUGUESE BEND
LANDSLIDE COMPLEX
COTTON,SHIRES AND ASSOCIATES, INC.
CONSULTING ENGINEERS AND GEOLOGISTS
RANCHO PALOS VERDES, CALIFORNIA
SC6163
POS
MP
November 8, 2024
1"=500'
FIGURE NO.
PROJECT NO.
DATE
SCALE
APPROVED BY
GEO/ENG BY
GPS MONITORING DISPLACEMENT RATE
CONTOUR MAP (10/29/24 DATA)
1
Abalone Cove, Portuguese Bend, Klondike Canyon
Hillshade basemap produced from publicly available LiDAR:
"2015 - 2016 LARIAC Lidar DEM: Los Angeles Region, CA"
C-3E - 3
E-3
----
---
0 250 500 1000
(feet)
PONY TRAIL
PORTUGUESE
BEND
LANDSLIDE
FLYING
TRIANGLE
LANDSLIDE
KLONDIKE
CANYON
LANDSLIDE
ABALONE
COVE
LANDSLIDE
ABALONE
COVE
PORTUGUESE
POINT
INSPIRATION
POINT
SACRED
COVE
BURMA ROAD
PALOS VERDES DRIVE SOUTH
%850$
ROAD
EXPLANATION
Limits of the Ancient Portuguese Bend Landslide Complex
Limits of Historically Mapped Landslides
2023/2024 Landslide Mapping
SEAVIEW TRACT
Current Limits of Major
Landslide Movement (March
2024)
CURRENT LIMITS OF
MAJOR LANDSLIDE
MOVEMENT (MARCH 2024)
GPS Monument
Displacement Rate
(September 4, 2024 to
October 8, 2024)
Displacement Vector
Scale 1"= 8"/week
"Creeping Area"
Approximately 0.5 inch/week
Displacement Rate Table
Minimum Rate
(inch/week)
2.00
3.00
4.00
5.00
6.00
7.00
8.00
9.00
Maximum Rate
(inch/week)
3.00
4.00
5.00
6.00
7.00
8.00
9.00
10.00
Color
10.00 11.00
11.00 12.00
1.00 2.00
12.00 13.00
0.00 1.00
AB01
0.05
AB04
6.09
AB13
7.23
AB16
5.42
AB17
0.04
AB21
7.29
AB24
7.88
AB50
3.88
AB51
6.18
AB53
7.37
AB57
6.17
AB58
7.44
AB59
7.90
AB60
6.74
AB62
5.03 AB63
6.23
AB64
0.17
AB65
6.14
AB66
6.91
AB67
5.09
AB68
6.82
AB70
7.85
AB73
6.04
AB74
3.86
AB75
7.18
AB76
0.11
AB77
0.06
AB78
1.78
AB79
0.04
AB80
0.04
CR50
0.35 CR51
0.44
CR53
0.43
CR54
6.85
CR56
0.07
CR57
0.11
CR58
0.36
CR59
0.03
CR60
0.00
CW01
0.03
CW05
0.47
CW06
0.07
CW08
0.02
FT08
0.03
FT09
0.04
FT10
0.03
KC05
1.05
KC06
1.57
KC07
0.04
KC13
0.55
KC14
0.05
KC15
1.53 KC16
0.02
KC17
1.34
KC18
2.49 KC19
1.35
KC20
1.29
KC21
0.04
KC22
1.80
KC23
1.05
KC24
1.75
KC25
0.08
KC26
1.34KC28
1.98
KC29
2.27
KC30
3.33
KC31
3.23
KC33
1.67
KC34
0.05KC35
0.05
KC36
0.03
KC37
0.04
KC38
2.47
PB04
5.74
PB06
4.58
PB07
5.11 PB08
4.62 PB09
4.08
PB12
4.21
PB13
3.04
PB18
6.95
PB20
4.99
PB21
4.96
PB26
4.01
PB27
5.05
PB29
3.42
PB54
6.99
PB55
5.26
PB59
5.88
PB67
4.63PB68
5.71
PB69
5.64PB70
6.03
PB71
7.08
PB72
5.77
PB74
4.54
PB75
6.28
PB76
3.84
RP01
0.04
RP03
0.00
UB02
3.74
UB02
3.74
UB02
3.74
UB02
3.74
UB02
3.74
UB02
3.74
UB02
3.74
UB02
3.74
UB02
3.74
UB02
3.74
UB02
3.74
UB02
3.74
UB02
3.74
UB02
3.74
UB02
3.74
UB02
3.74
UB02
3.74
UB02
3.74
UB02
3.74
UB02
3.74
UB02
3.74
UB02
3.74
UB02
3.74
UB02
3.74
UB02
3.74
UB02
3.74
UB02
3.74
UB02
3.74
UB02
3.74
UB02
3.74
UB02
3.74
UB02
3.74
UB02
3.74
UB02
3.74
UB02
3.74
UB02
3.74
UB02
3.74
UB02
3.74
UB02
3.74
UB02
3.74
UB02
3.74
UB02
3.74
UB02
3.74
UB02
3.74
UB02
3.74
UB02
3.74
UB02
3.74
UB02
3.74
UB02
3.74
UB02
3.74
UB02
3.74
UB02
3.74
UB02
3.74
UB02
3.74
UB02
3.74
UB02
3.74
UB02
3.74
APPROXIMATE BOUNDARY OF
ANCIENT PORTUGUESE BEND
LANDSLIDE COMPLEX
COTTON,SHIRES AND ASSOCIATES, INC.
CONSULTING ENGINEERS AND GEOLOGISTS
RANCHO PALOS VERDES, CALIFORNIA
SC6163
POS
MP
November 8, 2024
1"=500'
FIGURE NO.
PROJECT NO.
DATE
SCALE
APPROVED BY
GEO/ENG BY
GPS MONITORING DISPLACEMENT RATE
CONTOUR MAP (10/8/24 DATA)
2
Abalone Cove, Portuguese Bend, Klondike Canyon
Hillshade basemap produced from publicly available LiDAR:
"2015 - 2016 LARIAC Lidar DEM: Los Angeles Region, CA"
C-4E - 4
E-4
I J
-----
---
0 250 500 1000
(feet)
PONY TRAIL
PORTUGUESE
BEND
LANDSLIDE
FLYING
TRIANGLE
LANDSLIDE
KLONDIKE
CANYON
LANDSLIDE
ABALONE
COVE
LANDSLIDE
ABALONE
COVE
PORTUGUESE
POINT
INSPIRATION
POINT
SACRED
COVE
BURMA ROAD
PALOS VERDES DRIVE SOUTH
%850$
ROAD
EXPLANATION
Limits of the Ancient Portuguese Bend Landslide Complex
Limits of Historically Mapped Landslides
2023/2024 Landslide Mapping
SEAVIEW TRACT
Current Limits of Major
Landslide Movement (March
2024)
CURRENT LIMITS OF
MAJOR LANDSLIDE
MOVEMENT (MARCH 2024)
GPS Monument
Displacement Rate
(August 1, 2024 to
September 4, 2024)
Displacement Vector
Scale 1"= 8"/week
AB04
8.20
AB16
7.30
AB17
0.00
AB21
10.90
AB50
6.20
AB53
10.70
AB57
9.10
AB59
11.70
AB60
9.70
AB62
6.70 AB63
8.10
AB64
0.30
AB66
9.70
AB67
6.80
AB70
11.00
AB73
9.40
AB74
5.30
AB75
10.60
AB76
0.20
AB77
0.00
CR50
0.50
CR53
0.60
CR54
10.70
KC05
2.00
KC06
3.60
KC14
0.10
KC16
0.00
KC17
2.70
KC19
3.10
KC21
0.10KC22
4.00
KC23
2.40
KC24
4.60
KC28
4.70
KC31
7.50
KC33
3.70
KC36
0.10
PB07
9.60
PB09
7.90
PB13
8.50
PB18
11.00
PB20
10.50
PB21
10.40
PB26
9.20
PB29
8.30
PB59
9.70
AB01
0.10
AB02
0.10
AB13
10.10
AB24
10.80
AB51
8.60
AB58
10.40
AB65
8.40
AB68
9.40
CR51
0.60CR56
0.10
CW01
0.00
CW05
0.60
CW06
0.00
CW07
0.00
CW08
0.10
FT06
8.00
FT08
0.00
FT09
0.10
KC07
0.10
KC13
1.30
KC15
3.40
KC18
6.80
KC20
2.60
KC25
0.20
KC26
3.50
KC29
5.50
KC30
7.70
KC34
0.00KC35
0.00
KC37
0.10
PB04
9.20 PB06
8.00
PB08
8.70
PB12
10.80
PB27
10.70
PB54
10.90
PB55
10.30
PB67
10.10PB68
9.30
PB69
9.60
PB70
10.00
PB71
11.40
PB72
9.80
PB74
9.70
PB75
10.60
RP01
0.00
RP02
0.00
UB02
8.20
"Creeping Area"
Approximately 0.5 inch/week
Displacement Rate Table
Minimum Rate
(inch/week)
2.00
3.00
4.00
5.00
6.00
7.00
8.00
9.00
Maximum Rate
(inch/week)
3.00
4.00
5.00
6.00
7.00
8.00
9.00
10.00
Color
10.00 11.00
11.00 12.00
1.00 2.00
12.00 13.00
0.00 1.00
APPROXIMATE BOUNDARY OF
ANCIENT PORTUGUESE BEND
LANDSLIDE COMPLEX
COTTON,SHIRES AND ASSOCIATES, INC.
CONSULTING ENGINEERS AND GEOLOGISTS
RANCHO PALOS VERDES, CALIFORNIA
SC6163
POS
MP
September 25, 2024
1"=500'
FIGURE NO.
PROJECT NO.
DATE
SCALE
APPROVED BY
GEO/ENG BY
GPS MONITORING DISPLACEMENT RATE
CONTOUR MAP (9/4/24 DATA)
3
Abalone Cove, Portuguese Bend, Klondike Canyon
Hillshade basemap produced from publicly available LiDAR:
"2015 - 2016 LARIAC Lidar DEM: Los Angeles Region, CA"
C-5E - 5
E-5
----
---■
■
■
■
■
■
0 250 500 1000
(feet)
PONY TRAIL
PORTUGUESE
BEND
LANDSLIDE
FLYING
TRIANGLE
LANDSLIDE
KLONDIKE
CANYON
LANDSLIDE
ABALONE
COVE
LANDSLIDE
ABALONE
COVE
PORTUGUESE
POINT
INSPIRATION
POINT
SACRED
COVE
APPROXIMATE BOUNDARY OF
ANCIENT PORTUGUESE BEND
LANDSLIDE COMPLEX
BURMA ROAD
PALOS VERDES DRIVE SOUTH
EXPLANATION
Limits of the Ancient Portuguese Bend Landslide Complex
Limits of Historically Mapped Landslides
2023/2024 Landslide Mapping
SEAVIEW TRACT
Current Limits of Major
Landslide Movement (March
2024)
CURRENT LIMITS OF
MAJOR LANDSLIDE
MOVEMENT (MARCH 2024)
GPS Monument Displacement
Rate (July 1, 2024 to August 1,
2024) Displacement Vector
Scale 1"= 8"/week
Displacement Rate Table
Minimum Rate
(inch/week)
2.00
3.00
4.00
5.00
6.00
7.00
8.00
9.00
Maximum Rate
(inch/week)
3.00
4.00
5.00
6.00
7.00
8.00
9.00
10.00
Color
10.00 11.00
11.00 12.00
1.00 2.00
AB04
9.20
AB13
10.64
AB16
7.49
AB17
0.01
AB24
11.23
AB51
8.95
AB53
11.29
AB58
11.00
AB59
12.65
AB60
10.19
AB62
7.08 AB63
9.11
AB65
8.88
AB66
10.10
AB68
9.79
AB70
11.69
AB71 no data
0.00
AB73
10.75
AB74
5.16 AB75
11.99
AB76
0.24
CR07 no data
0.00
CR50
0.33
CW08
0.05
FT06
9.37
KC05
2.41
KC07
0.03
KC13
1.46
KC15
3.91
KC17
3.53
KC18
7.84
KC19
3.40
KC20
3.45
KC23
2.72
KC26
4.09
KC27
3.88
KC30
9.21
PB06
10.07
PB08
10.84
PB12
11.45
PB13
8.82
PB18
11.89
PB20
10.83
PB21
10.41
PB27
10.91
PB55
11.13
PB59
11.36
PB67
12.29PB68
11.15
PB69
11.13PB70
11.58
PB71
12.96
PB72
11.81
PB73
9.39
PB74
11.39
PB75
11.54
RP01
0.02
RP02
0.03
UB02
9.98
AB01
0.06
AB02
0.06
AB05
8.55
AB21
12.43
AB50
6.86
AB57
9.39
AB64
0.48
AB67
7.48
AB77
0.08
CR51
0.47
CR53
0.49
CR54
11.80
CR56
0.07
CW01
0.06
CW05
0.52
CW06
0.05
CW07
0.04
FT08
0.02
FT09
0.01
KC06
3.89
KC14
0.08
KC16
0.03
KC21
0.04KC22
4.09
KC24
5.16
KC25
0.23
KC28
5.60
KC29
6.48
KC31
8.23
KC33
3.84
PB04
11.34
PB07
11.68 PB09
9.92
PB26
9.87
PB29
9.36
PB54
11.89
"Creeping Area"
Approximately 0.5 inch/week
?
?
?
?
?
??
??
?
12.00 13.00
0.00 1.00
COTTON,SHIRES AND ASSOCIATES, INC.
CONSULTING ENGINEERS AND GEOLOGISTS
RANCHO PALOS VERDES, CALIFORNIA
SC6163
POS
MP
August 18, 2024
1"=500'
FIGURE NO.
PROJECT NO.
DATE
SCALE
APPROVED BY
GEO/ENG BY
GPS MONITORING DISPLACEMENT RATE
CONTOUR MAP (8/1/24 DATA)
4
Abalone Cove, Portuguese Bend, Klondike Canyon
Hillshade basemap produced from publicly available LiDAR:
"2015 - 2016 LARIAC Lidar DEM: Los Angeles Region, CA"
C-6E - 6
E-6
----
---
Notes:
An average month is 30.42 days
* = Indicates no horizontal movement detected in the Period at the 95% level of confidence
$ = Overall Movement is Relative to the Date of Origin which varies, see Page 1 for Date
NAVD88 Rate/Mo
Point North (ft) East (ft) Elev(ft) North East Height Azim.º 2D Dist. North East Height Azim.º 2D Dist. 95%Err Rate/Mo.Note % Chg North East Height Azim.º 2D Dist.Rate/Mo.Point
AB01 1729427.53 6445709.61 178.64 -0.05 0.00 0.02 183 0.05 0.00 0.00 0.03 121 0.01 0.04 *0.01 -0.01 -0.01 315 0.02 AB01
AB02
AB04 1728359.92 6447091.10 62.81 -32.07 -32.24 -4.76 225 45.48 -1.22 -1.30 -0.19 227 1.79 0.04 1.55 -3 -0.41 -0.45 -0.08 227 0.61 1.68 AB04
AB05 1728049.83 6447615.47 77.46 -25.89 -29.70 -3.44 229 39.40 -1.11 -1.14 -0.05 226 1.59 0.04 1.38 -29
AB13 1729888.61 6448225.08 357.16 -40.29 -10.96 -7.87 195 41.75 -2.01 -0.48 -0.35 193 2.07 0.04 1.79 -7 AB13
AB16 1730331.13 6447526.74 374.75 -27.76 -5.38 -1.87 191 28.28 -1.41 -0.26 -0.13 191 1.43 0.04 1.24 -11 AB16
AB17 1731420.96 6446727.78 442.79 -0.17 0.01 -0.01 177 0.17 -0.01 -0.02 0.04 243 0.03 0.04 *AB17
AB21 1729312.29 6449663.25 394.16 -42.78 -11.77 -0.78 195 44.37 -1.89 -0.38 -0.07 191 1.93 0.04 1.68 2 AB21
AB24 1729787.17 6447748.18 334.45 -43.19 -11.78 -1.47 195 44.76 -2.15 -0.53 -0.15 194 2.21 0.04 1.92 -7 AB24
AB50 1728069.19 6448227.93 184.27 -15.81 -20.26 2.29 232 25.69 -0.49 -0.63 0.11 232 0.80 0.04 0.69 -15 -0.14 -0.21 0.06 236 0.26 0.71 AB50
AB51 1729584.47 6447294.52 303.88 -32.54 -12.02 -1.54 200 34.69 -1.64 -0.55 -0.04 199 1.72 0.04 1.50 -11 AB51
AB53 1730388.25 6449704.90 348.49 -42.85 -7.47 -4.64 190 43.50 -1.84 -0.30 -0.18 189 1.87 0.04 1.62 -7 AB53
AB57 1731895.27 6449752.69 555.10 -31.64 -6.68 -9.83 192 32.34 -1.34 -0.98 -0.43 216 1.66 0.04 1.44 -3 AB57
AB58 1731076.39 6449072.65 398.35 -41.63 -2.28 -7.32 183 41.69 -2.03 -0.17 -0.34 185 2.03 0.04 1.77 -2 AB58
AB59 1730803.48 6450207.68 421.98 -47.39 -4.88 -12.39 186 47.64 -1.96 -0.25 -0.61 187 1.97 0.04 1.72 -8 AB59
AB60 1729053.27 6447970.60 176.33 -36.43 -16.97 -3.12 205 40.19 -1.74 -0.84 -0.11 206 1.93 0.04 1.68 -3 AB60
AB62 1728881.35 6446909.03 139.92 -29.00 -16.43 -3.09 210 33.34 -1.21 -0.85 -0.16 215 1.48 0.04 1.28 -6 -0.38 -0.30 -0.09 219 0.49 1.35 AB62
AB63 1729025.63 6447287.67 170.79 -33.67 -19.37 -10.06 210 38.84 -1.47 -0.93 -0.48 212 1.74 0.04 1.51 -9 -0.47 -0.30 -0.14 212 0.56 1.54 AB63
AB64 1731829.26 6447374.40 531.64 -1.43 1.32 -0.61 137 1.95 0.01 0.00 -0.01 338 0.01 0.04 *AB64
AB65 1731673.06 6448268.39 448.81 -32.61 4.33 -9.72 172 32.90 -1.70 0.11 -0.53 176 1.70 0.04 1.48 -8 AB65
AB66 1730009.79 6448481.23 368.77 -37.49 -9.30 -5.52 194 38.63 -1.81 -0.41 -0.29 193 1.86 0.04 1.62 -9 AB66
AB67 1731154.00 6447740.01 399.40 -26.41 -1.75 -5.93 184 26.47 -1.37 -0.14 -0.32 186 1.38 0.04 1.20 -8 AB67
AB68 1730222.39 6448047.58 386.73 -36.46 -7.78 -6.72 192 37.29 -1.83 -0.39 -0.34 192 1.87 0.04 1.62 -7 AB68
AB70 1729249.25 6448338.05 250.58 -42.23 -14.82 -3.57 199 44.76 -1.97 -0.48 -0.40 194 2.03 0.04 1.76 -11 AB70
AB73 1728421.97 6448381.16 303.89 -34.07 -12.87 -2.82 201 36.42 -1.35 -0.44 -0.09 198 1.42 0.04 1.23 1 AB73
AB74 1729594.66 6446845.81 269.53 -10.93 -7.33 -2.37 214 13.16 -0.82 -0.67 -0.26 219 1.06 0.04 0.92 -9 AB74
AB75 1729594.09 6449329.48 347.86 -26.07 -6.88 -1.15 195 26.97 -1.89 -0.38 -0.07 192 1.92 0.04 1.67 2 AB75
AB76 1730022.78 6446806.97 385.77 -0.34 0.33 -0.50 136 0.48 0.00 0.00 -0.02 135 0.01 0.04 *AB76
AB77 1733161.91 6446514.81 895.40 -0.01 0.08 180 0.01 -0.01 -0.03 0.10 255 0.03 0.04 *AB77
AB78 1732238.87 6448523.66 568.94 -2.30 0.79 -0.81 161 2.43 -0.11 0.07 0.00 147 0.13 0.04 0.11 AB78
AB79 1734784.22 6448719.01 1169.75 0.01 0.01 -0.01 31 0.02 0.00 -0.01 0.04 264 0.01 0.04 *AB79
AB80 1734692.15 6447838.32 1165.56 0.00 0.01 0.01 90 0.01 -0.02 0.01 0.05 156 0.03 0.04 *AB80
AB81 1731137.45 6448788.20 395.73 -2.95 -0.24 -0.58 185 2.95 -1.86 -0.15 -0.40 185 1.87 0.04 1.62 -0.58 -0.03 -0.12 183 0.58 1.62 AB81
CR50 1733013.07 6451036.41 872.32 -0.54 -0.34 180 0.54 -0.01 -0.03 0.04 251 0.03 0.04 *CR50
CR51 1733061.34 6452360.86 976.01 -0.70 -0.24 180 0.70 -0.03 -0.03 0.11 227 0.04 0.04 *CR51
CR53 1732779.45 6450222.83 780.35 -0.83 -0.38 180 0.83 -0.02 -0.02 0.07 230 0.03 0.04 *CR53
CR54 1731208.97 6450985.21 518.66 -36.26 -8.89 180 36.26 -1.67 -0.61 -0.23 200 1.78 0.04 1.54 -4 CR54
CR55 CR55
CR55A 1735437.67 6450188.40 1157.37 0.00 -0.01 0.10 264 0.01 0.00 0.00 0.03 14 0.00 0.04 *CR55A
CR56 1733194.39 6449201.92 782.66 -0.02 0.08 180 0.02 0.00 0.01 0.07 68 0.01 0.04 *CR56
CR57 1731568.82 6451323.48 619.45 -0.05 0.51 180 0.05 0.00 0.02 0.00 75 0.02 0.04 *CR57
CR58 1732680.43 6452989.37 916.95 -0.18 -0.05 180 0.18 -0.03 -0.03 0.05 225 0.04 0.04 *CR58
CR59 1731860.94 6453394.75 878.09 -0.03 0.00 180 0.03 -0.01 0.00 0.03 198 0.01 0.04 *CR59
CR60 1732970.77 6452807.53 921.86 -0.06 0.00 180 0.06 0.00 -0.01 0.02 278 0.01 0.04 *CR60
CW01 1734174.34 6450266.36 1175.45 0.03 0.10 0 0.03 0.05 0.00 0.06 6 0.05 0.04 *CW01
CW05 1732067.26 6450634.50 701.93 -1.10 0.00 180 1.10 -0.03 -0.02 0.05 220 0.04 0.04 *CW05
CW06 1730906.24 6452118.21 529.83 0.00 0.06 0 0.00 -0.01 0.01 0.05 155 0.02 0.04 *CW06
CW07 CW07
CW08 1729146.30 6453119.79 607.51 0.01 0.06 0 0.01 0.00 0.00 0.00 225 0.00 0.04 *CW08
FT06 FT06
FT08 1729388.67 6453350.47 658.41 -0.01 -0.03 180 0.01 -0.01 0.00 0.00 191 0.01 0.04 *FT08
FT09 1729052.87 6454289.23 590.84 -0.03 0.01 180 0.03 0.02 0.00 -0.01 356 0.02 0.04 *FT09
FT10 1730454.54 6452471.92 482.28 -0.03 -0.07 180 0.03 0.00 0.00 -0.01 90 0.00 0.04 *FT10
KC05 1727077.20 6453174.13 226.80 -4.80 -4.96 -1.06 226 6.90 0.03 0.02 -0.04 32 0.04 0.04 *KC05
KC06 1727782.50 6453384.93 295.73 -2.41 -11.73 -4.62 258 11.98 0.01 -0.12 0.00 272 0.12 0.04 0.10 KC06
KC07 1727759.40 6453683.88 313.45 0.02 0.03 -0.06 54 0.04 0.03 0.00 -0.01 358 0.03 0.04 *KC07
KC13 1726576.33 6453068.86 192.01 -4.83 -0.77 0.81 189 4.89 0.01 -0.03 -0.03 287 0.03 0.04 *0.00 -0.02 -0.01 258 0.02 KC13
KC14 1726742.31 6453805.53 259.98 -0.13 -0.52 0.04 256 0.54 0.03 -0.02 -0.01 326 0.03 0.04 *KC14
KC15 1727584.42 6453111.51 284.11 -6.03 -9.59 -2.99 238 11.33 0.03 -0.03 0.05 308 0.04 0.04 *0.02 -0.02 0.05 306 0.03 KC15
KC16 1727602.24 6454098.25 327.23 -0.01 0.01 0.33 113 0.02 0.01 -0.01 -0.01 332 0.02 0.04 *KC16
KC17 1727295.86 6453019.57 212.84 -6.90 -6.85 -2.42 225 9.73 0.02 0.02 0.08 40 0.03 0.04 *0.02 -0.01 0.10 336 0.02 KC17
KC18 1727979.55 6452613.68 289.13 -20.95 -8.48 -2.05 202 22.60 0.02 -0.02 0.01 311 0.03 0.04 *KC18
KC19 1727780.05 6453488.60 302.81 -0.35 -8.62 -3.53 268 8.63 0.03 -0.04 -0.02 302 0.05 0.04 *KC19
KC20 1727695.38 6453561.65 303.80 0.21 -7.89 -3.50 272 7.90 0.03 -0.03 -0.01 313 0.04 0.04 *KC20
KC21 1728095.85 6453495.11 383.61 0.02 0.03 0.00 46 0.04 0.01 -0.01 -0.06 320 0.02 0.04 *KC21
KC22 1728008.16 6453287.44 329.18 -2.00 -10.45 -5.17 259 10.64 0.03 -0.02 -0.02 334 0.03 0.04 *KC22
KC23 1727348.79 6453321.59 267.57 -2.63 -5.42 -1.73 244 6.03 0.02 -0.03 0.01 308 0.03 0.04 *KC23
KC24 1726972.35 6452123.06 13.74 -11.31 -3.83 -0.45 199 11.94 0.02 -0.03 0.05 299 0.04 0.04 *KC24
KC25 1726304.89 6452805.40 19.77 -0.40 -0.22 -0.03 208 0.45 0.00 -0.04 0.02 264 0.04 0.04 *KC25
KC26 1726723.09 6452425.80 31.15 -6.44 -1.32 6.41 192 6.57 0.02 -0.04 0.04 299 0.04 0.04 *KC26
KC28 1726768.67 6451998.87 26.25 -9.13 -1.04 6.31 186 9.19 0.02 -0.03 0.00 299 0.03 0.04 *KC28
KC29 1726924.01 6451934.55 20.00 -10.42 -3.09 2.10 197 10.87 0.00 -0.01 0.01 266 0.02 0.04 *KC29
KC30 1727529.58 6452142.01 97.75 -14.47 -4.50 -2.51 197 15.15 0.01 -0.04 0.11 277 0.04 0.04 *KC30
KC31 1727911.16 6452353.23 206.89 -13.77 -4.98 -0.61 200 14.64 0.04 -0.02 -0.04 333 0.04 0.04 *0.02 -0.03 -0.04 310 0.04 0.10 KC31
KC33 1727817.34 6453174.72 310.31 -1.17 -3.43 -1.59 251 3.62 0.01 0.01 -0.09 27 0.02 0.04 *KC33
KC34 1726698.39 6454866.45 325.36 -0.01 0.02 -0.01 122 0.02 -0.02 0.01 0.00 159 0.02 0.04 *KC34
KC35 1726861.67 6454504.97 313.28 0.01 0.01 -0.02 35 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 30 0.02 0.04 *KC35
KC36 1726390.08 6454165.14 255.01 0.01 -0.02 0.00 293 0.02 0.01 0.02 0.02 55 0.02 0.04 *KC36
KC37 1726109.84 6454779.84 280.35 0.02 0.00 0.02 357 0.02 0.01 0.00 0.03 339 0.01 0.04 *KC37
KC38 1726817.44 6451606.53 13.29 -1.08 -0.30 0.48 195 1.12 -0.07 0.01 -0.03 174 0.07 0.04 0.06 KC38
PB04 1727623.88 6448833.37 164.27 -52.06 -18.37 -6.25 199 55.20 -1.31 -0.45 -0.07 199 1.38 0.04 1.20 -3 -0.43 -0.16 -0.04 200 0.45 1.26 PB04
PB06 1727898.24 6449747.97 173.91 -70.21 -13.87 -9.15 191 71.56 -0.93 -0.07 -0.10 184 0.93 0.04 0.81 -9 -0.30 -0.03 -0.08 186 0.30 0.82 PB06
PB07 1728092.57 6450198.35 195.88 -83.35 -21.41 -4.33 194 86.06 -1.01 -0.14 -0.09 188 1.02 0.04 0.88 -4 -0.33 -0.04 -0.07 187 0.33 0.92 PB07
PB08 1728159.90 6450450.58 195.79 -77.61 -19.22 2.11 194 79.95 -0.88 -0.03 0.00 182 0.88 0.04 0.76 -1 -0.30 -0.03 -0.02 185 0.30 0.83 PB08
PB09 1728206.45 6450840.59 188.32 -82.13 -10.43 -4.20 187 82.79 -0.73 0.06 0.06 176 0.73 0.04 0.64 0 -0.24 -0.01 -0.02 182 0.24 0.67 PB09
PB12 1728204.52 6451566.63 178.42 -125.97 -37.94 -14.87 197 131.56 -0.56 -0.10 -0.02 191 0.57 0.04 0.49 11 -0.20 -0.05 0.04 194 0.21 0.58 PB12
PB13 1728005.38 6452133.14 205.75 -80.59 -31.20 -4.79 201 86.42 -0.13 -0.09 0.01 214 0.16 0.04 0.14 0 -0.05 -0.03 0.03 206 0.06 0.16 PB13
PB18 1730386.93 6450714.84 356.88 -59.95 3.84 -10.70 176 60.08 -1.62 -0.12 -0.19 184 1.63 0.04 1.41 -8 PB18
PB20 1728692.61 6451110.93 225.45 -120.16 -24.75 -18.09 192 122.68 -0.85 -0.05 -0.15 183 0.85 0.04 0.74 6 PB20
PB21 1729197.62 6451171.05 266.31 -100.59 -1.00 -13.72 181 100.60 -0.98 0.03 -0.08 178 0.98 0.04 0.85 2 PB21
PB26 1729505.35 6452245.65 280.04 -57.30 -3.91 -5.30 184 57.43 -0.30 0.05 -0.05 171 0.31 0.04 0.27 -4 -0.10 0.01 0.00 172 0.10 0.27 PB26
PB27 1729192.69 6451833.92 261.77 -146.65 -2.14 -22.65 181 146.67 -0.90 0.01 -0.17 179 0.90 0.04 0.78 9 PB27
PB29 1728803.43 6452077.50 160.17 -85.52 -42.99 -25.76 207 95.72 -0.13 -0.16 -0.07 231 0.20 0.04 0.18 -1 PB29
PB54 1729647.79 6450439.14 355.92 -47.11 -9.55 -2.70 191 48.06 -1.63 -0.22 0.03 188 1.64 0.04 1.43 -5 PB54
PB55 1728729.78 6450790.22 232.19 -82.50 -13.82 -14.14 190 83.65 -1.10 -0.01 -0.06 180 1.10 0.04 0.96 18 PB55
PB59 1727711.16 6448644.38 151.91 -55.21 -17.29 -11.49 197 57.85 -1.31 -0.42 -0.16 198 1.37 0.04 1.19 -5 PB59
PB67 1727551.32 6450841.96 64.54 -87.41 -16.22 -11.47 191 88.90 -0.58 -0.09 -0.13 189 0.59 0.04 0.51 7 -0.19 -0.06 -0.05 197 0.20 0.54 PB67
PB68 1727626.74 6448969.34 171.94 -38.71 -13.65 -1.17 199 41.04 -1.33 -0.38 -0.09 196 1.38 0.04 1.20 -3 PB68
PB69 1727742.51 6448763.46 162.22 -40.53 -15.12 -2.46 200 43.26 -1.26 -0.43 -0.07 199 1.33 0.04 1.16 2 PB69
PB70 1727814.85 6448603.97 149.69 -40.06 -15.62 -6.55 201 43.00 -1.35 -0.43 -0.14 198 1.42 0.04 1.23 -3 -0.44 -0.16 -0.05 200 0.46 1.28 PB70
PB71RP 1728429.21 6449741.08 284.14 -4.46 -0.52 -0.70 187 4.49 -1.74 -0.22 -0.33 187 1.75 0.04 1.52 3 PB71RP
PB72 1727619.19 6449327.80 199.19 -31.14 -13.62 3.30 204 33.99 -1.25 -0.44 -0.06 200 1.32 0.04 1.15 -4 PB72
PB74 Destroyed
PB75 1729048.65 6450345.03 268.69 -35.20 -6.88 -3.22 191 35.87 -1.40 -0.02 -0.16 181 1.40 0.04 1.21 -6 PB75
PB76 1729969.94 6451645.68 291.27 -3.16 -0.19 -0.53 183 3.16 -0.64 0.01 -0.14 179 0.64 0.04 0.56 8 -0.21 0.00 -0.06 181 0.21 0.57 PB76
PB77 1727520.63 6451676.03 99.04 New Point PB77
UB02 1727472.41 6450140.19 65.46 -108.70 6.40 -1.69 177 108.89 -0.34 0.11 0.02 163 0.35 0.04 0.31 -3 -0.13 0.00 -0.02 180 0.13 0.37 UB02
PVE3RP 1729195.89 6438764.67 346.87 0.01 -0.01 -0.01 0.01 0.01 -0.02 -0.02 0.02 0.04 * -0.01 0.01 0.00 0.01 PVE3RP
RP01 1725591.75 6455633.55 292.71 0.00 0.02 -0.02 0.02 -0.01 0.00 -0.01 0.01 0.04 * 0.00 0.00 -0.03 0.01 RP01
RP02 1730832.98 6445586.64 480.61 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 Fixed Fixed 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 RP02
RP03 1730848.50 6445628.20 479.96 -0.02 0.00 0.02 0.02 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.01 0.04 * 0.01 -0.01 0.01 0.01 RP03
RP05 1730809.66 6445501.99 474.21 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 -0.01 0.00 0.01 * 0.00 0.00 0.00 RP05
Av.1.12 Av. -3 Av.0.85
NAD83 CA SPC Zone 5 Original Position to January 07, 2025 Dec. 3, 2024 to January 7, 2025 (35 days / 1.151 Mo.) Dec. 27 to Jan. 07, 2024 (11 days / 0.362 Mo.)
PORTUGUESE BEND LANDSLIDE MONITORING - MOVEMENT as of January 7, 2025 Page 39/39
Prepared by McGee Surveying Consulting - Document Date: January 12, 2025
Monitoring Point Movements
Full MONITORING #60 (M60)
January 07, 2025 Positions $ Overall Movements (US Feet)Periodic Movements M56 to M60 (US Feet)Periodic Movements M59 to M60 (US Ft)
B-1F - 1
--+---•oMS~@ MicllaclR.Mc{jce.PLSl94S I
.. 1..83845 ~·
G-1
8FEMA FEMA-4769-DR-CA
PA ID 037-59514-00
ELIGIBILITY DETERMINATION MEMORANDUM
City of Rancho Palos Verdes
Project No. 754845
□ State Agency
Version No. 0 Applicant ~ Local Government
Damage T ype □ Tribe
Inventory 1385920 □ Private Nonprofit
Nos.
Project Title: Landslide -Drainage
Category of Work: D-Water Control Facilities
Amount □ Applicant Eligibility
Requested: $200,000.00 Eligibility Issue □ Facility Eligibility
Amount Type(s) ~ Work Eligibility
Denied: $200,000.00 □ Cost Eligibility
Issue ot result of the declared event, pre-event instability -lands li de Keyword(s):
Applicant Description:
On Apri l 13, 2024, the President declared a major disaster (FEMA-DR-4769-CA) in the State of
California, due t o damages from severe winter storms, tornadoes, flooding, landslides, and
mudslides with an incident period of January 31 , 2024, through February 9 , 2024. As a result of
the disaster, Rancho Palos Verdes, City of (RPV or Applicant), a local government entity
requests funding under the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Public Assistance
(PA) program.
RPV requests funding to conduct permanent repairs to drainage/water control structures
throughout the City for damages as a result of t he disaste r. The App li cant claims winter storms
caused ground movement and damaged multiple drainage/water control structures (facilities).
Work claimed and ad dressed in this determination memorandum is as follows:
• Damage Item 1385920-Water Contro l Facilities
During the validation process, FEMA identified the fac i li t ies as running across an active
lands li de that has been actively moving since 1956. RPV continuously repairs and maintains
these drainage pipes and ditches due to the ongoing earth movement. 1
1 See RPV Geologic geotec/1 report 2019; see also RP V-le11er-to-Halm-J1me 20 23-F/NAL
Page 1 of7
G-2
Issue:
1. Were the damages a resul t of the declared event?
2. Is permanent work eligible for damages caused by a lands lide?
FEMA-4769-DR-CA
PA ID 037-59514-00
Applicable Statutes, Regulations, and Policies in Effect as of the Declaration of the
Emergency or Disaster:
• The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, as amended (S t afford
Act), 42 U .S .C. § 512 1 et seq.:
Stafford Act§ 102 (IO)(A) & (C)
Stafford Act§ 406(a)(l)(A)
• T itle 44 of the Code of Federal Regulations (C .F.R.) (2022):
44 C.F.R. §§ 206 .223(a)(l)
• FEMA Policy:
Public Assistance Program and Policy Gz,;de FP 104-009-2 Version 4 (June 2020) (PAPPG)
PAPPG, at 51, 56, 181-182.
Analysis:
FEMA has discretionary authority to provide grant funding to a State or local government for t he
repair, restoration , reconstruction, or replacement of a public facility damaged or destroyed by a
major disaster and for associated expenses incurred by the government.
1. The work claimed is not required as a result of the declared disaster and the
applicant cannot demonstrate the damage was directly caused by FEMA-DR-4769-
CA.
To be eligible for FE MA financ ial assistance , work must be required as a result oftl1e disaster,
and the app li cant must demonstrate that the damage was directly caused by the incident.2
In this case , the Applicant cannot demonstrate that the damages are due to the disaster event.
The President declared a major disaster (FEMA-DR-4769-CA) in the State ofCaJifomia on April
13 . 2024, with an incident period of January 3 1 2024, through February 9, 2024. Howe ver,
documentation establishes the damages claimed are the result of decades of pre-disaster ground
instability and ongoing non-d isaster related causes.
2 44 C.F.R. § 206 .223(a)(l)
Page 2 of7
G-3
FEMA-4769-DR-CA
PA ID 037-59514-00
Documentation of pre-existing conditions of landslides and earth movement include a December
2019 report from Geo-Logic Associates , Inc . (GLA) which served as a basis for development of
mitigation measures for the active landslide complex located wit11i n tlle disaster damage claimed
area . 3 The landslide complex. includes approximately 239 acres with grow1d movement varying
across the site ranging up to approximately 11 feet per year.4 The sewer locations throughout the
city are located within the Portuguese Bend Landslide Complex .5
The GLA report notes that the "Geology of the PBLC has been studied since the first reported
landslide movement in 1956 . Approximately 500 ... maps reports technical papers, and
technical presentations are on fi le with the City ."6 The GLA report also notes that the objective
is to reduce the movement rate of the Landslide, not to stabilize the landslide since "geotechnical
stability criteria would be infeasible ."7
More recently , in a pre-disaster September 29 , 2023 , report from Co tton, Shires and Associates,
lnc. (Cotton Shires), consulting Engineers and Geologists for the Applicant, Cotton Shires
provided a preliminary geotechnical assessment of"recent land movement" within the
Portuguese Bend Reserve . 8 The Cotton Shires report states in pertinent part:
A portion of the PBR is underlain by the historically acti e Portuguese Bend Landslide
(active since 1955-56) as well as the Ancient Portuguese Bend Landslide Complex.
Some areas of the Reserve are now experiencing significant land movement and ground
surface manifestation that is beyond the limits o f the historically active and prev iously
mapped Portuguese Bend Landslide, resulting in damage to trails and fire roads which
provide access for public safety, utilities , maintenance, conservation, and public
recreation ... geologists have been requested by the City to observe various landslide-
related issues in the Reserve involving damage to trails since 2021 and the SCE
transmission lines along Burma Road since the summer of 2022 . 9
Within the Ancient Portuguese Bend Landslide Comp lex, several large landslide masses
have reactivated since the 1950s , including the Portuguese Bend Landslide , Abalone cove
landslide, Klondike Canyon Landslide and Beach C lub Landslide . 10
It is our interpretation that the western extent of this new landslide movement is
occuning in response to long-term creep displacement and recent acceleration of
movement of the Ancient Portuguese Bend Landslide Complex (APBLC) since October
2018_11
3 Portug uese Be nd Landsl ide Complex
4 RPV Geologic Geotech report 2019.pdf, p. A-4.
5 [d. p . A-33 · see also R.aucho Pa los Verdes map-location associa ted with Portug uese Bend Landslide omplex
6 Id. p. A -7, Section 2.1.
7 Id. p . A -13, Section 4.1.
8 Cotton-Shires-Report-9.29 .23.PDF.pcU: p . 2 .
9 Id. P. 2 .
10 Id. p . 4.
11 Id. p . 6.
Page 3 of7
G-4
8FEMA
~-D \.C:
FEMA-4769-DR-CA
PA ID 037-59514-00
Further, a September 2007 Survey Report for the Rancho Palos Verdes Portuguese Landslide
intended to monitor ground slide in 2007 was a "continuation of a monitoring survey program
conducted by the City since 1994 .... 12
Based on the documentation provided. the work claimed is not required as a result of the
declared disaster and the applicant cannot demonstrate the damage was directly caused by
FEMA-DR-4769-CA. Rather, these damages are a result of long-term creep displacement and
recent years acceleration of earth movement from non-disaster rela ted causes as documented in
the multip le reports.
2. The facilities were unstable based on pre-disaster evidence; ground restoration is
ineligible.
In accordance with 44 C .F.R. § 206.223(a)(l), eligible work must be the direct result of the
disaster event. FEMA policy further clarifies that if a n eligible facility is located on a slope and
is damaged as a result of a lands lide or slope instability triggered by the incident, FEMA
determines the stabil ity of the slope that supports the faci lity before it approves PA funding to
restore the facility. Restoration of the integral ground that supports th e faci lity may a lso be
eligible. The impact of slope stability on e ligibility is as fo llows:
• If the site is stable, permanent restoration of the facility and its integral ground is
eligible.
• If the site is unstable and there is no evidence of pre-disaster instability after the facility
was constructed, permanent restoration of the facility and its integral ground is eligible,
including measures to stabilize the integral ground.
• If tire site is unstable and tlrere is evidence of pre-disaster instability after tire facility
was constructed, restoration of the facility's i11tegral gro1111d is ineligible. 13
Here the facil it ies are located within an active landslide comp lex that was triggered and
reactivated in 1956 and has been continuously moving. According ly , there is ev idence of current
and pre-disaster instability . Res to ration of the fac ility 's in tegral ground is ineligible, and the
applicant is unable to stabilize the sites to conduct permanent repairs. L4
The App licant has been aware of the condition of earth movement in this landslide complex area
for many years and has sought rniUions of dollars in funding in the past to address it. For
example, in a June 7 2023 , letter from the city of Rancho Palos Verdes to Janice Hahn, Los
Angeles County 41b District Office, the city sought $6 million dollars in funding for a
remediation project for t he Portuguese Bend Landslide to address the "continuous threat, with an
average annual horizontal movement between approximately 6 to 15 feet and average annual
12 2007 -GPS-Survey-PDF.pdt: p. 3 .
13 PAPPG, p . 181 -182.
14 RPV-Letter-to-Hahu-June 2023-Fl A L.pdf: RPV Geolog ic geotech report 201 9 ; Cotton-Shires -Report-
9.29.23.PDF
Page4of7
G-5
FEMA-4769-DR-CA
PA ID 037-59514-00
vertical movement between 0.5 to 1.5 fee t, depending on location."L5 Additionally , the City of
Rancho Palos Verdes has a pre-disaster active task force called the RPV Landslide Complex
Working Group which meets to continue to address ongoing landslide problems . For example,
in a November 1 , 2023 , meeting discussion points demonstrate land instability was a continuous
and ongoing problem. 16 Further, the city includes an explanation on its webpage which
discusses the challenges of this long-standing problem stating:
... the City works bard to maintain a safe roadway through the area at a cost of about a half
million dollars per year. Regular tra elers through the area are familiar with the frequent
need to repair cracks and smooth out the roadway. The costs to "stop" the land from
moving are incalculable, even if the technology existed to make that happen. Since it
does not, the City does its best to "manage" our activity in the face of the nature's
processes that are indeed very real.17
As noted above, the Applicant's Geotech Engineering firm , Cotton Shires , provided a report
dated September 29, 2023 , which clarifies the work claimed has an extensive history of ground
movement and instability unrelated to the disaster event. This report states in one pertinent part :
Accelerated lands li de movements since late 2018 appear to be correlative with significantly
above normal rainfall in three out of four rainfall seasons (2016-17 , 2018-19 and 2019-20)
which followed five consecutive drier than normal rainfal l seasons (2011-12 through 2015-
16). The extraordinary rainy season 0£2022-23, where rainfall totals were more than 200%
of average, has resulted in fUither acceleration based upon limited monitoring data . A
significant concern is that the movement velocities have not declined back to the pre-2018
levels despite two significantly below-normal rainy seasons (2020-21, one of the driest on
record, and 2021-22). 18
The Cotton Shires report goes on to reference a June 6, 2023 , Survey Report from McGee
surveying consulting in which McGee concluded:
In the last seven months the movement ve locities have accelerated over the average
velocity for the pre v ious four years which saw an acceleration over the previous 15-20
years ...... Velocities were stable prior to 2018 . After the Fall of20l8 they increased about
15 RPV-Letter-to-H abu-June 2023-FINAL.pdf and RPV Geologic geotech report 2019, Collon-Shires-Report-
9.29.23.PDF, p. I
16 Novemb e r-1 -2023-Meeting -otes-PDF.pd f items discussed included :
• Fissure filling protocol : ll1e City received additional instruction from geologists from Cotton Shires.
Placing large quantities of weight in a fissure is not recommended; howevec , each fissure should be looked
at separately on a case-by case basis to add stability to the area. Any fissure filling will not allow
reopening of trails .
• Ques tion: is the landslide area expanding or not? The City is installing additional mon itoring points to
estab lisl1 data to answer this question. City Council has authorized the work.
• Regular GPS survey of lands lide monitoring points and reporting of data; update map with uew survey
locations.
17 Po rtu guese Bend Landslide I Ra nc ho Pa lo Verdes, CA -Official We bs i te (mvca.gov)
18 Cotton-shires-Report-9.29.23.PDF.pdf, ·p. 6; see also RPV Geologic geotech report 20 l 9.pdf.
Page 5 of7
G-6
FEMA-4769-DR-CA
PA ID 037-59514-00
3 to 6-fold at most points and remained stable to the Fall of 2022 . ln the last seven months
since th e Fall of 2022 the ve locities .generally have doubled more or less. 19
T he Cotton Shires report notes that the McGee survey days "is a significant and important
observation from the surveyor and comports with the past several years of field observations by
CSA staff of roadway distress and trail d istress within the PBR, as well as reports of street
distress, building distress and utility line breaks throughout the various known landslide areas ."20
Based on the-documentation submjned. FEMA determined the facilities and work were unstable
based on pre-disaster evidence. Accordingly , permanent work is ineligible .
In accordance with the requirements set forth in the Stafford Act, 44 C.F.R. and FEMA PA
policy, the documentation provided shows the damages claimed were not a result of the declared
disaster event. Further, the documentation establishes the damages claimed are a direct result of
pre-event slope instability which has been ongoing for decades and cannot be stabilized in order
to perfonn permanent work. Accordingly, the Applicant's request for reimbursement in the
amount of $200,000.00 is denied.
Eligibility Determination: 0 Partially Approved ~ Denied
Notice of Right to Appeal:
The Applicant may appeal this determination, pursuant to Title 44 of the Code of Federal
Regulations § 206.206, Appeals. The appeal must be submitted electronically via the FEMA
Grants Portal/Grants Manager System (GM). If the Applicant elects to file an appeal, the
appeal must:
1) contain documented justification supporting the Applicant's position,
2) specify the monetary figure in dispute, and
3) cite the provisions in federal law, regulation, or policy with which the Applicant
believes the initial action was inconsistent.
The appeal must be submitted to the Recipient, the California Governor's Office of
Emergency Services (CalOES), by the Applicant within 60 days from the date of this
FEMA eligibility determination. The Recipient must then electronically transmit the
appeal, through GM, with a written recommendation, to Region 9 within 120 days from the
date of this FEMA eligibility determination. FEMA must receive the appeaJ from the
Recipient no later than May 17, 2025. If you have any questions, please contact your
CalOES PA Representative.
Approval:
19 Cotton-shires-Report-9.29.23.PDF.pdf, p. 6
io Id.
Page 6 of7
G-7
FEMA-4769-DR-CA
PA ID 037-59514-00
PA Management: Carter R. Long-PA Infras tru cture Branch Director
Signature:
CARTER R
LONG
Document Index:
Document Description
OV[la!ly.;gnad by CAR TER R
LONG
Date: 2025.01.17 13:45:57 -08'00'
Letter -Pre-event damage validation
Technical report
Technical report
Landslide Wrkgrp Meeting Minutes
Technical Report
Applicant Webpage
Public presentation 2023 data
Technical report
Map
City Council report -2012
Date: 1/17/25
File Name
RPV-Letter-to-Hah11-J1111e 2023-FINA L.pdf
Cotto11..Sl,ires-Report-9.29.23.PDF
RPV Geologic geotech report 2019
No11ember-l-2023-Meeting-Notes-PDF.pd/
2007-GPS-Survey-PDF.pdf
RPV-Landslide management Web page.pd/
50th Anniversary PowerPoint Template.pd/
PB MONITORING SUR VEY REPORT-
Oct.1023-Jan. 2024-revl.docx
PBLC Map.pd/
PBLC report 2012.pdf
Page 7 of7
G-8
FEMA-4769-DR-CA
PA ID 037 -59514-00
ELIGIBILITY DETERMINATION MEMORANDUM
City of Rancho Palos Verdes
Project No. 754846
□ State Agency
Version No. 0 Applicant ~ Local Government
Damage Type □ Tribe
Inventory 1385921 □ Private Nonprofit
Nos.
Project Title: Landslide -Utilities
Category of Work: F-Utilities
Amount □ A pp licant E ligibility
Requested: $3,000,000.00 Eligibility Issue □ Facility Eligibility
Amount T ype(s) ~ Work Eligibility
Denied: $3,000,000.00 □ Cost Eligibility
Issue Not resu lt of the declared event, pre-event ins tability -lands lide Keyword(s):
Applicant Description:
On April 13, 2024, t he President declared a majo r d isaster (FEMA-DR-4769-CA) in t he State of
California, due to damages from severe winter storms tornadoes , fl oodi ng, Landsl ides , and
mudslides with an incident period of January 31, 2024 through Fe b ruary 9, 2024 . As a result of
the disaster, Rancho Pa los Verdes, City of (RPV or Applicant), a loca l government ent ity
requests funding under the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Public Assistance
(PA) program.
RPV requests funding to conduct permanent repairs to sewer system structures throughout the
City claimed as damage d as a result of the d isaster. The Applicant c laims winter storms caused
ground movement and damaged mult ip le sewer system structures (facilities).
Work claimed and addressed in this determina t ion memorandum is as fo ll ows:
• Damage Item 138592 l-Util it ies-Sewers
During the validation process, FEMA identified th e fac i li t ies as running across an active
landslide that has been actively moving since 1956. RPV continuously repairs and maintains the
sewer system due to the ongoing earth movement. 1
1 See RPV Geologic geotech report 20 19: see al o RPJf-leuer-to-Halm.June 2023-FINAL
Pagel of7
G-9
Issue:
1. Were the damages a result of the declared event?
2. Is permanent work eligible for damages caused by a landslide?
FEMA-4769-DR-CA
PA ID 037-59514-00
Applicable Statutes, Regulations, and Policies in Effect as of the Declaration of the
Emergency or Disaster:
• The Robert T . Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Acl as amended (Stafford
Act), 42 U.S.C . § 5121 et seq.:
Stafford Act§ 102 {l0)(A) & (C)
Stafford Act§ 406(a)(l)(A)
• Title 44 of the Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R .) (2022):
44 C.F.R. §§ 206.223(a)(l)
• FEMA Policy:
Public Assislance Program and Po/;cy Guide FP 104-009-2 Version 4 (June 2020) (PAPPG)
PAPPG, at 51, 56, 181-182.
Analysis:
FEMA has discretionary authority to provide grant funding to a State or local government for the
repa ir, restoration reconstruction, or replacement of a public facility damaged or destroyed by a
major disaster and for associated expenses incurred by the government.
1. The work claimed is not required as a result of the declared disaster and the
applicant cannot demonstrate the damage was directly caused by FEMA-DR-4769-
CA.
To be eligib le for FEMA financial assistance, work must be required as a result of the disaster,
and the app l icant must demonstrate that the damage was directly caused by the incident.2
In this case, the Applicant cannot demonstrate that the damages are due to the disaster event.
The President declared a major disaster (FEMA-DR-4769-CA) in the State of California on April
13, 2024 , with an incident period of January 31 2024 , through February 9, 2024. However,
documentation establishes the damages claimed are the result of decades of pre-disaster ground
instability and ongoing non-disaster related causes.
2 44 C.F .R. § 206.223(a)(l)
Page2 of7
G-10
FEMA-4769-DR-CA
PA ID 037-59514-00
Documentation of pre-existing conditions of landslides and earth movement include a December
2019 report from Geo-L ogic Associates , Inc. (GLA) which served as a basis fo r development of
mitigation measures for the ac tive landslide complex located wit hin the disas ter damage claimed
area. 3 The landslide complex. includes approximately 239 acres with ground movement varyi ng
across the site ranging up to approximate ly 11 feet per year.4 The sewer locations throughout the
city are loca ted within the Portuguese Bend Landslide Complex.. 5
The GLA report notes that the «Geology of the PBLC has been studied since the first reported
landslide movement in 1956 . Approximately 500 ... maps , reports , technical papers , and
technical presentations are on file w ith the City ."6 The GLA report also notes that the objective
is to reduce the movement rate of the landslide, not to stabilize the landslide since "geotechnical
stability criteria would be infeasible."7
More recently in a pre-disaster September 29, 2023 , report from Cotton, Shires and Associates,
In c. (Cotton Shires), consulting E ngineers and Geo logists for the Applicant, Cotton Shires
provided a preliminary geotechnical assessmen t o f "recent land movemen t'' within the
Portuguese Bend Reserve. 8 The Cotton Shires repo rt states in pertinent part:
A portion of the PBR is underlain by the historically active Portuguese Bend Landslide
(active since 1955-56) as well as the Ancient Portuguese Bend Landslide Comp lex.
Some areas of the Reserve are now experi enc ing signi fi can t land movement and ground
surface manifestation that is beyond the limits of t he historically active and previously
mapped Portuguese Bend Lands l ide . resulting in damage to trai ls and fire roads which
provi de access for public safety, utilities .. maintenance, conservation, and public
recreation ... geologists have been requested by the City to observe various landslide-
related issues in the Reserve involving damage to trails since 2021 and the SCE
transmission lines along Bunna Road since the summer of2022.9
With in the Ancient Portuguese Bend Landslide Complex, several large la n dslide masses
have reactivated since the 1950s, including the Portuguese Bend L andslide, Aba lone cove
landslide, Klondike Canyon Landslide, and Beach Club Landslide. 10
It is our interpretation tha t the western extent of this new landslide mo vement is
occurring in response to long-term creep displacement and recent acceleration of
movement of the Ancient Portuguese Bend Landslide Comp lex (APBLC) since October
2018.11
3 Portuguese Bend L andslide Complex
4 RPV Geologic Geotec h report 2019.pdf, p. A-4 .
5 Id. p . A-33 · see also Rancho Palos Verdes map-location a ssociate d w ith Portugu ese Beud La ndslide Complex
6 Id. p . A-7, Section 2. L
7 Id. p . A -13, Section 4.1.
8 Cotton -hires-R eport-9 .29.23 .PD F .pd t: p . 2 .
9 Id. P. 2.
10 Id. p . 4.
11 Id. p. 6.
Page 3 of7
G-11
FEMA-4769-DR-CA
PA ID 037-59514-00
Further, a September 2007 Survey Report for the Rancho Palos Verdes Portuguese Landslide
intended to monitor ground slide in 2007 was a "continuation of a monitoring survey program
conducted by the City since 1994 .... 12
Based on the documentation provided the work claimed is not required as a result of the
declared disaster and the app licai1 t cannot demonstrate the damage was direc tl y caused by
FEMA-DR-4769-CA. Rather, these damages are a res ul t of long-term creep displacement and
recent years accelerat ion of earth movement from non-disaster related causes as documented in
the multiple reports.
2. The facilities were unstable based on pre-disaster evidence; ground restoration is
ineligible.
In accordance with 44 C.F.R . § 206.223(a){l), eligible work must be the direct result of the
disaster event. FEMA policy further clarifies that if an e li g ib le facility is located on a slope and
is damaged as a result of a landsl ide or slope instability triggered by the incident, FEMA
determines the stability of the slope that supports the faci lity before it approves PA funding to
restore the faci lity. Restoration of the integral ground that supports the facility may also be
e ligible. The impact of s lope stability on e ligib il ity is as fo ll ows:
• If the site is stable, permanent restoration of the fac ili ty and it s integral ground is
eligible.
• If the si te is unstable and there is no evidence of pre-disaster instabi lity after the facility
was constructed, permanent restoration of the faci l ity and its integral ground is e li gib le ,
including measures to stabilize the integral groun d.
• q the site is unstable and there is evidence ofpre-disaster instability after the facility
was constructed, restoration of the facility's integral ground is ineligible.13
Here the facilities are located w ithin an act ive landslide comp lex that was triggered and
reactivated in 1956 and has been continuously moving. Accordingly, t here is evidence of current
and pre-disaster instab ility . Restoration of the facility's integral ground is ineligib le, and the
app licant is unab le to stabilize the sites to conduct permanent repairs. 14
The A pplicant has been aware of the condition o f earth movement in this landslide complex area
for many years and has sought millions of do ll ars in funding in the past to address it. For
example, in a June 7, 2023, letter from the city of Rancho Palos Verdes to Janice Hahn, Los
Ange les County 4 111 D ist ric t Office , the c ity sought $6 million do ll ars in funding for a
remediation project for the Portuguese Bend Lands l ide to address the "continuous threat with an
average annual horizontal movement between approximate ly 6 to LS feet and average annual
12 2007-GPS-Survey-PDF.pdf, p. 3.
1J PAPPG, p. 181-182.
1~ RPV-L etler-to-Hah n-Ju ne 2023-fINAL.pd( RPV Geo lo gic geotech rep ort 2019 · Cotton-Shires-Reporl-
9.29.2 3.PDF
Page4 o f7
G-12
FEMA-4769-DR-CA
PA ID 037-59514-00
vertical movement between 0.5 to l.5 feet, depending on location ."15 Additionally , the City of
Rancho Palos Verdes has a pre-disaster active task force called the RPV Landslide Complex
Working Group which meets to continue to address ongo ing Landslide problems. For example,
in a November 1, 2023, meeting, discu.ssion poi nts demonstrate land instability was a continuous
and ongoing problem. 16 Further .. the city in cludes an explanation on its webpage which
discusses the challenges of this long-standing problem stating:
... th e City works hard to mainta in a safe roadway through the area at a cost of about a half
million dollars per year. Regular travelers through the area are fam il iar with the frequent
need to repair cracks and smooth out the roadway. The costs to "stop" the land from
moving are incalculabl~ even if the technology existed to make that happen. Since it
does not, the City does its best to "manage" our activity in the face of the nature's
processes that are indeed very real. 17
As noted above, the Ap plicant's Geotech Engineering firm, Cotton Sh.ires, provided a report
dated September 29 , 2023 , which clarifies the work claimed has an ex.te nsive history of ground
movement and instability unrelat ed to the disaster event. This report states in one pertinent part:
Accelerated landslide movements since late 2018 appear to be correlative with significantly
above normal rainfall in three ou t of fourrainfal l seasons (2016-17, 2018-19 and 2019-20)
which followe d five consecutive drier than normal rainfall seasons (2011-12 through 2015-
16). The extraordinary rainy season of 2022-23, where rainfall totals were more than 200%
of average, has resulted in further acce leration based upon Limited monitoring data. A
significant concern is that the movement velocit ies have not declined back to the pre-2018
levels despi te two significantly be low-normal rainy seasons (2020-21, one of the driest on
record, and 2021-22). 18
The Cotton Shires report goes on to reference a June 6, 2023, Survey Report from McGee
surveying consu lting in which McGee concluded:
In the last seven months the movement ve locities have accelerated over the average
velocity for the previous four years whic h saw an acceleration over the previous 15-20
years ...... Velocities were stable prior to 2018. After the Fa ll of2018 they increased about
15 RPV-Le ue r-to-Hahn-June 2023-FI AL.pd f a nd RPV Geologic geotech report 20 19 , Cotton-hires-Report-
9.29.23 .PDF, p. l
16 November-l-2023 -Meeting -Notes-PDF.pd[ i tems discussed included:
• Fissure filling protocol : The City received additional instruction nom geologists from Cotton S h ires.
Placing large quantit ies of weigh t in a fissure is not recollllllended · however, each fissure should be looked
at separately on a case-by case basis to add stability to the area. Any fissure filling will not allow
reopening of trails.
• Questi on: is the lands li de area expanding or no t? The City is ins talling additional monitoring points to
establish data to answer this question. City Cow1cil has authorized the work.
• Regular GPS survey of landslide monitoring points and reporting of da ta ; update ma p with new survey
locations.
17 Portuguesc Bend La nd Iidi: I Rancho Pal o Verdes, CA -O ffi ci a l Website (rpvca .gov)
18 Cotton-shires -Report-9.29.23.PDF.pdf, p. 6; see also RPV Geologic geotech report 2019.pdf.
Page 5 of7
G-13
FEMA-4769-DR-CA
PA ID 037-59514-00
3 to 6-fold at most points and remained stable to the Fall of 2022 . In the last seven months
since the Fall of2022 the velocities generally have doubled more or Less. 19
The Cotton Shires report notes that the McGee survey days "is a signi fi cant and important
observation from the surveyor and comports with the past several years of field observations by
CSA staff of roadway distress and trail distress within the PBR, as well as reports of street
distress , bui lding distress and utility Line breaks throughout the various known landslide areas."2 0
Based on the documentation submitted, FEMA determined the faci lities were unstable based on
pre-disaster evidence. Accordingly, pennanent work is ineligible.
In accordance with the requirements set forth in the Stafford Act. 44 C.F.R. and F E MA PA
policy , the documentation prov ided shows the damages claimed were not a result of the declared
disaster event. Further, the documentat ion establishes th e damages c laimed are a di rect resu lt of
pre-event slope instability which has been ongoing for decades and cannot be stab ilized in order
to perform permanent work. Accordingly , the Applicant 's request for reimbursement in the
amount of $3,000,000.00 is denied.
Eligibility Determination: 0 Partially Approved ~ Denied
Notice of Right to Appeal:
The Applicant may appeal this determination, pursuant to Title 44 of the Code of Federal
Regulations § 206.206, Appeals. The appeal must be submitted electronically via the FEMA
Grants Portal/Grants Manager System (GM). If the Applicant elects to file an appeal, the
appeal must:
1) contain documented justification supporting the Applicant's position,
2) specify the monetary figure in dispute, and
3) cite the provisions in federal law, regulation, or policy with which the Applicant
believes the initial action was inconsistent
The appeal must be submitted to the Recipient, the California Governor's Office of
Emergency Services (CalOES), by the Applicant within 60 days from the date of this
FEMA eligibility determination. The Recipient must then electronically transmit the
appeal, through GM, with a written recommendation, to Region 9 within 120 days from the
date of this FEMA eligibility determination. FEMA must receive the appeal from the
Recipient no later than May 17, 2025. lfyou have any questions, please contact your
CalOES PA Representative.
Approval:
19 Cotton-shires-Report-9.29.23 .PDF.pdt: p. 6
20 Id.
Page6of7
G-14
FEMA FEMA-4769-DR-CA
PA ID 037-59514-00
PA Management: Carter R. Long-PA Infrastructure Branch Director
Signature:
CARTER R
LONG
Document Index:
Document Description
~ oignod by CARTER R
LONG
0ate: 2025.01.17 1 J :'49:02 -oinxr
Letter -Pre-event damage validation
Technical report
Technical report
Landslide Wrkgrp Meeting Minutes
Technical Report
Applicant Webpage
Public presentation 2023 data
Technical report
Map
City Council report -2012
Date : 1/17/25
File Name
RPV-Letter-to-Halm-J1111e 2023-FINAL.pdf
Cotto11-Sl1ires-Report-9.29.23.PDF
RPV Geologic geotech report 2019
No11ember-1-2023-Meeti11g-Notes-PDF.pd/
2007-GPS-Survey-PD F.pdf
RPV-Landslide ma11age111e11I Web page.pd/
50th A11niversary PowerPoi11t Template.pd/
PB MONITORING SURVEY REPORT-
Oct.2023-Jan. 2024-revl.docx
PBLC Map.pd/
PBLC report 2012.pdf
Page 7 of7
G-15
Project No.
Version No.
Damage
Inventory
Nos.
Project Title:
FEMA-4769-DR-CA
PA ID 037-59514-00
ELIGIBILITY DETERMINATION MEMORANDUM
City of Rancho Palos Verdes
753361 D State Agency
0 Applicant 181 Local Government
Type D Tribe
1386231 D Private Nonprofit
PVDS Temporary Civil Repairs
Category of Work: B -Emergency Protective Measures
Amount $5,375,000.00 D Applicant Eligibility
Requested: Eligibility Issue IZI Facility Eligibility
Amount Type(s) IZI Work Eligibility
Denied: $5,375,000.00 D Cost Eligibility
Issue Not result of the declared event, pre-event instability -lands lide, other federal
Keyword(s): agency
Applicant Description:
On April 13, 2024, the President declared a major disaster (FEMA-DR-4769-CA) in the State of
California, due to damages from severe win ter storms tornadoes , flooding , landslides, and
mudslides with an incident period of January 31 , 2024 t hrough February 9, 2024 . As a result of
the disaster, Rancho Pa los Verdes , City of (RPV or Applicant), a loca l government entity
requests funding under the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Public Assistance
(PA) program.
RPV requests funding to conduct emergency protective measures throughout the city for
damages claimed as a result of the disaster. Work claimed and addressed in this determination
memorandum are as follows :
• Damage Item 1386231-Temporary Civil Repairs
During the validation process, FEMA identified the emergency work as work located across an
active landslide that has been actively moving since l 956. RPV, in conjunction with the Palos
Verdes Land Conservancy, continuously repairs and monitors the areas claimed for landslide
activ ity due to ongoing earth movement and other non-disaster related causes . 1
1 See RPV Geologic geotec/1 report 2019; s ee also RPV-leffer-to-Halm-June 2023-FINAL
Page 1 of8
G-16
FEMA-4769-DR-CA
PA ID 037-59514-00
Issue:
1. Were the damages a result of the declared event?
2 . Are facilities under the legal responsibility of another federal agency eligible for FEMA
Public Assistance?
3 . Is emergency work eligible for damages caused by an ongoing, non-disaster related
landslide?
Applicable Statutes, Regulations, and Policies in Effect as of the Declaration of the
Emergency or Disaster:
• The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergencv Assistance Act as amended (Stafford
Act), 42 U.S.C. § 5121 et seq.:
Stafford Act§ 102 (lO)(C) & (D)
Stafford Act§ 403(a)(3), Essential Assis tance
• Title 44 of the Code of Fe deral Regulations (C.F.R-l (2022):
44 C.F.R. §§ 206.223(a)(l), (a)(3)
• FEMA Policy :
Public Assistance Program and Policy Guide , FP 104-009-2 Version 4 (June 2020) (PAPPG)
PAPPG, at 51, 56, 95, 110-111, 135.
Analysis:
To be eligible for FEMA financial assistance, emergency work must first satisfy the requirement
that the work claimed is a result of the disaster.2 If th.is requirement is met, then FEMA may use
its discretionary authority to provide grant funding to a state or local government for emergency
protective measures to save lives or protect public health and safety as a result of a declared
emergency or disaster. Emergency protective measures conducted before, during, and after an
incident are eligible if the measures:
• Eliminate or lessen immediate threats to Lives, public health, or safety; OR
• Eliminate or lessen immediate threats of significant additional damage to improved public
or private property in a cost-effective manner.3
1. The work claimed is not required as a result of the declared disaster and the
applicant cannot demonstrate the damage was directly caused by FEMA-DR-4769-
CA.
2 44 C.F.R. § 206.223(a)(l)
3 44 C.F.R. § 206.225(a)(3); PAPPG, p. 110-111
Page2 of8
G-17
FEMA-4769-DR-CA
PA ID 037 -59514-00
As requ ired by s tatu te, regulation , and pol icy to be el igible fo r FEMA financial assistance ,
emergency work mus t be require d as a result of the disaster.4
In this c·ase the Appl icant cannot demonstra te that t he emergency work claimed is due to the
disaster event. The President declared a major disaster (FEMA-DR-4769-CA) in the State of
California on Apri l 13 , 2024 , with an incident period of January 31 , 2024 , t hr oug h February 9,
2024 . However, documenta t ion establishes the work cl a imed is the result of decades of pre-
disaster ground instab il ity and ongoing non-disaster related causes.
Documentation of pre-exist ing conditions of landslides and earth movement incl ude a December
2019 report from Geo -Logic Assoc iates , Inc . (GLA) whic h served as a bas is fo r development of
mi t iga t io n measures for the ac t ive lands lide compl ex loca ted within the disaster damage claimed
area . 5 The landslide comp lex includes approximately 239 acres wi th ground movement varying
across the site ranging up to approximate ly 11 feet per yea r. 6 A U emergency work c laimed is
located in th e landslide complex.
The GLA report notes that the «Geo logy of the PBLC has been studied since the first reported
landslide movement in 1956 . Ap proxima tely S00 ... maps , reports technica l papers , and
technica l presentat ions are on file w ith the City."7 The GLA report also notes that the objective
is to reduce the movement rate of the landslide, not to stab il ize the landslide since "geotechnical
stability criteria would be infeasible."8
More recently, in a pre-disaster September 29 2023 , re p ort from Cotton, Shires and Assoc iates ,
Inc . (Cotton Shires), consulting Engineers and Geologists for the Applicant, Cotton Shires
provided a preliminary geotechnical assessment of .. recent land mo eme nt'' wi th in the
Portuguese Bend Reserve . 9 The Co tt on Shires report states in pertinent p art :
A portion of the PBR is un derlain by the historically active Portuguese Bend Landslide
(active s ince 195S -56) as we ll as the Ancient Portu guese Be nd Landslide Comp lex.
Some areas of the Reserve are now experiencing si gnificant land movement and ground
surface man ifestation that is beyond the limi ts of the historically active and prev iously
mapped Portuguese Bend Lands lide_, resul t ing in damage to tra il s and fire roads which
provide access for public safety, utilities, maintenance, conservation, and public
recreation ... geologists have been requ ested by t he City to observe various lands lide-
related issues in the Reserve 1nvolvi ng damage to trails since 2021 and the SCE
transmission lines along B urma Road s ince the summer of 2022 . 10
4 44 C.F.R. § 206 .223(a)(l)
~ Portuguese Bend Landslide Complex
6 RPV Geologic Geotech report 2019.pd( p. A-4.
7 Id. p. A -7, Section 2. l.
3 Id. p. A -13, Section 4 .l.
9 Cotton-Shires-Report-9.29.23.PDF.pdf, p. 2.
10 Id. P. 2.
Page 3 of8
G-18
FEMA-4769-DR-CA
PA ID 037-59514-00
Within the Ancient Portuguese Bend Landslide Complex, several large landslide masses
have reactivated since the 1950s including the Portuguese Bend Landslide Abalone cove
landslide Klondike Canyon Landslide, and Beach Club Landslide.11
It is our interpretation that the western extent of this new landslide movement is
occurring in response to long-term creep displacement and recent acceleration of
movement of the Ancient Portuguese Bend Landslide Complex {APBLC) since October
2018.12
Further, a September 2007 Survey Report for the Rancho Palos Verdes Portuguese Landslide
intended to monitor ground slide in 2007 was a "continuation of a monitoring survey program
conducted by the City since 1994 .... 13
Based on the docwnentation provided, the emergency work claimed is not required as a result of
the declared disaster and the applicant cannot demonstrate the work was directly caused by
FEMA-DR-4769-CA. Rather, this work is necessary due to the ongoing landslide earth.
movement resulting from long-term creep displacement and recent years acce lerabon of earth
movement from non-llsaster related causes as documented in the multiple reports.
2. The roads are ineligible because another Federal Agency is legally responsible for
maintenance and repair of the roads.
FEMA regulations require that to be eljgible for PA funding, the work must be the legal
responsibility of the eligible Applicant requesting assistance. 14 FEMA defines an eligible Public
Facility as one that a SL TI (State , Local, Territorial, and Tribal) government owns or has legal
responsibility for maintaining, including any:
• Non-Federal-aid Street, road, or highway. 15
Emergency repair of a facility is ineligible if another Federal agency has the specific authority to
provide assistance for the facility (even if the repair is temporary),such as for : Federal-Aid highways
-Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).16 Other Federal Agencies (OF As) have authority to
conduct work that may overlap with FEMA's authority. 17 FEMA evaluates its authorities
against OFA authorities . When evaluating whether an OFA has more specific authority, FEMA
considers factors such as whether the OF A's authority is specifically and exclusively available
for a particular type of facility. 18 In such cases, FEMA does not provide assistance for the
facilities or work even if that OFA does not provide funding for the faci l ity or work. The
11 /d. p. 4.
i21d. p. 6.
13 2007-GPS-Survey-PDF.pdf, p. 3.
14 44 C.F.R. § 206.223(a), PAPPG at 51.
t5 Id.
16 PAPPG, p. 135
17 44 C.F.R. § 206.223(c); PAPPG, at 54 .
18 Id; 44 C.F.R. § 206.226(a)(l).
Page4 of8
G-19
FEMA-4769-DR-CA
PA ID 037-59514-00
Applicant should apply to the respecti ve agency for assistance w ith a facility or work under that
agency's authority.
The Federal Highway Authority (FHWA) has authority to restore pub lic roads under the
Emergency Relief (ER) Program . Roads tha ~ are eligible for ER assistance are identified as
Federal-aid routes , which include highways on the Federal-aid highway system and all other
public roads not classified as local roads or rural minor collectors. The ER Program is activated
separately from Presidential declarations under the Stafford Act and may not be activated for aH
incidents . Federal-aid routes are ineligible even if the ER Program is not activated or if the
program is activated but FHW A does not provide funding for the work. FHW A also bas
authority to assist with restoration of transportation facilities under the Emergency Relief for
Federally Owned Roads Program (ERFO).
Here, emergency work for roads are identified as a Principal Arterial Road(s) and under the
authority of the FHW A. As clarified, FEMA PA funding is not available when an OF A has
specific authority to restore facilities damaged by a major disaster, even if the OF A does not
provide funding for the facility or work.19 Furthermore, emergency repair of a facility is
ineligible if an OFA bas the specific authority to provide assistance for the facility (e en if the
repair is temporary), such as for Federal-aid roads. Consequently, since the Applicant's facilities
are within the Federal-aid highway system , the repairs claimed are ineligible for PA funding.
3. The emergency work claimed is due to an existing unstable landslide and is
ineligible.
In accordance with 44 C.f.R. § 206.223(a)( 1), eligible work must be the direct result of the
disaster event. Here, the emergency work is located within an active landslide complex that was
triggered and reactivated in 1956 and has been continuously moving. Accordingly, there is
evidence of current and pre-disaster instability of this entire area. AIL Damage Items include
work claimed as a resul t of the ongoing landslide problem and not due to the disaster event.
Emergency work of the areas integral ground is ineligib le, and the applicant is unable to
stabilize the sites to conduct temporary or subsequent permanent repairs. 2 0
The Applicant has been aware of the condition of earth movement in this landslide complex area
for many years and has sought millions of dollars in funding in the past to address it. for
examp le, in a June 7, 2023 , Letter from tl1e city of Rancho Palos Verdes to Janice Hahn, Los
Angeles County 4 th District Office, the city sought $6 million dollars in funding for a
remediation project for the Portuguese Bend Landslide to address the ''continuous threat, with an
average annual horizontal movement between approximately 6 to 15 feet and average annual
vertical movement between 0.5 to 1.5 feet, depending on location."2 1 Additionally , the City of
Rancho Palos Verdes has a pre-disaster active task force ca ll ed the RPV Landslide Complex
19 44 C.F.R. § 206.226(a)(l); PAPPG , at 54.
20 RPV -Letter-to-Hahn-June 2023-FI AL.pdf; RPV Geologic geotech report 2019; Cotton-Shires-Report-
9.29.23.PDF
2 1 RPV-Lette r-to-Hah n -June 2023 -FINAL.pdf and RPV Geologic geotecb report 20 I 9, Colton -Sbires -R e port-
9.29.23.PDF, p . 1
Page 5 of8
G-20
FEMA-4769-DR-CA
PA ID 037-59514-00
Working Group which meets to continue to address ongoing landslide problems. For example,
in a November 1, 2023 meeting, discussion points demonstrate land instability was a continuous
and ongoing problem. 22 Further, the city includes an explanation on its webpage which
discusses the challenges of this long-standing prob lem stating:
... the City works hard to maintain a safe roadway through the area at a cost of about
a half million dollars per year. Regular travelers through the area are familiar with
the frequent need to repair cracks and smooth out the roadway. The costs to "stop"
the land from moving are incalculable, even if the technology existed to make that
happen. Since it does no~ the City does its best to "manage" our activity in the face
of the nature's processes that are indeed very real 23
As noted above , the Applicant's Geotech Engineering firm, Cotton Shires, provided a report
dated September 29, 2023, which clarifies the facilities claimed have an extensive history of
ground movement and instabi lity unrelated to the disaster event. This report states in one
pertinent part:
Accelerated lands lide movements since late 2018 appear to be correlative with significantly
above normal rainfall in three out of four rainfall seasons (2016-17 , 2018-19 and 2019-20)
which followed five consecutive drier than normal rainfall seasons (2011-12 through 2015-
16). The extraordinary rainy season of2022-23 , where rainfall tota ls were more than 200%
of average, has resulted in further acceleration based upon limited monitoring data. A
significant concern is that the movement velocities have not declined back to the pre-2018
levels despite two significantly below-normal rainy seasons (2020-21, one of the driest on
record, and 2021-22).24
The Cotton Shires report goes on to reference a June 6, 2023 , Survey Report from McGee
surveying consulting in which McGee concluded:
In the last seven months the movement velocities have ~ccelerated over the average
velocity for the previous four years which saw an acceleration over the previous 15-20
years ...... Velocities were stable prior to 2018 . After the Fa ll of2018 they increased about
3 to 6 fold at most points and remained stable to the Fall of 2022 . In the last seven months
since the Fall 0£2022 the velocities generally have doubled more or less .25
The Cotton Shires report notes that the McGee survey days "is a significant and important
observation from the surveyor and comports with the past several years of field observations by
22 November-1-2023-Meeting -Notes-PDF.pdf ite ms discussed included:
• Fissure tilling protocol: The Ci ty received additional instruction from geologists from Cotton Shires.
Placing large quantities o(weight in a fissure is not recommended; however, each fis sure should be looked
at separately on a case-by case basis to add stability to the area. Any fissure filling will not allow
reopening of trails.
23 Portm.ruesc Bend Landsl ide I Rancho Pa lo Verdes, CA -Officia l Website (rpvcagov)
24 Cotton-shires-Report-9.29.23.PDF.pdf, p. 6; see also RPV Geologic geotech report 2019.pd[
25 Cotton-sbires-Report-9.29.23.PDF.pdf, P-6
Page 6 of8
G-21
FEMA-4769-DR-CA
PA ID 037-59514-00
CSA staff of roadway distress and trail distress within the PBR, as well as reports of street
distress, building distress and utility Line breaks throughout the various known landslide areas."26
Based on the documentation submitted FEMA determined the emergency work was not eligible
and that the work was in the landslide complex ar eas which is unstable based on pre-disaster
evidence. Accordingly . the emergency work claimed is ineligible.
In accordance with the requirements set forth in the Stafford Act. 44 C.F.R. and FEMA PA
pol icy , the documentation provided shows the work claimed is not a resul t of the declared
disaster event. Further, tlie documentation establishes the work claimed is a direct result of pre-
event slope instability in a landslide complex. which has been ongoing for decades and cannot be
stabilized in order to perfonu temporary work. Accordingly , the Applicant's request for
reimbursement in the amount of$5 ,375 000.00 is denied.
Eligibility Determination: D Partially Approved 181 Denied
Notice of Right to Appeal:
The Applicant may appeal this determination, pursuant to Title 44 of the Code of Federal
Regulations § 206.206, Appeals. The appeal must be submitted electronically via the FEMA
Grants Portal/Grants Manager System (GM). If the Applicant elects to file an appeal, the
appeal must:
1) contain documented justification supporting the Applicant's position,
2) specify the monetary figure in dispute, and
3) cite the provisions in federal law, regulation, or policy with which the Applicant
believes the initial action was inconsistent.
The appeal must be submitted to the Recipient, the California Governor's Office of
Emergency Services (CalOES), by the Applicant within 60 days from the date of this
FEMA eligibility determination. The Recipient must then electronically transmit the
appeal, through GM, with a written recommendation, to Region 9 within 120 days from the
date of this FEMA eligibility determination. FEMA must receive the appeal from the
Recipient no later than May 17, 2025. If you have any questions, please contact your
CalOES PA Representative.
Approval:
PA Management: Carter R. Long -PA Infrastructure Branch Director
Signature: CARTER R LONG ~~,1~_:~ Date: 1/17/25
26 Id.
Page 7 of8
G-22
FEMA
Document Index:
Document Description
Letter -Pre-event damage validation
Technical report
Technical report
Meeting Minutes
Portuguese Bend Landslide Complex map
CA -FHA road classification
Technical Report
Technical report
Technical report
Applicant website
FEMA-4769-DR-CA
PA ID 037-59514-00
File Name
RP V-Letter-to-Hahn-June 202 3-FINAL.pdf
Couon-Shires-Report-9. 29. 2 3.P DF
RPV Geologic geotech report 2019
November-1-2023-Meeting -Notes-PDF.pdf
PBL Map.pd/
CA Road System -Functional Classification
PVDS.pdf
2007-GPS-Survey-PDF.pdf
PB MONITORING SURVEY REPORT-
Oct.2023-Jan . 2024-revl .docx
PBLC report 2012.pdf
RPV -Lands/;de Management Web page.pd/
Page 8 of8
G-23
Project No.
Version No.
Damage
Inventory
Nos.
Project Title:
FEMA-4769-DR-CA
PA ID 037-59514-00
ELIGIBILITY DETERMINATION MEMORANDUM
City of Rancho Palos Verdes
753364
□ State Agency
0 Applicant ~ Local Government
Type □ Tribe
1386234 □ Private Nonprofit
Portuguese Bend Landslide Stabilization & Monitoring
Category of Work: B -Emergency Protective Measures
Amount $9,000,000.00 □ Applicant Eligibility
Requested: Eligibility Issue ~ Facility Eligibility
Amount $9,000,000 .00 Type(s) ~ Work Eligibility
Denied: □ Cost Eligibility
Issue Not result of the declared event, pre-event instability -landslide, unimproved
Keyword(s): property.
Applicant Description:
On April 13 , 2024 , the President declared a major disaster (FEMA-DR-4769-CA) in the State of
California, due to damages from severe winter storms, tornadoes, flooding , landslides, and
mudslides with an incident period of January 31 , 2024 , through February 9 2024. As a result of
the disaster, Rancho Palos Verdes , City of (RPV or Applicant) a local government entity
requests funding under the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Public Assistance
(PA) program.
RPV requests funding to conduct emergency protective measures throughout the city for
damages claimed as a resu lt of t he disas ter that includes increased monitoring, installation of
directionally drilled dewatering wells (hydraugers), and fissure repairs in canyons , hillsides and
slopes . Work claimed and addressed in this determination memorandum are as follows:
• Damage Item 1386234-Portuguese Bend Lands lide Stabilization & Monitoring
During the va lidatio n process , FEMA identified the emergency work as work located across an
active lands lide that has been actively moving since 1956. RPV , in conjunction with the Palos
Verdes Land Conservancy continuously repairs and monitors the areas claimed for landslide
activity due to ongoing earth movement and other non-disaster re lated causes. 1
1 Se e RPV Geologic Geolech reporl 2019; see also RPV-Le11er-10-Ha lm-J1111e 20 23-FINAL
Page I of8
G-24
FEMA FEMA-4769 -DR -CA
PA ID 037 -59514-00
Issue:
l. Were the damages a result of the declared event?
2. Whether facility is an unimproved natural feature?
3. Is emergency work eligible for damages caused by an ongoing, non-disaster related
landslide?
Applicable Statutes, Regulations, and Policies in Effect as of the Declaration of the
Emergency or Disaster:
• The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act. as amended {Stafford
Act}, 42 U.S .C. § 5121 et seq.:
Stafford Act§ 102 (IO)(C) & (D)
Stafford Act§ 403(a)(3), Essential Assistance
• Title 44 of the Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R .) (2024):
44 C.F.R. § 206.201
44 C.F.R. §§ 206.223
44 C.F.R. § 206.22S
• FEMA Policy:
Public Assistance Program and Policy Guide , FP L04-009 -2 Version 4 (June 2020) (PAPPG)
PAPPG, at S2-S3, 55, 110. 111
Analysis:
To be eligible for FEMA financial assistance, emergency work must first satisfy the requirement
that the work claimed is a resu lt of the disaster.2 If this requirement is met, then FEMA may use
its discretionary authority to provide grant funding to a state or local government for emergency
protective measures to save Lives or protect public health and safety as a result of a declared
emergency or disaster. Emergency pro tective measures conducted before , during, and after an
incident are eligible if the measures:
• Eliminate or lessen immediate threats to lives, public health, or safety ; OR
• Eliminate or lessen immediate threats of significant additional damage to improved public
or private property in a cost-effective manner.3
1. The Work Claimed Is Not Required As A Result Of The Declared Disaster and.
Therefore, Applicant Cannot Demonstrate The Damage Was Directly Caused by
FEMA-DR-4769:..CA.
2 44 C.F.R. § 206.223(a)(l)
3 44 C.F .R. § 206.225(a)(3); PAPPG, p. l lO-l l l
Page2 of8
G-25
~-FEMA
.. 1 D ~C
FEMA-4769-DR-CA
PA ID 037-59514-00
As required by statute, regulation, and policy, to be eligible for FE.MA financial assistance,
emergency work must be required as a result of the disaster. 4
In this case, the Applicant cannot demonstrate that the emergency work claimed is due to the
disaster event. The President declared a major disaster (FEMA-DR-4769-CA) in the State of
California on April 13 2024, with an incident period of January 31 , 2024, through February 9
2024. Rather, documentation establishes the work claimed is the result of decades of pre-disaster
ground instability and ongoing non-disaster related causes .
Documentation of pre-existing conditions of landslides and earth movement include a December
20 L9 report from Geo-Logic Associates , Inc. (GLA) which served as a basis for development of
mitigation measures for the active landslide complex located within the disaster damage claimed
area. 5 The landslide complex includes approximately 239 acres with ground movement varying
across the site ranging up to approximate ly 11 feet per year. 6 All emergency work claimed is
located in the landslide complex.
The OLA report notes that the "Geology of the PBLC has been studied since the first reported
landslide movement in 1956. Approximately 500 ... maps reports , technical papers, and
technical presentations are on file with the City."7 The GLA report also notes that the objective
is to reduce the movement rate of the landslide, not to stabilize the landslide since "geotechnical
stability criteria would be infeasible."8
More recently, in a pre-disaster September 29 , 2023 , report from Cotton Shires and Associates,
Inc. (Cotton Shires) consulting Engineers and Geologists for the Applicant , Cotton Shires
provided a preliminary geotechnical assessment of "recent land movement" within the
Portuguese Bend Reserve.9 The Cotton Shires report states in pertinent part:
A portion of the PBR is underlain by the historically active Portuguese Bend Landslide
(active since 1955-56) as well as the Ancient Portuguese Bend Landslide Complex .
Some areas of the Reserve are now experiencing significant land movement and ground
surface manifestation that is beyond the limits of the historically active and previously
mapped Portuguese Bend Landslide resulting in damage to trails and fire roads which
provide access for public safety utilities, maintenance, conservation, and public
recreation ... geologists have been requested by the City to observe various landslide-
related issues in the Reserve involving damage to trails since 2021 and the SCE
transmission lines along Burma Road since the summer of 2022. 10
4 44 C.F.R. § 206.223(a)(l)
~ Portuguese Be nd Landslide Complex ma p
6 RPV Geologic Geotech report 2019.pd( p. A-4.
7 Id. p. A -7, Section 2. l.
8 Id. p . A -13, Section 4.1.
9 Cotton-Shires -Report-9.29.23.PDF.pdf, p. 2 .
10 Id. P. 2.
Page 3 of8
FEMA-4769-DR-CA
PA ID 037-59514-00
Within the Ancient Portuguese Bend Landslide Complex, several large landslide masses
have reactivated since the 1950s, including the Portuguese Bend Landslide, Abalone cove
landslide, Klondike Canyon Landslide, and Beach Club Landslide. 11
It is our interpretation that the western extent of this new landslide movement is
occurring in response to long-term creep displacement and recent acceleration of
movement of the Ancient Portuguese Bend Landslide Complex (APBLC) since October
2018. 12 Further, a September 2007 Survey Report for the Rancho Palos Verdes Portuguese Landslide
intended to monitor ground slide in 2007 was a "continuation of a monitoriug survey program
conducted by the City since 1994 .... 1"
Based on the documentation provided, tl1e emergency work claimed is not required as a result of
the declared disaster and the applicant cannot demonstrate the work was directly caused by
FEMA-DR-4769-CA. Rather, this work is necessary due to the ongoing landslide earth
movement resulting from long-term creep displacement and recent years acceleration of earth
movement from non-disaster related causes as documented in the multiple reports. Consequently,
Applicant cannot demonstrate that the emergency work claimed is due to the disaster.
2.The Facility (Slopes, Canyons, Hillsides) is an l.neligible Unimproved Natural
Feature.
The facility must be determined eligibl e for work to be eligible. 14 A facility is defined as «any
publicly or privately owned building, works, system, or equipment, built or manufactured or an
improved and maintained natural feature .... "15
A natural feature is improved and maintained if it meets all of the following conditions per
FEMA policy:
•The natural feature has a designed and constructed improvement to its natural
characteristics, such as a terraced slope or realigned channel;
•The constructed improvement enhances the function of the unimproved natural feature;
•The Applicant ma intains the improvement on a regular schedule to ensure that the
improvement performs as designed. Only the section of a natural feature that meets the
criteria above is eligible. 16Notably, the following facilities are ineligible:
•Unimproved property (e.g., a hillside or s lope, forest, natural channel bank). 17 11 Id. p. 4. 12 Id. p. 6.
13 2007-GPS-Survey-PDF.pdt: P-3. 14 PAPPG at 55.
15 44 C.F.R. § 206.20l(c)
16 PAPPG at 55.17 44 C.F.R. § 206.20l(c); PAPPG at 55.
Page4 of8
G-26
•
G-27
FEMA FEMA-4769-DR-CA
PA ID 037-59514-00
Here, canyon. slopes, and hillsides are unimproved natural features. Applicant fai led to provide
documentation showing that the facilities are improved and maintained. Accordingly , all worked
claimed for the fissures are ineligible.
1. The Emergency Work Claimed is Due to An Existing Unstable Landslide--
Therefore, the Work is Ineligible.
ln accordance with 44 C.F.R. § 206.223(a)( l), e ligib le work must be the direct resu lt of the
disaster event. Here, the emergency work is located wi t h.in an active landslide complex that was
triggered and reactivated in 1956 and has been continuously moving. Accordingly, there is
evidence of current and pre-disaster instability of this entire area. Al l Damage Items include
work claimed as a result of the ongoing lands lide prob lem and not due to the disaster event
Emergency work of the area's integral ground is ineligib le, and the appl icant is unable to
stabilize the sites to conduct temporary or subsequent pemianent repairs. 18
The Applicant has been aware of the condition of earth movement in this landslide complex area
for many years and has sought millions of do ll ars in funding in the past to address it For
example, in a June 7, 2023, letter from the city of Rancho Palos Verdes to Janice Hahn, Los
Angeles County 4 th District Office, the city sought $6 m ill ion dollars in funding for a
remediation project for the Portuguese Bend Landslide to addres·s the "continuous threat, with an
average annual hori z ontal mo ement between approximate ly 6 to 15 feet and average annual
vertical movement between 0 .5 to 1.5 feet, depending on location ."19 Additionally, the City of
Rancho Palos Verdes formed a pre-disaster active task force called the RPV Landsli de Complex
Working Group which meets to continue to address ongoing landslide problems. For ex.ample ,
in a November L, 2023, meeting, discussion points demonstrate land instability was a continuous
and ongoing problem.2 ° Further, the city includes an exp lanation on its webpage which
discusses the challenges of this long-standing problem stating:
[t]he City works hard 10 maintain a safe roadway through the area al a cost of about a half
million dollars per year. Regular travelers 1hrough the area are familiar with 1he frequent
need 10 repair cracks and smooth out the roadway. The costs to '~<;top" the land.from moving
rs RPV-Leuer-to-Hahu-June 2023-Fl AL.pcU; RPV Geologic Geoted1 report 2019; Cotton-Shires-Report-
9.29.23.PDF
19 RPV-Leller-to-Hahn-June 2023-HNAL.pdf and RPV Geologic geotech report 2019, Cotton-Shircs-Report-
9.29.23.PDF, p. 1
20 November-1-2023-Meeting -Notes-PDF.pdf ite111S discussed included:
• Fissure filling protocol : The City received additional instruction from geologists trom Cotton Shires.
Placing large quantities of weight in a fis ure is not recommended; however, each Ii sure should be looked
at separately on a case-by case basis lo add stability lo lhe area . Any fissu re filling will not allow
reopening of trails.
• Question : is the landslide area expanding oniot? The City is installing additional monitoring points lo
establish data to answer this questi on_ City Counci l has auth orized the work.
• Regular GP survey of landslide monitoring po ints and reporting of data; update map with new surwy
locations.
Page 5 of8
G-28
FEMA-4769-DR-CA
PA ID 037-59514-00
are incalculable, even if the technology existed to make 1hat happen. Since it does not, the
City does its best to "manage" our activity in the face of the nature's processes that are
indeed very real. 2 1
As noted above, the Applicant's Geotech Engineering firm, Cotton Shires , provided a report
dated September 29 , 2023 , whicb clarifies the facilities claimed have au extensive history of
ground movement and instability unrelated to the disaster event. This report states in one
pertinent part:
Accelera ted landslide movements since late 2018 appear to be correlalive with
significantly above normal rainfall in three out of four rainfall seasons (2016-17, 2018-19
and 2019-20) which followed.five consecutive drier than normal rainfall seasons (201 I-12
through 2015-16). The extraordinary rai.ny season o..f 2022-23, where rainfall totals were
more than 200% of average, has resulted in further acceleration based upon limited
monitoring daJa. A significant concern is that the movemenJ velocities have not declined
back 10 the pre-2018 levels despi te lwo significantly be/ow-normal rainy seasons (2020-
21, one of the driest on record, and 2021-22}. 2 2
The Cotton Shires report goes on to reference a June 6, 2023, Survey Report from McGee
surveying consulting in which McGee concluded :
In the last seven months the movement velocities have accelerated over the average velocio1
for the previous four years which saw an acceleration over the previous 15-20
years ...... Velocities were s1able prior to 2018. After the Fall of 2018 they increased about
3 to 6fold at most points and remained stable to the Fall of 2022. In the last seven months
since the Fall of 2022 the velocities generally have doubled more or less. 23
The Cotton Shires report notes that the McGee su rvey days "is a significant and important
observation from the surveyor and comports wi th the past several years of field observations by
CSA staff of roadway distress and trail distress within the PBR, as well as reports of street
distress, building distress and utility line breaks throughout the various know n landslide areas. "24
Based on the documentation submitted, FEMA determined the emergency work was not eligible
and that the work was in the landslide complex areas whicb is unstable based on pre-disaster
evidence. Accordingly, the emergency work claimed is ineligible.
ln accordance with the requirements set forth in the Stafford Act, 44 C .F.R. and FEMA PA
policy, the documentation provided shows the work claimed is not a result of the declared
disaster event. Further, the documentation establishes the work claimed is a direct result of pre-
event s lope instability in a landslide complex which has been ongoing for decades and cannot be
stabilized in order to perform temporary work. Accordingly, the Applicant 's request for
21 Portmruese Bend Land . lide I Rancho Pa los Verde . CA -Officia l Web ite (rpvcagov)
22 Cotton-shjres-Report-9.29.23 .PDF.pdf, p. 6 ; see also RPV Geologic Geotech report 2019.pdf.
2 3 Cotton-shires-Report-9.29.23 .PDF.pdf, p . 6
24 Id.
Page 6 of8
G-29
FEMA-4769-DR-CA
PA ID 037-59514-00
reimbursement in the amount of $9,000 ,000.00 is denied.
Eligibility Determination: D Partially Approved ~ Denied
Notice of Right to Appeal:
The Applicant may appeal this determination, pursuant to Title 44 of the Code of Federal
Regulations § 206.206, Appeals. The appeal must be submitted electronically via the FEMA
Grants Portal/Grants Manager System (GM). If the Applicant elects to file an appeal, the
appeal must:
1) contain documented justification supporting the Applicant's position,
2) specify the monetary figure in dispute, and
3) cite the provisions in federal law, regulation, or policy with which the Applicant
believes the initial action was inconsistent.
The appeal must be submitted to the Recipient, the California Governor's Office of
Emergency Services (CalOES), by the Applicant within 60 days from the date of this
FEMA eligibility determination. The Recipient must then electronically transmit the
appeal, through GM, with a written recommendation, to Region 9 within 120 days from the
date of this FEMA eligibility determination. FEMA must receive the appeal from the
Recipient no later than May 17, 2025. lfyou have any questions, please contact your
CalOES PA Representative.
Approval:
PA Management : Carter R. Long -PA Infrasnucture Branch Director
Signature:
CARTER R
LONG
Document Index:
Document Description
09la!IY sq,edby CAR TER R
LOl\'G
Dale: 2025.01.17 15::10:49--08'00'
Letter -Pre-event damage validation
Technical report
Technical report
Date: 1/17/25
File Name
RPV-Letter-to-Hahn-J1111e 2023-FINAL.pdf
Cotton-Shires-Report-9.29.23.PDF
RPV Geologic geotech report 2019
Page 7 of8
G-30
Meeting Minutes
Portuguese Bend Landslide Complex map
CA -FHA road classification
Technical Report
Technical report
Technical report
Applicant website
FEMA-4769-DR-CA
PA ID 037-59514 -00
November-1-2023-Meeling -Notes -PD F.pdf
PBLC Map.pd/
CA Road Sys tem -F1mctio11al Classification
PVDS.pdf
2007-GPS-Survey -PDF.pdf
PB MON ITORIN G SURVEY REPORT-
Oct.2023-Jan. 2024-re v 1.docx
PBLC report 2012.pdf
RPV -Lam/slide Ma11ageme11t Web page.pd/
Page 8 of8
G-31
FEMA FEMA-4769-DR-CA
PA ID 037-59514-00
ELIGIBILITY DETERMINATION MEMORANDUM
City of Rancho Palos Verdes
Project No. 754843 □ State Agency
Version No. 0 Applicant ~ Local Government
Damage Type □ Tribe
Inventory 1385928, 1385929 □ Private Nonprofit
Nos.
Project Title: Landslide -Roads
Category of Work: C-Roads and Bridges
Amount $11,635,000.00 □ Applicant Eligibility
Requested: Eligibility Issue □ Facility Eligibility
Amount Type(s) ~ Work Eligibility
Denied: $11,635,000.00 □ Cost Eligibility
Issue Not result of the declared event, pre-event instabi lity -landslide
Keyword(s):
Applicant Description:
On April 13, 2024, the President declared a major disaster (FEMA-DR-4769-CA) in the State of
California , due to damages from severe winter storms, tornadoes, flooding landslides, and
mudslides with an incident period of January 31, 2024, through February 9 , 2024. As a result of
the disaster, Rancho Palos Verdes, City of (RPV or Applicant), a local government entity
requests funding under the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Public Assistance
(PA) program.
RPV requests funding to conductpennanent repairs to roads throughout the City for damages as
a result of the disaster. The Applicant claims winter stonns caused ground movement and
damaged multiple roads (facilities).
Work claimed and addressed in this determination memorandum is as follows:
• Damage Item 1385928 -Seaview Road
• Damage Item 1385929 -Portuguese Bend Landslide (roads) -No specific road locations
or specific damages were identified within the 60 day damage identification period.
Pagel of7
G-32
FEMA FEMA-4769-DR-CA
PA ID 037-59514-00
During the validation process , FEMA identified the facilities as running across an active
landslide that has been actively moving since 1956. RPV continuously repairs and maintains
these roads due to the ongoing earth movement. 1
Issue:
1. Were the damages a result of the declared event?
2. Is pennanent work e ligible for damages caused by a landslide?
Applicable Statutes, Regulations, and Policies in Effect as of the Declaration of the
Emergency or Disaster:
• The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, as amended {Stafford
Act), 42 U.S.C. § 5121 et seq.:
Stafford Act§ 102 (I0)(B) & (C)
Stafford Act§ 406(a)(l)(A)
• Title 44 of the Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.) (2022):
44 C.F.R. § 206.223(a)(I)
• FEMA Policy:
Public Assistance Program and Policy Guide FP 104-009-2 Version 4 (June 2020) (PAPPG)
PAPPG, at 51-52, 54, 56, 169, 181-182.
Analysis:
FEMA has discretionary authority to provide grant funding to a State or local government for the
repair, restoration reconstruction or replacement of a public facility damaged or destroyed by a
major disaster and for associated expenses incurred by t he government.
1. The work claimed is not required as a result of the declared disaster and the
applicant cannot demonstrate the damage was directly caused by FEMA-DR-4769-
CA.
To be eligible for FEMA financjal assistance, work must be required as a result of the disaster,
and the applicant must demonstrate that the damage was directly caused by the incident. 2
In this case, the Applicant cannot demonstrate that the damages are due to the disaster event.
The President declared a major disaster (FEMA-DR-4769-CA) in the State of California on April
13, 2024, with an incident period of January 31 , 2024 through February 9 , 2024. However,
1 See RPV Geologic geotech report 2019; see also RPV-Leuer-to-Ha/111-J,me 2023-FINA L
2 44 C.F.R. § 206.223(a)(l)
Page 2 of7
G-33
8FEMA
-1,0 ~ .
FEMA-4769-DR-CA
PA ID 037 -59514-00
documentation establishes the damages claimed are the result of decades of pre-disaster ground
instability and ongoing non -disaster related causes.
Documentation of pre-existing conditions oflandslides and earth movement include a December
2019 report from Geo-Logic Associates, Inc . (GLA) which served as a basis for development of
mitigation measures for the active lands lide complex located within the disaster damage claimed
area . 3 The landslide complex includes approximately 239 acres wi t h ground movement vazying
across the site ranging up to approximately 11 feet per year. 4 The road locations throughout the
city are located within the Portuguese Bend Lands l ide Complex. s
Tl1e GLA report notes that the "Geology of the PBLC has been studied since the first reported
landslide movement in 1956 . Approximately 500 ... maps, reports , technical papers, and
technical presentations are on file with the City."6 The GLA report also notes that the objective
is to reduce the movement rate of the landslide , not to stabilize the landslide since "geotechnical
stability criteria would be infeasible ."7
More recently , in a pre-disaster September 29, 2023 , report from Cotton. Sh.ires and Associates ,
Inc. (Cotton Shires), consulting Engineers and Geologists for the Applicant, Cotton Shires
provided a preliminary geotechnical assessment of "recent land movement" within the
Portuguese Bend Reserve. 8 The Cotton Shires report states in pertinenq>art:
A portion of the PBR is w1derlain by t he h istorically active Portuguese Bend Landslide
(active since 1955-56) as well as the Ancient Portuguese Bend Landslide Complex .
Some areas of the Reserve are now experiencing significant land movement and ground
surface manifestation that is beyond the limits of the historically active and previously
mapped Portuguese Bend Landslide. resulting in damage to trails and fire roads which
provide access for public safety utilities. maintenance, conservation. and public
recreation ... geologists have been requested by the City to observe various landslide-
related issues in the Reserve involving damage to trails since 2021 and the SCE
transmission lines along Bum1a Road since the summer of 2022 . 9
Within the Ancient Portuguese Bend Landsl ide Complex. several large landslide masses
have reactivated since t he 1950s, including the Portuguese Bend Landslide. Abalone cove
landslide, Klondike Canyon Landslide. and Beach Oub Landslide.10
It is our interpretation that the western extent of this new landslide movement is
occ urring in response to long-term creep displacement and recent acce leration of
3 Portuguese Bend Landslide Complex
4 RPV Geologic Geotcch report20l9.pdt: p. A-4.
5 Id . p. A -33 ; see also Rancho Pa los Verdes map-loca tion associated with Portuguese Bend Landsl ide Complex.
6 Id. p. A -7, Section 2.1.
7 Id. p. A -13, Section4.l.
8 Cotton-Shires-Report-9.29.23.PDF.pdf, p. 2.
9 Id. P. 2.
10 Id. p . 4.
Page 3 of7
G-34
FEMA-4769-DR-CA
PA ID 037-59514-00
movement of the Ancient Portuguese Bend Landslide Complex (APBLC) since October
2018.11
Further, a September 2007 Survey Report for the Rancho Palos Verdes Portuguese Landslide
intended to monitor ground slide in 2007 was a "continuation o f a monitoring survey program
conducted by the City since 1994 .... 12
Based on t he documentation pro ided, the work claimed is not required as a result of the
declared disaster and the applicant cannot demonstrate the damage was directly caused by
FEMA-DR-4769-CA. Rather these damages are a result of lo ng-term creep displacement and
recent years accelerati on o f earth movement fro m non-disaster related causes as documented in
the multiple reports.
2. The facilities were unstable based on pre-disaster evidence; ground restoration is
ineligible.
In accordance with 44 C.F .R. § 206 .223(a)(l ), e ligible work must be the direct result of t he
disaster event. FEMA policy further clarifies that if an eligible facility is located on a slope and
is damaged as a result of a landsl ide or s lope instability triggered by the incident, FEMA
determines the stability of the slope that supports the fac i li ty before it approves PA funding to
restore the facility . Resto ration of the in tegral ground that s uppo rts the facility may also be
eligible. The impact of slope stabi lity on e ligibi lity is as follows:
• If the site is stable, pennanent restorat ion of the faci lity and its in tegra l ground is
eligible.
• If the site is unstable and t here is no evidence of pre-disaster instab ility after the facility
was constructed permanent restoration o f the facil ity and it s integral ground is eli gible,
including measures to stabi lize the integral ground.
• Qt/,e site is unstable and tl,ere is evidence of pre-disaster instability after the facility
was constructed, restoration of the facility's integral ground is ineligible.u
Here the facilities are located within an active landslide complex that was triggered and
reactivated in 1956 and bas been continuously moving. Accordingly, there is e v idence of current
and pre-disaster instability. Restoration of the facility 's integral ground is ineligible, and the
applicant is unable to stabilize the sites to conduct permanent repairs. 14
T he Applicant has been aware of the condition of earth movement in this landslide complex area
fo r many years and has sought millions of dollars in funding in the past to address it. For
example, in a June 7, 2023 , letter from t he city of Ranch o Palos Verdes to Janice Hahn, Los
Angeles County 4 th District Office, the city sought $6 million dollars in fundi n g for a
ll Id. p .. 6 .
12 2007-GPS -Survey-PDF .pdt: p . 3 .
13 PAPPG, p . 181 -182.
14 RPV -Letter-to -Hahn-June 2023 -FINAL.pdt; RPV Geologic geotech report 2019; Cotton-Shires-Report-
9 .29.23 .PDF
Page4 of7
G-35
FEMA-4769-DR-CA
PA ID 037-59514-00
remediation project for the Portuguese Bend Landslide to address the "continuous threat, with an
average annual horizontal movement between approximately 6 to 15 feet and average annual
vertical movement between 0.5 to 1.5 feet, depending on location. ,is Addi t ionally the City of
Rancho Palos Verdes has a pre-disaster active task force called the RPV Landslide Complex
Working Group which meets to continue to address ongoing landslide prob lems. For example,
in a November 1, 2023 , meeting, discussion points demonstrate la n d instability was a continuous
and ongoing problem.16 Further, the city includes an explanat ion on its webpage which
discusses the challenges of this long-standing problem stating:
... the City works hard to maintain a safe roadway through the area at a cost of about
a half million dollars per year. Regular travelers through the area are familiar with
the frequent need to repair cracks and smooth out the roadway. The costs to "stop"
the land from moving are incalculable, even if the technology existed to make that
happen. Since it does not, the City does its best to "manage" our activity in the face
of the nature's processes that are indeed very real.17
As noted above, the Applicant's Geotech Engineering firm, Cotton Shires, provided a report
dated September 29, 2023 , which clarifies the work claimed has an extensive history of ground
movement and instability unrelated to the disaster event. This report states in one pertinent part:
Accelerated lands l ide movements since la te 2018 appear to be correlative with significantly
above normal rainfall in three out of four rainfa ll seasons (2016-17 , 2018-19 and 2019-20)
which followed fi ve consecutive drier than normal rainfal I seasons (2011-12 through 2'015-
16). The extraordinary rainy season 0£2022-23 , where rainfal l tota ls were more than 200%
of average has resulted in further acceleration based upon limited monitoring data. A
significant concern is that the movement velocities have not declined back to the pre-2018
leve ls despite two significantly below-nonna l rainy seasons (2020-21, one of the driest on
record, and 2021-22). 18
The Cotton Shires report goes on to reference a June 6, 2023, Survey Report from McGee
SUIVeying consulting in which McGee concluded :
Li RPV-Letter-lo-Halm-June 2023-Fl i A L.pdf and RPV Geologic geo tech re port 20 I 9, Cotton-Shi res-Rep ort-
9 .29.23.PDF, p. l
16 November-L-2023-Meeting -Notes-PDF .pdf items discussed included:
• Fissure tilli ng protocol : The City received additional instruction trotn geologists from Cotton Shires .
Placing large quantities of weight in a fis ure is not recommended· however, each fissure should be looked
at separately on a case-by case basis to add s tability to the area. Any fissure filling will not allow
reopening of trails.
• Question : is Lhe landslide area e xpa nding or not? The City is installing addi tional monitoring po ints to
establish data to answer this question. City Council has authorized the work.
• Reg u lar GPS survey oflandsl ide monitoring points and reporting of data · update map with new s urvey
Locations .
17 Portunuese Bend L andslide j Rancho P alos Verdes, CA -OHicia l Webs ite (rpvca .gov)
18 Cotton-shires-Report-9.29.23 .PDF.pdf, p. 6; see also RPV Geologic geotech report 2019 .pdf.
Page 5 of7
G-36
FEMA-4769-DR-CA
PA ID 037-59514-00
In the last seven months the movement velocities have accelerated over the average
velocity for the previous four years which saw an acceleration over the previous 15-20
years ...... Velocities were stable prior to 2018. After the Fall of20l8 they increased about
3 to 6-fold at most points and remained stable to the Fall of 2022. In the last seven months
since the Fall of 2022 the velocities generally have doubled more or less. L9
The Cotton Shires report notes that the McGee survey days "is a significant and important
observation from the surveyor and comports with the past several years of field observations by
CSA staff of roadway distress and trail distress within the PBR. as well as reports of street
distress, building distress and utility line breaks throughout the various known landslide areas."20
Based on the documentation submitted, FEMA determined the facilities and work were unstable
based on pre-disaster evidence. Accordingly, permanent work is ineligib le.
In accordance with the requirements set forth in the Stafford Act, 44 C.F.R. and FEMA PA
policy , the documentation provided shows the damages claimed were not a result of the declared
disaster event. Further, the documentation establishes the damages claimed are a direct result of
pre-event slope instability which has been ongoing for decades and cannot be stabilized in order
to perform permanent work. Accordingly, the Applicant's request for reimbursement in the
amount of $5,425,000.00 is denied.
Eligibility Determination: D Partially Approved ~ Denied
Notice of Right to Appeal:
The Applicant may appeal this determination, pursuant to Title 44 of the Code of Federal
Regulations § 206.206, Appeals. The appeal must be submitted electronically via the FEMA
Grants Portal/Grants Manager System (GM). If the Applicant elects to file an appeal, the
appeal must:
1) contain documented justification supporting the Applicant's position,
2) specify the monetary figure in dispute, and
3) cite the provisions in federal law, regulation, or policy with which the Applicant
believes the initial action was inconsistent.
The appeal must be submitted to the Recipient, the California Governor's Office of
Emergency Services (CalOES), by the Applicant within 60 days from the date of this
FEMA eligibility determination. The Recipient must then electronically transmit the
appeal, through GM, with a written recommendation, to Region 9 within 120 days from the
date of this FEMA eligibility determination. FEMA must receive the appeal from the
Recipient no later than May 17, 2025. If you have any questions, please contact your
CalOES PA Representative.
19 Cotton-shires-Report-9 .29.23 .PDF .pdt: p . 6
io Id.
Page 6 of7
G-37
Approval:
FEMA-4769 -DR-CA
PA ID 037-59514-00
PA Management: Carter R. Long -P A Infrastructure Branch Director
Signature:
CARTER R
LONG
Document Index:
Document Description
D;g(tally"9JMl<lbyCAA1£RR
lONG
Dale: 2025.01.17 13.."42".35 --Oll'OO'
Letter -Pre-event damage validation
Technical report
Technical report
Landslide Wrkgrp Meeting Minutes
Technical Report
Applicant Webpage
Public presentation 2023 data
Technical report
Map
City Council report -2012
Date : 1/17/25
-----
File Name
RPV-Letter-to-Hah11-June 2023-FTNAL.pdf
Cotton-Shires-Report-9.29.23.PD F
RPV Geologic geotech report 2019
November-1-2023-Meeting-Notes-PDF.pd/
2007-GPS-Sur,•ey-PDF.pdf
RPV-Lamlslide management Web page.pdf
50th A11niversary PowerPoint Template.pd/
PB MONITORING SURVEY REPORT-
Oct~2023-Jan. 2024-revl.docx
PBLC Map.pd/
PBLC report 2012.pdf
Page 7 of7
G-38
FEMA-4769-DR-CA
PA ID 037-595 l4-00
ELIGIBILITY DETERMINATION MEMORANDUM
City of Rancho Palos Verdes
Project No . 754842 □ State Agency
Version No. 0 Applican t lg) Local Government
Damage Type □ Tribe
Inventory 1385922, 1385923, 1389524, □ Private Nonprofit
Nos. 1385925
Project Title: Landslide -Trails
Category of Work: G -Pa rks Recreationa l Fac ilit ies , and Other Items
Amount □ Applicant Eligibility
Requested: $3,231,000.00 Eligibility Issue lg) Facility Eligibility
Amount Type(s) □ Work Eligibility
Denied: $3,231,000.00 □ Cost Eligibility
Issue Not result of the declared event, pre-event instability -landslide
Keyword(s):
Applicant Description:
On April 13 , 2024, the President declared a major di.saster (FEMA-DR-4769-CA) in the State of
California, due to damages from severe winter storms, tornadoes, flooding, landslides , and
mudslides with an incident period of January 31 , 2024, through February 9 , 2024. As a resu lt of
the disaster, Ranc ho Palos Ve rdes, City of (RPV or App licant), a local government entity
requests funding under the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Pub lic Assistance
(PA) program.
RPV requests funding to conduct pennanent repairs to hiking trails throughout the city for
damages claimed as a result of the disas ter. The Applicant claims stonn water saturation caused
ground movement and damaged multiple trails (facilities). Work claimed and addressed in this
determination memorandum are as follows:
• Damage Item 1385922-Portuguese Bend Trails
• Damage Item 1385923-Filiorum Reserve
• Damage Item 1385924-Abalone Cove Park
• Damage Item 1385925-Eastview Parle
During the validation process, FEMA identified the facilit ies as running across an active
landslide that has been active ly moving since 1956. RPV, in conjunction with the Palos Verdes
Pagel of7
G-39
FEMA-4769-DR-CA
PA ID 037-59514-00
Land Conservancy, contiuuously repairs and maintains these trails due to the ongoing earth
movement.1
Issue:
l. Were the damages a result of the declared event?
2. Is permanent work eligib le for damages caused by a landslide?
Applicable Statutes, Regulations, and Policies in Effect as of the Declaration of the
Emergency or Disaster:
• The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Acl as amended (Stafford
Act), 42 U .S .C . § 5121 et seq.:
Stafford Act§ 102 (l0)(C) & (D)
Stafford Act § 406( a)(l )( A)
• Title 44 of the Code of Federal Regu lations (C.F.R.) (2022):
44 C.F.R. §§ 206.223(a)(l)
• FEMA Policy:
Public Assistance Program and Policy Guide FP 104-009-2 Version 4 (June 2020) (PAPPG)
PAPPG, at 51, 56, 181-182 .
Analysis:
FEMA has discretionary authority to provide grant funding to a State or loca l government for the
repair, restoration, reconstruction, or rep lacement of a pub li c facility damaged o r destroyed by a
major disaster and for associated expenses incu rred by the government.
1. The work claimed is not required as a result of the declared disaster and the
applicant cannot demonstrate the damage was directly caused by FEMA-DR-4769-
CA.
To be eligible for FEMA financial assistance, work must be required as a result of the disaster,
and the applicant must demonstrate that tbe damage was directly caused by the incident.1
In this case, the Applicant cannot demonstrate that the damages are due to the d isaster event.
The President declared a major disaster (FEMA-DR-4769-CA) in the State of California on April
13, 2024, with an incident period of January 31, 2024, through February 9, 2024. However,
1 See RPV Geologic geotech repo rl 2019; see also RPV-Le11er-10-Ha/111-Ju11e 2023-FLNAL
2 44 C.F.R. § 206.223(a)(l)
Pa ge 2 of7
G-40
FEMA-4769-DR-CA
PA ID 037-59514-00
documentation establishes the damages claimed are the result of decades of pre-disaster ground
instability and ongoing non-disaster re lated causes.
Documentation of pre-existing conditions of lands l ides and earth movement include a December
2019 report from Geo-Logic Associates , Inc. (GLA) which served as a basis for development of
mitigation measures for the active landslide comp lex located within the disaster damage claimed
area .3 The landslide comp lex. includes approximately 239 acres with ground movement varying
across the site ranging up to approximately l l feet per year.4 All four locations, Damage Item
L385922-Portuguese Bend Trails, Damage Item 1385923-Filiorum Reserve , Damage Item
1385924-Abalone Cove Park and Damage Item 1385925-Eastview Park are located within the
Portuguese Bend Landslide Complex. 5
The GLA report notes that the '°Geology of the PBLC bas been studied since the first reported
landslide movement in 1956 . Approximate ly 500 ... maps , reports, technical papers , and
technical presentations are on file with the City."6 The GLA report also notes that the objective
is to reduce tl1e movement rate of the landslide , not to stabilize the landslide since «geotechnical
stability criteria would be infeasible."7
More recently , in a pre-disaster September 29 2023 , report from Cotton, Shires and Associates,
Inc . (Cotton Shires), consulting Engineers and Geologists for the Applicant, Cotton Shires
provided a preliminary geotecbnical assessment of .. recent land movement" within the
Portuguese Bend Reserve . 8 The Cotton Shires report states in pertinent part:
A portion of the PBR is underlain by the historically active Portuguese Bend Landslide
(active since 1955-56) as well as the Ancient Portuguese Bend Landslide Complex.
Some areas of the Reserve are now experiencing significant Land movement and ground
surface manifestat ion that is beyond the limits of the historically active and previously
mapped Portuguese Bend Landslide, resulting in damage to trails and fire roads which
provide access for public safety . ut ilities , maintenance, conservation, and public
recreation ... geologists have been requested by the City to observe various landslide-
related issues in the Reserve involving damage to trails since 2021 and the SCE
transmission lines along Burma Road since the summer of 2022 . 9
Within the Ancient Portuguese Bend Landslide Complex, several large landslide masses
have reactivated since the 1950s , including the Portuguese Bend Landslide, Abalone cove
lands lide , Klondike Canyon Landslide, and Beach Club Landslide. 10
; Portuguese Bend Landslide Complex.
,. RPV Geologic Geotech report 2019.pdt: p . A-4.
5 Id . p. A-33; see also Rancho Palos Verdes map-loca tion associated with Portuguese Bend Lands lide Complex.
6 Id. p. A-7, Section 2.l.
7 Id. p. A-13, Section 4 .l.
s Cotton-Shires-Report-9 .29.23.PDF.pdC p . 2.
9 Id. P. 2.
10 Id. p. 4.
Page 3 of7
G-41
FEMA -4769 -DR-CA
PA ID 037-59514-00
I t is our interpretation that the western extent ohhis new landslide movement is
occurri ng in response to long-term creep disp lacement and recent acceleration of
movement of the Ancien t Portuguese Bend Landslide Complex (APBLC) s ince October
2018.11
Further a September 2007 Survey Report for the Ran cho Palos Verdes Portuguese Landsl ide
intended to moni tor ground s lide in 2007 was a «continuat ion o f a monito ring survey p rogram
conducted by the City since l 994 .... 12
Based on the documentati on prov ided, the work claimed is no t re quired as a resu lt o f the
declared disaster and the applicant cannot demonstrate the damage was dir ectly caused by
FEMA-DR-4769-CA. Rather, these dam.ages are a resu lt of long-term creep di splacement and
recent years acceleration of earth mov ement from non-disaster related causes as documented in
the multiple reports.
2. The facilities were unstable based on pre-disaster evidence; ground restoration is
ineligible.
In accordance with 44 C.F.R. § 206.223(a)(l ), e ligib le work must be the direct result of the
disast e r event. FEMA pol icy further clarifies tha t if an e ligib le facili ty is located on a slope and
is damaged as a result of a lands l ide or slope instab ility triggered by the incident, FEMA
determjnes the stability of the s lope t hat s uppo rts t he facil ity befor e it appro ves PA funding to
res tore the fac il ity . Restoration o f the integral ground that supports the fac i lity may also be
eligible. The impact o f slope stability on e ligibil ity is as fo ll ows :
• l f the si te is s t ab le , permanent r estoration of the fac ility and its integral g round is
eligib le.
• If the site is unstab le an d t here is no e v iden ce o f p r e-disast er ins ta b i lit y a ft er the fac ility
was construc ted , permanent resto ratio n o f t he fac il ity and its integral ground is e li gible,
incl uding measures t o s tab i lize the integral groun d.
• lfthe site is unstable and there is evidence of pre-disaster instability after the facility
was co11str11cted, restoratio11 of the facility's i11tegral grou11d is i11eligible. JJ
Here the facil ities are located within an active lands l ide complex t h at was triggered and
reactivated in 1956 and has been cont inuously mov ing . According ly , t he re is evidence o f curre nt
and pre-disaster ins tabilit y . Res tor ation o f the fac ility 's integra l g round is in el igible, and the
applicant is unab le to s tabi li ze the sites to co ndu ct permanent repa irs . 1·4
T he Applicant has been aware of t he condition of earth movement in this landslide complex area
for many yea rs and has sought millions o f doll a rs i n funding in the past to address it F or
11 /d. p . 6.
12 2007-GPS-Survey-PDF.pdf, p . 3.
13 PAPPG, p. 181 -182.
1 R PV-Letler-to -Ha lm-June 2023 -F AL .pd t: RP V Ge o logic geotecb re port 2019; Co tto n -Shires-Reporl-
9.29.23 .PDF
Page 4 of7
G-42
~-FEMA FEMA-4769-DR-CA
PA ID 037-59514-00
example , in a June 7, 2023 , letter from the city of Rancho Palos Verdes to Janice Hahn, Los
Angeles County 4 111 District Office, the city sought $6 million dollars in funding for a
remediation project for the Portuguese Bend L ands I ide to address the "continuous threat, with an
average annual horizontal movement between approximately 6 to 15 feet and average annual
vertical movement between 0.5 to 1.5 feet, depending on location."15 Additionally, the City of
Rancho Palos Verdes has a pre-disaster acti ve task force called the RPV Lands lide Complex
Working Group which meets to con t inue to address ongoing landslide problems . For example
in a November 1, 2023 , meeting , discussion points demonstrate land instability was a continuous
and ongoing problem. 16 Further the city includes an explanation on its webpage which
discusses the challenges of this long-standing problem stating:
... the City works ha r d to maintain a safe roadway through the area at a cost of about a half
million dollars per year. Regular travelers through the area are familiar with the frequent
need to repair cracks and smooth out the roadway. The costs to "stop" the land from
moving are incalculable, even if the technology existed to make that happen. Since it
does not, the City does its best to "manage" our activity in the face of the nature's
processes that are indeed very real.17
As noted above , the Applicant 's Geotech Engineering finn , Cotton Shires, provided a report
dated September 29 , 2023 , which clarifies the facilities claimed ha ve an extensiv e history o f
ground movement and instability unrelated to the disas ter event. This report states in one
pertinent part:
Accelerated landslide movements since late 2018 appear to be correlati ve with significantly
above normal rainfall in three out of four rainfall seasons (2016-l 7, 2018-19 and 2019-20)
which followed five consecuti e drier than normal rainfall seasons {2011 -12 through 2015-
16). The extraordinary rainy season of2022 -23 where rainfa ll total s were more than 200%
of average, has resulted in further acceleration based upo n limited mo nitoring data . A
significant concern is that the moveme nt velocities have not declined back to the pre-2018
levels despite two significantly below-normal rainy seasons (2020-21, one of the driest on
record, and 2021-22). 18
1' RPV-Letter-to-Hahn-June 2023-FINAL.pdfand RPV Geologic geotech report 2019, Cotton-Shires-Report-
9.29.23 .PDF, p. I
16 November-1-2023-Meetiug -oles-PD F.pd f items di sc ussed included:
• Fissure fi llin g protocol : T he City rece ived additioual ius tructioo from geologi ts fr o m Col'lon Shires.
Plac ing l arg e quantit ies o f wei ght in a fissure is not re comme nded ; howe ver, each ft s ure sho uld be looked
at separately on a case-by case basis to add stability to the area . Any fissure filling will not allow
reopening of trails.
• Question: is the landslide area expanding or not? The City is installing additional monitoring points to
establish data to answer this qu estion. City Council has authorized the work.
• Regular GPS survey of landslide monitoring points and reporting of data; update map with new survey
locations .
17 Portuguese Bend Lan d lide I Ra ncho Pa lo Verdes. CA -Official Webs ite (ro vca.gov)
18 Cotton-s hires-Report-9 .29.2 3 .PDF.pdf, p. 6 : see also RPV Geologic g eotec h re po rt 2 019.pdf.
Page 5 of7
G-43
FEMA-4769-DR-CA
PA ID 037-59514-00
The Cotton Shires report goes on to reference a June 6 2023 , Survey Report from McGee
surveying consulting in which McGee concluded:
In the last seven months the movement velocities have accelerated over the average
velocity for the previous four years which saw an acceleration over the previous 15-20
years ...... Velocities were stable prior to 2018. After the Fall of2018 they increased about
3 to 6-fold at most points and rema ined stable to the Fall of 2022 . In the last seven months
since the Fall of2022 the velocities generally have doubled more or less . 19
The Cotton Shires report notes that the McGee survey days "is a significant and important
observation from the surveyor and comports with the past several years of field observations by
CSA staff of roadway distress and trail distress within the PBR, as well as reports of street
distress, building distress and utility line breaks throughout the various known Landslide areas."20
Based on the documentation submitted, FEMA determined the facilities were unstable based on
pre-disaster evidence. Accordingly, permanent ground restoration is ineligible.
In accordance with the requirements set forth in the Stafford Act, 44 C.F.R. and FEMA PA
policy, the documentation provided shows the damages claimed were not a result of the declared
disaster event. Further, the documentat ion establishes the damages claimed are a direct result of
pre-event slope instability which has been ongoing for decades and cannot be stabilized in order
to perform permanent work. Accordingly, the Applicant's request for reimbursement in the
amount of $3,231,000.00 is denied.
Eligibility Determination: D Partially Approved C8I Denied
Notice of Right to Appeal:
The Applicant may appeal this determination, pursuant to Title 44 of the Code of Federal
Regulations § 206.206, Appeals. The appeal must be submitted electronically via the FEMA
Grants Portal/Grants Manager System (GM). If the Applicant elects to tile an appeal, the
appeal must:
1) contain documented justification supporting the Applicant's position,
2) specify the monetary figure in dispute, and
3) cite the provisions in federal law regulation, or policy with which the Applicant
believes the initial action was inconsistent.
The appeal must be submitted to the Recipien4 the California Governor's Office of
Emergency Services (CalOES), by the Applicant within 60 days from the date of this
FEMA eligibility determination. The Recipient must then electronically transmit the
appeal, through GM, with a written recommendation, to Region 9 within 120 days from the
date of this FEMA eligibility determination. FEMA must receive the appeal from the
19 Cotton-shires-Report-9 .29.23.PDF.pdf, p. 6
20 Id.
Page 6 of7
G-44
FEMA-4769-DR-CA
PA ID 037-59514-00
Recipient no later than May 17, 2025. If you have any questions, please contact your
CalOES PA Representative.
Approval:
PA Management Carter R. Long -PA Infrastructure Branch Director
Signature:
CARTER R
LONG
Document Index:
fl9lally sqw,d by CAATER R
LONG
()ala: 2025.01.17 14:52:18 -
Document Description
Letter -Pre-event damage validation
Technical report
Technical report
Landslide Wrkgrp Mee ting Minutes
Technical Report
Applicant Webpage
Public presentation 2023 data
Technical report
Map
City Council report -2012
Date: 1 /17 /25
File Name
RPV-Letter-10-Hahn-June 2023-FJNA L .pdf
Col!on-Shires-Report-9.29.23 .PDF
RPV Geologic geotech report 2019
November-1-202 3-Meeting -Notes-PDF.pd/
2007-GPS-Survey -PDF.pdf
RPV-Landslide management Web pag e.pd/
50th Anniversa,y PowerPoinl Template .pd/
PB MONITORING SUR VEY REPORT-
Oct.2023-Jan. 2024-rev l .docx
PBL C Map .pdf
PBL C report 2012.pdf
Page 7 of7
G-45
.. ~.
O •
~ ;
9, ~ FEMA FEMA-4699-DR-CA
PA ID 037-59514-00 ,,
~➔-~o s~<;
Project No.
Version No.
Damage
Inventory
Nos.
Project Title:
ELIGIBILITY DETERMINATION MEMORANDUM
City of Rancho Palos Verdes
730185 □ State Agency
0 Applicant 181 Local Government
T ype □ Tribe
1341784, 1341786 □ Private Nonprofit
Peppertree, Burma Road X Rim Trails
Category of Work: G -Parks, Recreational F aci lities , and Other Items
Amount □ Applicant Eligibility
Requested:
$11,415.00 Eligibility Issue 181 Facility Eligibility
Amount Type(s) 181 Work Eligibility
Denied:
$11,415.00 □ Cost Eligibility
Issue Not result of the declared event, pre-event instability -landslide
Keyword(s):
Applicant Description:
On April 3 , 2023 , the President declared a major disaster (FEMA-DR-4699-CA) in the State of
California, due to damages from severe winter storms~ straight-line wids, flooding , landslides
and mudslides with an incident period of February 2 1, 2024, through July 10, 2023. As a resu lt
of the disaster, Rancho Palos Verdes, City of (RPV or Applicant), a local government entity
requests funding under the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Public Assistance
(PA) program.
RPV requests funding to conduct permanent repairs to hiking trails throughout the city for
damages claimed as a result of the disaster. The Applicant claims storm water damaged multiple
trails (facilities). Per the Applicant provided Cotton Shires engineering report and photos and
other documents supplied by the applicant, damages are fissures caused by ground movement.
Work claimed and addressed in this determination memorandum is as follows :
• Damage Item 1341784-Location l: Peppertree Trail
• Damage Item 1341786-Location 3: Burma Road Trail x Rim Trail
During the validation process, FEMA identified the facilities as running across an act ive
landslide that has been actively moving since 1956. RPV , in conjunction with the Palos Verdes
Pagel of7
G-46
~-FEMA
·-'-t1<0 ~
FEMA-4699-DR-CA
PA ID 037-59514-00
Land Conservancy, continuous ly repairs and maintains these trails due to the ongoing earth
movement.1
Issue:
I. Were the damages a result of the declared event?
2. Is permanent work eligib le for damages caused by a landslide?
Applicable Statutes, Regulations, and Policies in Effect as of the Declaration of the
Emergency or Disaster:
• The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, as amended (Stafford
Act), 42 U.S.C. § 5 l21 et seq.:
Stafford Act § 102 (lO)(C ) & (D)
Stafford Act§ 406(a)(l)(A)
• Title 44 of the Code of Federal Regulations {C.F.R.) (2022):
44 C.F.R. §§ 206.223 (a)(l )
• FEMA Policy:
Public Assistance Program and Policy Gu;de FP 104-009-2 Version 4 (June 2020) (PAPPGJ
PAPPG, at 51, 56, 181-182.
Analysis:
FEMA has discretionary authority to provide grant funding to a State or local government for the
repair, restoration, reconstruction, or replacement of a public facility damaged or destroyed by a
major disaster and for associated expenses incurred by the government.
1. The work claimed is not required as a result of the declared disaster and the
applicant cannot demonstrate the damage was directly caused by FEMA-DR-4699-
CA.
To be eligible for FEMA financial assistance, work mus t be required as a result of the disaster
and tbe applicant must demonstrate that the damage was d irectly caused by the inc ident.2
In this case, the Applicant cannot demonstrate that the damages (fissures) are due to the disaster
event. The President declared a major disaster (FEMA-DR-4699-CA) in the State of California
on April 3, 2023 with an inciden t period of February 21, 2024 , through July 10 , 2023. However,
1 See RPV Geo logic geolech reporl 20 /9; RPV-le11er-10-Ha l111-J11ne 2023-FINAL.p dj,see also Collon Shires reporl
9/29/2023
2 44 C.F.R. § 206.223(a)(l)
Page 2 of7
G-47
FEMA-4699-DR-CA
PA ID 037-59514-00
documentation establishes the damages claimed are the result of decades of pre-disaster grow1d
instability and ongoing non-disaster related causes .
Documentation of pre-existing conditions of lands l ides and earth mov ement include a December
2019 report from Geo-Logic Associates , Inc. (GL A) which served as a basis for development of
mitigation measures for the act ive landslide compl ex located within the disaster damage claimed
area.3 The landslide comp lex includes approximately 239 acres wit h ground movement varying
across the site ranging up to approximately l l feet per year.4 Both locations, Damage Item
1341784-Location l : Peppertree Trail and Damage Item 134786-Location 3 : Burma Road Trail x
Rim Trail are located within the Portuguese Bend Landslide Comp lex . 5
The GLA report notes that the "Geology of the PBLC has been studied since the firs t reported
landslide movement in 1956. Approximately 500 ... maps , reports, technical papers, and
technical presentations are on fil e with the City. '6 T he GLA report also no tes that the objective
is to reduce the movement rate of the landslide, not to s t abilize the landslide since "geotechnical
stability criteria would be infeasible."7
More recently, in a pre-disaster September 29 2023 report from Cotton Shires and Associates
Inc . (Cotton Shires), consulting Engineers and Geologists for the Applicant, Cotton Shires
provided a preliminary geotechnical assessment of"recent land movement" within the
Portuguese Bend Reserve . 8 T he Cotton Shires report states in pertinent part:
A portion of the PBR is underlain by the historically active Portuguese Bend Landslide
(active since 1955-56) as well as the Ancient Portuguese Bend Lands lide Comp lex.
Some areas of the Reserve are now experiencing s ignificant land movement and ground
surface manifestation that is beyon d the limits of the historically ac t ive and previously
mapped Portuguese Bend L andslide , resulting in damage to tra ils and fire roads which
provide access for public safety, utilities, maintenance, conservati on, and public
recreation ... geologists have been requested by the City to observe various landslide-
related issues in the Reserve in volv ing damage to trails since 2021 and the SCE
transmission lines along Burma Road since the summer of2022.9
Within the Ancient Portuguese Bend Landslide Complex, several laTge landslide masses
have reactivated since the 1950s, including the Portuguese Bend Landslide, Abalone cove
landslide Klondike Canyon Lands lide, and Beach Club Landslide . 10
I t is our intetpretation that the western extent of this ne,v Landslide movement is
occurring in response to long-term creep disp lacement and recent accelerat ion of
3 Portuguese Bend La nds lide Comple x
RPV Geologic Geotech r eport 2019.pdf: p . A-4.
5 Id . p . A-33 ; see als o Rancho Palos V e rdes map-location assoc iate d with Portuguese Be nd Landsl id e Co m plex.
6 Id. p . A-7 , Section 2 .1.
7 Id. p . A-13, Section 4 .l.
8 Cotton-Shires-Report-9.29.23 .PDF.pdt: p. 2 .
9 Id. P. 2 .
ID Id. p. 4.
Page 3 of7
G-48
FEMA-4699-DR-CA
PA ID 037-59514-00
movement of the Ancient Portuguese Bend Landslide Complex (APBLC) since October
2018_11
Further, a September 2007 Survey Report for the Rancho Pa los Verdes Portuguese Landslide
intended to monitor ground slide in 2007 was a «continuation of a monitoring survey program
conducted by the City since 1994 .... 12
Based on the documentation provided, the work claimed is not required as a result of the
declared disaster and the app licant canno t demonstrate t he damage was directly caused by
FEMA-DR-46999-CA. Rather. these damages ar e a result of long-term creep displacement and
recent years acceleration of earth mov ement from non-disaster re lated cau ses as documented in
the multiple reports.
2. The facilities were unstable based on pre-disaster evidence; ground restoration is
ineligible.
In accordance with 44 C .F.R. § 206.223(a)(l), eligible work must be the direct result of the
disaster event. FEMA po licy further clarifies that if an eligible facility is located on a slope and
is damaged as a result of a Landslide or slope instab ility triggered by the incident FEMA
determines the stability of the slope that supports the faci lity before it approves PA funding to
restore the facility . Restoration of the integral ground that supports th e facility may also be
eligible. The impact of slope stability on eligibility is as follows:
• If the site is stable , permanent restoration of the facility and its integral ground is
eligible.
• If the site is unstable and there is no evidence of pre-disaster instability after the facility
was constructed, permanent restorat ion of the facility and its inte g ral ground is eligible,
including measures to stabilize the integral ground.
• If the site is 11nstable a11d there is evide11ce of pre-disaster instability after the facility
was co11stmcted, restoration of the facility's i11tegral ground is ineligible.13
Here the facilities are located within an active landsli de comp lex that was triggered and
reactivated in 1956 and has bee n continuously moving . According ly, the re is evidence of current
and pre-disaster instabi lity . Res toration of the fac ility 's in tegra l ground is ineligible, and the
applicant is unable to stabil ize the sites to conduct pennanent repairs. 14
The App l icant has been aware of the conditio n of earth movement in this landslide complex area
for many years and has sought millio ns of do ll ars in funding in the past to address it. For
example. in a June 7, 2023 , letter from t he city of Rancho Palos Verdes to Janice Hahn Los
Angeles County 41h District O ffice , the city sough t $6 mill ion dollars in funding for a
11 Id. p. 6.
12 2007-GPS-Survey-PDF.pdt: p. 3.
13 PAPPG, p. 181-182.
1 RPV-L e ll er-t o-Hahu-Ju ne 2023-FI NAL.pd t; RPV Ge ologic geote ch report 20 19: C otton -Sb ire s -Re port-
9.29 .23.PDF
Pa ge 4 of7
G-49
FEMA-4699-DR-CA
PA ID 037-59514-00
remediation project fo r the Portuguese Bend Landslide to address the "continuous threat with an
average annual horizontal movement between ap proximate ly 6 to 15 feet and average annual
vertica l movement between 0.5 to 1.5 fee t, depending on locatio n ."15 Add ition ally the City of
Rancho Palos Verdes has a pre-disaster ac t ive task force ca ll ed the RPV Landslide Comp lex.
Working Group which meets to con tinue to address ongoing la nds lide prob lems.
As noted above the Applicant's Geotech Engineering fi rm Cotton Shires , provided a report
dated September 29, 2023 wllich clarifies the faci l ities claimed have an ext ensive history of
ground movement and instability unrelated to the disaster event. This report states in one
pertinent part:
Accelerated lan ds lide movements since la te 2018 appear to be correlative with significantly
above normal rainfall in t hree out of four rainfall seasons (2016-17, 2018-19 and 2019-20)
which followed fi e consecuti e drier t han norma l rainfa ll seasons (2011-12 tluough 2015-
16). T he extraordinary rainy season of2022-23, where rainfa ll tota ls were more than 200%
of average, has resu lt ed in further acceleration based upon limited monitoring data. A
significant concern is that the mo ement velocities have not declined back to the pre-2018
leve ls desp ite two s ignificantly below-normal rainy seasons (2020-21 , one of the driest on
record, and 2021-22).16
The Cotton Shires report goes on to reference a June 6 , 2023 , Survey Report from McGee
surveying consulting in which McGee con cluded :
In the last seven months the movement velocities have accelerated over the average
ve locity for the previous four years wh ich saw an acceleration over t he previous 15-20
years ...... Ve locities were s tab le prior to 2018. After the Fa ll of 20 L8 they increased about
3 to 6 fold at most points and remained stable to the Fall of 2022. In the last seven months
since the Fall of2022 the velocities generally have doubled more or less. 17
The Cotton Shires report notes that the McGee survey days «is a significant and important
observation from the surveyor a nd comports with the past several years of field observat ions by
CSA staff of roadway distress and trail distress wi t h in the PBR, as well as reports of s treet
distress, building dis tress and utility line breaks throughout the vario us known landslide areas .''18
Based on the documentation submitted, FEMA de termined t he facili t ies we re uns tab le based on
pre-disas ter evidence. Accordingly, permanent ground restoration is ineligible.
In accordan ce with the requirements set forth in the Stafford Act, 44 C.F.R. and FEMA PA
policy, the documentation provided shows the damages claimed were not a result of the declared
disaster event. Further, the documentation estab lishes the damages claimed are a direct resu lt of
lj RPV -Letter-to-Hahu -Juue 2023-FrNAL.pdf and RPV Geologic geotecb report 2019 Cottou-Shires-Report-
9.29 .2 3 .PD F, p . 1
16 Cotton-shires-Report-9.29.23 .PDF.pdf, p. 6; see also RPV Geologic geotech report 2019 .pd[
17 Cotton-shir es-Report-9.29.23 .PD F.pdf, p . 6
is Id.
Page 5 of7
G-50
FEMA-4699-DR-CA
PA ID 037-59514-00
pre-event slope instability which has been ongoing for decades and cannot be stabilized in order
to perform pennanent work. Accordingly, the Applicant's request for reimbursement in the
amount of $11,415.00 is denied.
Eligibility Determination: 0 Partially Approved 18! Denied
Notice of Right to Appeal:
The Applicant may appeal this determination, pursuant to Title 44 of the Code of Federal
Regulations § 206.206, Appeals. The appeal must be submitted electronically via the FEMA
Grants Portal/Grants Manager System (GM). If the Applicant elects to file an appeal, the
appeal must:
1) contain documented justification supporting the Applicant's position,
2) specify the monetary figure in dispute, and
3) cite the provisions in federal law, regulation, or policy with which the Applicant
believes the initial action was inconsistent.
The appeal must be submitted to the Recipient, the California Governor's Office of
Emergency Services (CalOES), by the Applicant within 60 days from the date of this
FEMA eligibility determination. The Recipient must then electronically transmit the
appeal, through GM, with a written recommendation, to Region 9 within 120 days from the
date of this FEMA eligibility determination. FEMA must receive the appeal from the
Recipient no later than May 24, 2025. If you have any questions, please contact your
CalOES PA Representative.
Approval:
PA Management: Carter R. Long -PA Infrastructure Branch Director
Signature:
CARTER R
LONG
Document Index:
Ogila>JIJ~ by CAA TER ~
l ONG
Dale: 2025.01.24 16:2023 --Oll'llO'
Document Description
Letter -Pre-event damage validation
Technical report
Technical report
Date: 1 /24/25
File Name
RPV-Letter-10-Hahn-June 2023-FINAL .pdf
Cotton-Shires-Report-9. 29 . 2 3 .PDF
RPV Geologic geolech report 2019
Page 6 of7
G-51
DI location related to Portuguese Bend
Landslide Comp lex
Technical Report
Engineering invoice and additional
information
Technical report
Landslide complex map
Technical report
Technical report
Damage location map
FEMA-4699-DR-CA
PA ID 037-59514-00
Rancho Palos Verdes map-location
associated with Portuguese Bend Landslide
Complex.pd(
2007-GPS-Survey-PDF.pdf
LATE DI# 13 71976 Justification
_ Geotechnical Services -National Template
Summary 2023.pdf
LATE DI -OVERALL Justification _ Cotton
Shires Draft Report DR -4699-CA PA .pd/
PBLC Map .pd/
PBLC report 2012.pdf
2007-GPS-Survey-PDF.pdf
Pepperlree & BurmaXRimTrail Mapjpg
Page 7 of7
Mickey Rodich mickeyrodich@gmail.com
Anatomy 0f The RPV Landslide:
I feel that RPV needs a second opinion, by Geohydrologists who specialize in landslides like ours. All of
the consultants that RPV has hired are geologists, who in turn contract with geotechnical engineers. Our City
has spent millions of dollars on these consultants for years and they operate on a trial and error basis, which
the City pays for dearly. Our City had no Plan B, C, or D. We need a plan. Between Geoff Beale and Jeremy
Dowling. spending one weekend in the landslide, they have made accurate recommendations that have
proven to be true and our City barely pays attention to them. If we had listened to them 3 years ago, we might
have averted much of the disaster we now face.
These series of comments from the head of the Geotechnical Department at the University of Arizona and others were
a result of my neighbor, Gene Dewey, who was the president of the $2 billion mining division of Unocal Corporation. It
started in May of 2021 when Gene Dewey invited Bradley Ross and Chad Williams from the University of Arizona Mining
and Geological Engineering Department and Directors of the Geotechnical Center of Excellence to RPV, (as a personal
favor to Gene Dewey) to spend a cursory 2 day, on the ground, review of the slide. They walked throughout the whole
landslide area and made comments as to measures that can be taken in order to understand what was happening with
the landslide along with mitigating measures to be taken moving forward.
After their walk through a luncheon meeting was held at a local restaurant that was attended by Brad Ross (U of A),
Chad Williams (U of A), Gene Dewey, Barbara Ferraro, Ara Mihranian, Kit Ruona and Mickey Rodich. During that meeting,
they gave their recommendations. Gene Dewey handled the contact with the U of A until his untimely death on August
17, 2023. A summary of their visit was made by Gene Dewey on May, 18, 2021 and is attached below.
The list of recommendations begins with recommendations by Bradley Ross and continues until September of 2023
when Bradley Ross recommends that RPV contact the best known Geohydrologists with Piteau Associates, because the
retention of water and upward Artesian water pressure, in our slide, is what is causing the land movements. Starting
September 20, 2023, Geohydrologists Geoff Beale and Jeremy Dowling (President) of Piteau Associates provided the
recommendations. I suggest you read Gene Dewey’s Report, Dated May 17, 18,2021, Titled Portuguese Bend Slide Visit,
before you start to read the following list of recommendations.
1) Ross, Bradley; U of A
Nov 16, 2023,
6:28 PM
Hi Mickey,
I just saw the article where the Geologist reported that the PBLC is continuing to move. That is not
necessarily surprising if his statement that the rain was 200% greater than normal. That is a gigantic
amount and it will take a while for it to totally drain out.
The question to be asking is if the average moving rate per day or week is slowing down or
increasing. If it is slowing down, that is good for the time being. If it is getting faster, then that is a
concern. If it is getting faster, then measurements should be taken on a frequent basis (daily if
possible). As long as it is accelerating (getting faster) then someone should be doing an inverse
velocity calculation. Your geotechnical people are probably doing that, but it can’t hurt to ask.
H-1
2) Ross, Bradley Jay; U of A
Fri, Dec 22, 2023,
3:17 PM
Hi Mickey,
That was a very interesting report. It seems like the city is starting to see the real magnitude of this
issue. The geologist has it right that this is activated by the rainfall. The problem will remain that if
you have some dry or normal rainfall years it will seem like the problem is getting better or going
away. But that can change quickly (as shown this year). I would be very interested to know if the
increase in movement is because of the current rainfall. Hopefully, it is not immediate because of the
saturation of the weak bed from earlier rains. There was a couple of months lag from the rains earlier
in the year. If the lag is significantly shorter, that will be a problem because it means that they are
compounding each other before the water percolates through. This is a time when the rates need to
be monitored very closely (which I believe is being done). A plot should be made that shows
movement per day with days and amount of rainfall. It is fairly easy to pick out the lag and magnitude
in the change of movement.
My biggest concern is that they are still not monitoring with the newest technology, InSAR (radar from
satellites). It is good that they are looking for cracks, but that does not tell the whole story. By the
time you can see visible cracks, there has likely been significant movement beforehand. It is also
likely that there is movement going on further up the slope, but visible cracks have not yet been
developed. They are starting to see that these areas are tied together (which is good). My belief is
that the actual impacted area is much larger than what is being identified.
The problem with not fully understanding the impacted area is that you might be missing an
opportunity to do much more dewatering further back. There is a possibility that some of rainwater
infiltration may be coming from the graben where the houses fell in earlier this year. If that is
contributing to the infiltration, then there may be an opportunity to help the situation by putting wells in
the graben. One important way to tell is with a wide area monitoring system, like InSAR. Another
piece of information that could help is a series of extensometers or TDRs (that can be put in
piezometer wells). These systems can measure movement at depth. They would need to go through
the bed that the landslide is moving on.
Just a couple of ideas.
Brad
3) Ross, Bradley; U of A
Sat, Mar 16, 2024,
12:24 PM
Looks like there is increased concern and focus, which is a good thing. The hydrauger is a good
idea, but more options need to be considered. The issue will be if once they are built, will they stay
open with all of the movement that is going on. The other issue is that this is a huge area. The
question will be how much water each hole will produce and how much area each hole can
dewater. There may need to be a lot more holes to have much impact, but the hydrogeologist would
be much better to tell. If you want the best hydrogeologist in the world for dewatering landslides, you
should hire Geoff Beale from Piteau Associates. That is who any major company would hire if they
have a large project like this one. He was the key guy for the Water In Mine Operations and Slope
Stability course that the Geotechnical Center of Excellence offers. As I said, he is the world's best
and very direct.
H-2
Guys like Geoff can make the difference between a successful program and a waste of millions of
dollars. If anyone wants to contact him, his email is: gbeale@piteau.com
.
4) Ross, Bradley; U of A
May 6, 2024,
12:55 PM
Hi Mickey,
Looks like the city is going into full-out crisis mode. The result is they are focused on the immediate
things that they can see, but what they can miss in that mode is the big picture of things that are not
so obvious but can be huge contributors to the problem. Here are some things to think about.
• There are high expectations for the hydraugers. I think it is fine to try them, but they may not
work. They cover a tiny percentage of a 3-dimensional moving mass, so it is challenging to
recover enough water to make a large difference.
• Since the mass is moving up to several inches per week, there is a good chance that the hydrauger
openings will be short-lived. All you have to do is think about the pipelines on the surface and how
often they break. When they are underground, they have even less flexibility.
• Bottom line – what are plans B, C, and D. There is good chance you may need them and you don’t
want to wait to start. If the hydraugers work, great – otherwise be prepared to do something else.
• I know the city feels they are putting a lot of money into this, but it might just be beginning.
• When of the thing that we know is that this landslide is activated by rain (or surface) water that
ultimately goes into cracks, fissures, or soaks into the ground. Is anyone looking at the full extent
of the drainage area? It is likely much larger than the landslide area. You must remember that any
water draining toward the landslide will impact the landslide. Work should be done to understand
where all the water is coming from. It could be from miles away.
• Is anyone looking at groundwater level increase outside the immediate area of the slide? If the
regional water level goes up after the rain, it can ultimately impact the landslide since it becomes
a sink for the water to move towards.
• I still believe they are not utilizing one of the most important landslide monitoring methods, InSAR.
To me, that is a tremendous failing. They can be looking at a much larger area. They could
potentially already be seeing impacts that could provide a better understanding of the overall
failure mechanism. That understanding can lead to other methods for mitigation. Frankly, the fact
that it is not being used does not give me a lot of confidence that all the options are being
considered.
H-3
Large landslides are difficult – and expensive. Once they start moving, they do not like to
stop. Getting rid of the water is one way to have an impact so the hydrauger have the potential to
help. But you should not rely on just one option or plan. The City should hire Geoff Beale
(gbeale@piteau.com) since he is the best geohyraulogist I know for large landslides. He will cost
some money, but if anyone can give you the answers, he is the guy.
Of course, the best solution is that it stops raining (not a long-term solution).
5) City Council Meeting Highlights
Highlights from the May 7 City Council meeting:
o The Council approved construction contracts for two emergency dewatering
wells in the Portuguese Bend Landslide Complex that will remove water
underground that is contributing to movement.
o One well will be installed near Burma Road at the north end of the landslide
complex, and the other will be installed on the south end at one of two
potential locations: in the Portuguese Bend Beach Club, or in the turnout area
along Palos Verdes Drive South formerly known as “Gateway Park.”
o Work on this $9.6 million project is expected to begin as early as June. The City
will seek reimbursement under the federal disaster declaration related to
February’s storms and explore additional funding opportunities to help offset
costs.
o City staff continues planning critical regrading work for the steep dip on Palos
Verdes Drive South known as the “ski jump,” which may require a temporary
closure in the landslide area. A project timeline is not yet available, but
advance notice — including a construction schedule and detour information, if
needed, — will be widely shared with the community.
o Staff will provide an update on efforts to provide financial assistance to the
Abalone Cove and Klondike Canyon Landslide Abatement Districts as well as
the Portuguese Bend Community Association at a future Council meeting.
o The City’s local emergency declaration in the landslide complex was extended
through July 6.
o The Council reviewed EDCO’s request for a 6% rate increase for residential
customers in the next fiscal year based on the Consumer Price Index. The rate
increase was approved in 2022 as part of a planned five-year schedule of
increases, but was presented for the Council’s and public’s information.
For all City Council actions from the meeting, watch video at rpvca.gov/agendas.
Powered by
H-4
f
6) Emergency Declaration Renewal Discussion
– July 2, 2024
Emergency Hydraugers Project
On July 2, Council will receive an update on the Emergency Hydraugers
Project. The Emergency Hydraugers Project involves the installation of two
horizontally-drilled dewatering wells that will extract water underground in
the Portuguese Bend Landslide complex and slow the land movement.
Since May 2024 - when the project was approved - the hydrauger contractor
has completed drilling on two test boreholes and has started drilling a third
test borehole. These test boreholes are necessary to understand underground
conditions and determine the best locations for the two hydraugers and their
drains.
Due to difficult soil conditions created by the land movement, the third and
fourth boreholes will require additional equipment, and the timeline for
drilling those and analyzing the resultant data is now approximately six to
eight weeks instead of four to six weeks.
While the precise location of the two hydraugers has yet to be determined,
one will be installed near Burma Road at the north end of the landslide
H-5
--j -.. ----.---. ..... --
complex where it will intercept water at higher elevations. The other well will
be installed on the south end, at the toe of the landslide, and will relieve
artesian pressure that forces groundwater to the surface without pumping.
7) Mickey Rodich – My initial letter to Geoff Beale.
.
Wed, Aug 21, 2024,
5:37 PM
to gbeale@piteau.com,
I received your name from Bradley Ross of the University of
Arizona. He said that you were the best geohydrauligist he knew
that can analyse what is happening with our landslide in Rancho
Palos Verdes, California. From looking at your company website I
think that you are based in England. I don't know if you ever heard
about our landslide. It started in the 1950's when our County
attempted to fill a canyon with dirt and rocks in order to create a
road running from above to connect to an existing road next to the
Pacific Ocean. All of the weight from the fill triggered the
movement because there is a bentonite layer a couple hundred of
feet below the surface and water from rain and drainage from
homes high above on the 1500 foot high hill. Water reaching
bentonite creates a type of grease that triggers the land movement.
The area of the landslide is about 650 acres and empties into the
Pacific Ocean. There is a main asphalt road that runs through the
landslide. For all these years we have been struggling to contain
the landslide, but it still constantly moves. For many years the
movement was minimal, however for the last 2 years we have had
double the amount of rain (normally 16 inches per year) and the
H-6
landslide has accelerated much faster. Parts of the landslide are
moving 7 to 10 feet per week. We are looking for help from an
expert like you.
Rancho Palos Verdes, California is a city of 42,000 people and is
located on a small peninsula that sticks out into the ocean. Our
elevation runs from the ocean up to 1500 feet. I believe our City
Manager tried to contact you, but I believe he has not spoken to
you. You can probably find a lot of information on the internet under
Portuguese Bend Landslide. I live about 3/4 of a mile from the
eastern edge of the landslide and I am concerned. Our city has
contracted with local Geology firms over the years, but I believe you
can be of help as a second opinion or in whatever capacity you
recommend.
I would like to discuss this issue with you if you have some time
available. I don't know if you are familiar with WhatsApp, but it is a
free worldwide telephone service. I can be reached on WhatsApp at
1-310-261-8448.
I am looking forward to our connecting.
8) Reply from Geoff Beale
From: "Beale, Geoff" <gbeale@piteau.com>
Date: August 22, 2024 at 1:25:37 PM PDT
To: Mickey Rodich <mickeyrodich@gmail.com>
Subject: RE: Rancho Palos Verdes Landslide
Hi Mickey,
Thanks for your email. Ara Mihranian contacted me a few weeks ago, but he didn’t get
back to me to arrange a meeting.
Yes, I live in the UK, but travel to the US regularly, and work closely with our offices in
Reno, Denver and Tucson. I lived in the US myself for many years.
I’d be more than happy to have a chat. I do lots of “hands on” work relating water to
geotechnical instability.
H-7
m
I use WhatsApp all the time. My number is +44 786 676 0955. Drop me a message.
I’m getting deposed for a project in Idaho on Tuesday so I’d sooner leave it until after
then to have a chat if that’s OK.
Geoff
9) Mickey Rodich – My email to Ara
Mon, Aug 26, 2024,
10:03 AM
Ara. This is the response I got from Geoff Beale. I know you are very busy with the landslide so I
decided to reach out to him. I am sending him some landslide information. If you have any worthwhile
landslide information please send it to me and I will forward it to him.
RPV desperately needs a second opinion.
10) Mickey Rodich <mickeyrodich@gmail.com>
Tue, Aug 27, 2024,
5:44 PM
to gbeale@piteau.com
The LA Times article, below is their almost weekly Sunday article on the PB Landslide.
http://enewspaper.latimes.com/infinity/article_share.aspx?guid=1e16300d-
b5da-4aef-b13a-708068b75992
11) Beale, Geoff recommendations
Sat, Aug 31, 2024,
7:11 AM
to me
Hi Mickey,
Nice to talk with you yesterday.
Some of the things we talked about were:
• Satellite imagery – InSAR – key is to get someone who has good experience in
interpretation
• Shape Arrays (SAAs) instead of (as well as) inclinometers
• Install vibrating wire pressure sensors in all drill holes (jointly with SAAs)
Piteau’s parent company is Tetra Tech (HQ Pasadena). They may already be doing
some work. I’ll find out.
12) Conversation and recommendations with Geoff Beale
H-8
Sep 4, 2024,
11:54 AM
On Thursday, August 29, 2024 I had a long conversation with the
geohydraulogist Geoff Beale, who lives in England. He will be in
Tucson around September 20th and after our conversation he will
come to RPV around then. He is trying to also bring an associate of
his named Mark Hawley, of Vancouver, Canada, who is also a
geohydraulogist with him from Tucson and they are willing to meet
with Ara and staff.
I sent Geoff information about the landslide that the City reported
and during our conversation he gave me the following off the cuff
comments;
• The three main ways to slow down landslides are a) Remove
the water b) Reduce weight of the slide by removing
soil from the slide surface, and c) Add soil to the toe of the
slide.
• Proper monitoring with inSAR satellite imaging every 9 days.
inSAR is accurate to 0,1 millimeter.
• Use many GPS points.
• Key is to get someone who has experience to process the
information.
• Place important instruments in the bore holes.
• Use Shape Arrays (SAAs) as well as inclinometers that can
read automatically.
• Install vibrating wire pressure sensors in all bore holes (jointly
with SAAs). This will measure the water pressure at various
depths.
• 13) Mickey Rodich; RPV request letter to Geoff
Sun, Sep 8, 2024,
9:30 AM
to Geoff,
The City Manager will be sending you the letter you requested and is planning a full day of activity for
you on Friday Sept. 20th. He is planning to have the City’s contracted geological firm, Haut
Engineering, have a representative with us on Friday.
H-9
14) A
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Sat, Sep 21, 2024,
6:31 AM
to Geoff, me, Ramzi, Mike
Hi Geoff,
It was an absolute pleasure meeting and spending time with you.
I, and I am pretty sure the others, walked away with a better understanding of this landslide.
You are VERY busy travelling around the world, and the fact that you made time to visit Rancho
Palos Verdes speaks volumes.
I look forward to any added insight you can provide us as we navigate this situation.
15)
Sat, Sep 21, 2024,
8:52 AM
H-10
I want to add my sincere thanks to you, Geoff, for taking your valuable time to share yesterday with
us here in RPV and enlighten all of us on our landslide issues. I saw that you and Mike Phipps, two
very knowledgeable landslide geotechnical engineers, were speaking your own language about our
landslide and were able to explain to us in simple words what was happening in our landslide. The
one thing that struck in my mind was that reducing the upward pressure of the water from below was
most important thing to achieve.
16) My Summary
of Geoff Beale
Meeting With
Ara; 9/20/24
H-11
Mickey Rodich
Sep 21, 2024,
2:10 PM
My neighbor (Bill Schurmer) and I picked up Geoff Beale at LAX
at 9:00 AM. We drove to PV and he wanted to see the Seaview and
PBC Beach Club areas before our 10:15 meeting with Ara.
Attending the meeting were Ara, Ramsi Awwad (Director of Public
Works), Mike Phipps (Consultant from Cotton Shires & Assoc.), Bill
Schurmer, Geoff Beale and myself. Geoff Beale is a
Geohydraulogist Engineer and works for a company called Piteau,
Inc., which is a subsidiary of Tetra Tec Inc., who is based in
Pasadena.
After introductions, we began discussing our Landslide. Ramzi
started to show a slide presentation of the Landslide with aerial
photos of he Landslide area from 1927 and shortly after he started
we had a power failure. The City has a backup generator which
kicked in, but it only covered the lighting system. It turned out that
the outage covered thousands of customers on the East side of the
city, from Trump, Seaview, Ladera Linda, Mediterranea, Miraleste
Hills and more.
The City then had their van take us to various parts of the slide
from the PBC Beach Club to Seaview and then to Gateway Park
where they first tried drilling the test holes for the hydroaugering.
We then returned to Ladera Linda for lunch and conversation. The
power was still off and Mike Phiffs began again to speak about the
history of the Slide. The Slide began in 1956 when the County tried
to extend Crenshaw Blvd. from Crest Road down to PVDS by filling
in a canyon. It turns out that shortly after the Slide began Mike, a
freshly graduated geologist worked for a company that was hired to
investigate the Slide. He has been involved with our Slide on and
off ever since and is very knowledgeable on the Slide. He and
Geoff began exchanging ideas and they immediately bonded and
got along very well. One thing came out of their conversation,
quickly. They both knew that water is the main factor that creates
Slides, but Mike was not aware of Geoff's expertise with water.
H-12
Everyone has always said that to slow down the slide you had to
remove as much water as you can. Drilled wells sometimes don't
stay functioning very long due to the land movement and they
shear off, so It is not that simple. Geoff then made a presentation
about how to handle the water removal and also some new
technology that you insert into the bored 300 foot deep holes
to monitor the artesian water pressure. His discussion centered on
the upward artesian water pressure that is exerted from under the
slide. When you take two surfaces and put them together gravity
will keep them together, and it's friction that holds them together.
When you introduce water pressure from below in between the
surfaces it separates the two surfaces and they can start sliding.
When you again reduce the water pressure they will stop sliding.
So by monitoring the artesian water pressure which can be
accomplished by removing only some of the water you will be able
to considerably slow down the Slide. Once that happens, you
then can continue pumping out more water. Up till now the
consensus has been that you had to remove just about all of
the water to slow down the Slide. He also said that his experience
shows that controlling the upward artesian water pressure helps to
keep the bored holes functioning much longer, but the pumping
must be 24/7. The other thing that Geoff mentioned was that since
we have 2 Slides on top of each other, with the lower one (at 300
feet) moving much faster than the upper one (at 150 feet), we
should control the upward artesian.water pressure of the lower
fastest moving Slide first. The City has up to now drilled 2 of 5
holes at the edge of the ocean cliffs only below the Portuguese
Bend Slide with no plans to drill holes below the Abalone cove
landslide. Geoff feels that the City should extend the drilling over to
Abalone Cove.
One of my concerns was, is there a possibility of the landslide
moving further East or West which could affect my Ladera Linda
neighborhood. Geoff's observation was that the aerial Lidar photos
have verified that all of the land movement is North to South and
H-13
into the ocean and as long as that continues the chance of
extending further east or West is very very low.
Also for your information, I have copies of aerial maps going
back to 2007 that shows that the western portion of Seaview has
always been part of ancient landslide complex.
Ara was impressed with Geoff's knowledge. Hout Engineering
convinced Ara and the Staff, and hence, the City Council that
Geoff's experience was only in mining landslides. This meeting
changed that attitude. Geoff is a hydrogeologist and his knowledge
includes many landslides all over the world that are similar to ours.
RPV hired Mike Phipps as the City's geologist. Geoff immediately
hit it off with Phipps and they had many technical discussions. As a
result of these discussions, Geoff said that Phipps is
knowledgeable and was very open in his discussions and can be
trusted. Geoff agreed to provide Phipps contact information that will
be very helpful to RPV. Geoff also gave Ara and Phipps information
of contacts that RPV can use for this new technology and will
arrange for Phipps to visit a mine in Utah that uses this technology.
Mike Phipps was really interested in knowing about the new
technology.
17)
Sun, Sep 22, 2024,
9:57 AM
H-14
to me, Ara, Ramzi, Mike, Schurmer
Thanks for your nice emails guys. I really enjoyed the day. Thanks again for
looking after me.
In the afternoon, we went onto the beach to look at the toe heave. If there is 10-20
ft of artesian (above ground) water pressure, the approach of drilling pressure relief
wells in the toe is for sure the right thing to do. I’d be keen to see the results. Let’s
hope the wells don’t shear too quickly.
I also noted the fairly large flow coming out of the pipe on the beach which, given
there has been no rain, I assume to be groundwater.
As we discussed, three things to think about are:
1. Using InSAR to get more insight on the details of the movement, and
particularly any spatial differences in acceleration following the 2023 and
2024 rainfall. Paolo Farina is an expert on interpreting InSAR. I’ll set up a
meeting between Paolo and Mike. I was in WhatsApp contact with Paolo
yesterday. He sent me this message…. Sentinel-1 asc and desc every 6 days until 2021
and now every 12 days. Other satellite failed in 2021. But Sentinel-1 will provide great insight. Also
high resolution x band is available and should be ok, but relatively expensive.
2. Possible use of Elexon Smart Markers. This is new technology. The best
dataset I know is at the Kennecott Bingham Canyon Mine in Utah. Mike – I
think you said 19th is your preferred date to visit Bingham Canyon. Chad
Williams is head of geotech. I subsequently found out that Chad visited
Portuguese Bend in 2021 with Brad Ross, so I’d be pretty sure he’ll want to
host you on site Mike. I’ll arrange that when I’m there next week. Bingham
H-15
has also done two multi hundred-million ton offloads to stabilize mining
landslides in the past few years which would also be useful information.
3. A more in-depth review of your pore pressures. Depressurization is key to
slowing down the slide in the short term. It is my core expertise and I’d be
very keen to take a closer look. A slight concern with the toe wells is to make
sure they don’t transfer deeper pressure onto the shallow slip plane. That
could only happen if you are not pumping.
Overall, you are definitely heading in the right direction. Probably there are 3 key
short term actions for helping to slow the movement:
• Drill and monitor the 5 planned toe area pressure relief wells and, depending
on the results, consider expanding the system. Maybe something to think
about is why the toe heave only occurs in that area (….I’m sure you have
thought a lot about it Mike). Does widening the influence of pressure relief
make sense?
• Interception of surface runoff to reduce infiltration into the backscarp of the
slide. Your plan to use the existing dirt road (don’t remember its name) as a
“drainage artery” is the right way to go. The more you intercept water in
those 4 drainages and bring it onto the road, the better. Clearly, you are a bit
behind the 8-ball with the upcoming winter rainfall, but it would be of real
benefit to do as much as you can (…..its not “all or nothing”).
• Consider whether gravity-flow horizontal drain holes may add benefit,
particularly around the upper part of the slide where the topography is
steeper. These remove water from the slide by gravity and are relatively low
cost. We used them to great effect in stabilizing the Golden Cross
landslide. We use them all the time to stabilize landslides in mining. It would
probably be worth a look, starting below the head scarp. Bingham Canyon
has two horizontal drilling machines on site.
I didn’t get chance to explain the “effective stress” concept, so I have pasted a slide
below from the on-line course. The right hand diagram shows there are
essentially two forces acting on any slip surface…..
• The downward weight of the overlying materials which forces the two slides
of the slip surface together and therefore increases the frictional resistance
(shear strength) along the slip surface.
• The upward pressure of the water which tries to push the two sides of the slip
surface apart and therefore reduces the frictional resistance and increases
the tendency to slide.
H-16
The left hand diagram shows how the concept applies to a sloping surface. The
more you can reduce the water pressure, the greater the frictional resistance
(resistive pressure) caused by the downward weight, the less the tendency to
slide. You can think of the upward pressure of the water causing the upper surface
to “float” above the lower surface and therefore reduce the frictional contact.
It helps to think in these simple terms (…..and I have to !!).
Geoff
18)Jeremy Dowling’s visit to RPV Landslide & his comments
Jeremy Dowling is the President of Piteau Associates. Just by chance his
Corporation (Tetra Tech) was having a Global Corporate meeting with all 26
Presidents of the Tetra Tech Divisions at Terranea over the weekend of November
21,2024. Geoff Beale contacted me on Friday, November 22, 2024 and said that
his boss, Jeremy Dowling would like to meet with me. Jeremy contacted me on
Saturday, November 23, 2024 and we met on Sunday afternoon November 23,
2024 at Terranea.
We talked for a while and I gave him some printed background information from
the Landslide. We then drove thru the slide area. We visited Upper Portuguese
Bend, Seaview and the Beach Club. At the Beach Club we walked out to view the
6 wells that were pumping out water from 300 foot deep wells. The following are
his comments and observations.
From: Dowling, Jeremy <jdowling@piteau.com>
Sent: Thursday, December 19, 2024 3:56 AM
To: Mickey Rodich <mickeyrodich@gmail.com>; Geoff Beale <jbeale@piteau.com>
Subject: RE: City Manager's Weekly Administrative Report - December 12, 2024
Hi Mickey,
Also hope you are well and have a great Christmas season too !
I had a quick look at the report. The main comments are similar to those previously discussed.
• The deformations are clearly the combination of extremely weak and adversely dipping rocks and
groundwater pressure.
• The high recharge events therefore cause acceleration of the instability.
• The dewatering wells have helped - keep them running for as long as possible.
• The surface water / recharge reduction measures should also be broadly useful.
• It would be very useful to try and correlate pore pressure (piezometric levels) above and below the
weakness planes, with the pumping efforts and the rates of deformation. This requires a monitoring
network including piezometers in critical areas, and monitoring of deformation with geotechnical
instruments and InSAR.
H-17
• For long term purposes it will be important to try and understand and define the piezometric
threshold levels that need to be maintained in order to contain the deformation to manageable rates.
• It will be important to analyze the potential ranges of deformation that could occur during a ‘normal’
and an ‘extreme’ recharge seasons and then the amount of proactive drainage measures (recharge
reduction measures, inclined drain holes, wells) it would take to maintain the piezometric levels
within the defined thresholds, for those ‘normal’ and ‘extreme’ recharge seasons.
• So in a nutshell, the work being done seems reasonable. But pore pressure and geotech monitoring is
needed, combined with an interpretive analysis, to define the measures required to control and
manage the instability for long term purposes.
19)May 17, 18 2021 Portuguese Bend Slide Visit Report by Gene Dewey,
Notes by Gene Dewey that were taken during a discussion on May 18, 2021 of a field visit to portions of the
Portuguese Bend Landslide by, Bradley Ross, Chad Williams and Gene Dewey
In attendance; Bradley Ross, Chad Williams, Gene Dewey, Mickey Rodich, Kit Ruona, City Council member
Barbara Ferraro and RPV City Manager Ara Mihranian
Brad Ross is a Ph.D Professor of Practice at the U of AZ Mining and Geological Engineering Department and
Director of the Geotechnical Center of Excellence. Chad Williams is a Ph.D candidate who is the Assistant
Director
of the Geotechnical Center of Excellence. They both have extensive mining experience and were present at
the
time of the largest landslide in the mining industry of some 140 mm tons. They started the Geotechnical
Center of
Excellence as a result of what was learned from the Manefay landslide in 2013.
Bingham Canyon’s Manefay Landslides and the Future of the ...
geology.utah.gov › map-pub › survey-notes
On April 10, 2013, two massive landslides carried about 145 million tons of waste rock into the bottom of the
open
pit at Bingham Canyon, the largest copper mine in the U.S. These are the largest mining-induced landslides in
history.
Images for Manefay Slide Bingham Canyon
o
The Manefay landslide at the Bingham Canyon open-pit copper ...
The Manefay landslide at the Bingham Canyon open-pit copper mine on April 11, 2013. Also notable are the
two
different slides—the earlier light gray slide of pyritized Bingham Mine Formation quartz sandstones overlain
by the
yellow-brown, oxidized dump material which slid about 1.5 hours later.
Brad and Chad agreed to make a visit to the PB Slide as a favor to Gene Dewey.
After a very cursory two-day review of the slide on the ground which included a walk along the moving
portions of
PVDS and into a portion of the slide on the south side of the roadway followed by a visit to the Paseo Del Mar
slide,
Sunken City, San Ramon Canyon and 18 hole slide, they walked the east side of the Portuguese Bend slide
along
the Rim Trail. The following morning was occupied walking a portion of the toe of the slide from the PBBC to
H-18
Inspiration Point and up to the archery range from the shoreline trail.
They reviewed their visit and comments with RPV Council member Barbara Ferraro later that morning. She
suggested they invite City Manager Ara Mihranian to hear their comments. Following that session the balance
of
the day was spent walking the mid portion of the slide north of the deep dip in PVDS roadway.
They pointed out that they were not here as consultants or representatives of the University of Arizona, but as
friends of Gene.
They noted that the outer perimeter of the slide had indications of moving toward the middle. As it moves
toward
the ocean the toe is eroded away by the tide and wave action. The lower part is moving faster than the upper
portion of the slide. The sides of the slide are moving to the center to fill in the void and creating several
natural
dams in an east west orientation. The vegetation inside the slide mass is extensive. The fissures that are
visible
disappear into the mass of vegetation. It would be nearly impossible to find them all and get equipment to
them
without removing most if not all of the vegetation. If the fissures were filled with a mixture of fly ash and
cement
it would set up similar to concrete. The slide movement will continue to open new fissures, reducing the fly
ash’s
effectiveness to limit infiltration. The fly ash and cement could create a less pervious dam effect causing
more
water to accumulate in the aquifer.
If this were a mining operation that they were managing they wouldn’t fill the fissures with a fly ash and
cement
mixture. They have no problem with filling the fissures with dirt where accessible. This would maintain a
similar
permeability as the surround material and not dam water internal to the slide mass.
Surface drainage collection is a good step where it can be done in such a manner that it is maintained.
Extensive daily monitoring of the slide is very important to understand just what is moving and how fast it is
moving and if it is accelerating a sign that the failure is moving towards progressive failure. This needs to be
done
also to measure the effectiveness of any remediation efforts and provide early warning of a potential
catastrophic
failure.
Horizontal drains could be effective and perhaps the place to start after a monitoring and management
system is
put in place.
A geotechnical engineer on the staff and a geotechnical contractor employed who could provide benefit to
the
project, continuity, and oversight.
There are several systems available for monitoring the slide which could be evaluated.
Continuous GPS units – Can measure 3D displacement on an hour by bour basis. Units can be self-
contained on run on small batteries for years.
Robotic theodolite/Prism system (automatically measures movement every few minutes and alerts if
thresholds are meet that indicates a problem). Measures individual points and can alarm if the slide is
accelerating.
Extensometers – relatively simple systems to measure if cracks are getting wider. Should be set up to
alarm if movements start to accelerate.
InSAR – Satellite-based radar that can be used to measure movement over large areas like the PB Slide.
Contractors can provide a service but only shows the movement every 11 – 22 days (depending on the
satellites used).
H-19
Ground based radar – continuously measures movement over a large portion of the slide area. Can send
out alarms if slide starts to accelerate.
TDR Cable - Time-domain reflectometer (used in drill holes to determine where movement is occurring
underground.
President Trump Signs “National Landslide Preparedness Act ...
www.mwcapitol.com › post › president-trump-signs
January 6, 2021- Legislation to establish a National Landslide Hazards Reduction Program in the U.S.
Geological
Survey (USGS) to better identify and understand landslide risks, protect communities, save lives and
property, and
improve emergency preparedness became law Tuesday when President Trump signed H.R. 8810,
the National
Landslide Preparedness Act.
Expands early warning systems. The bill expands existing early warning systems for post-wildfire
landslides in recently burned areas across the United States. It also requires procedures to be developed
for federal monitoring of storm water drainage in areas with a high risk of landslides, in coordination with
state, local, and tribal governments.
Creates a new federal program focused specifically on landslide hazards. The bill would establish a
National Landslides Hazard Reduction program through the United States Geological Survey (USGS), which
would identify risks and hazards from landslides to protect at-risk communities and improve
communication and emergency preparedness.
Develops new maps to help communities prepare for landslide risk. The bill would direct the USGS to
implement a 3D Elevation Program to increase data collection and landslide threat identification across
the country. Enhanced elevation data, such as LIDAR, is critical for numerous reasons—to help
communities plan for and respond to natural hazards; to update the nation’s topographical maps; and to
inform a myriad of uses including public safety, national security, planning, infrastructure, transportation,
agriculture, and natural resource management.
Authorizes new landslide-related grant programs. The bill authorizes new programs to provide funding to
state, territorial, local, and tribal governments for landslide research, mapping, assessment, and data
collection.
Establishes committees to better deal with landslide risks. The bill establishes an advisory committee on
landslides and creates an interagency committee to coordinate better landslide responses from the
multiple government agencies with Jurisdiction
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