SoCalGas, a utility company in California, has suddenly cut off its natural gas supply for hundreds of residents in a California community.
According to SoCalGas, this sudden gas shut-off has occurred because of “worsening land movement” in the region. Residents have criticized the company, especially as this shut-off happened without prior warning.
An Immediate Shut Off
SoCalGas has revealed that it will officially shut off its natural gas supply to 135 homes in the Portuguese Bend region of Rancho Palos Verdes.
This will occur at 9 a.m. local time. After this cut-off, these homes will not have any gas lines actively connected to their homes.
A Los Angeles Community’s Struggles
This sudden decision has devastated many residents in the community, which lies on the coastal outskirts of Los Angeles.
Many people rely on always having a natural gas line connected to their home. As SoCalGas has only just announced this sudden shut-off, many are left frustrated in the community.
An Affluent Area
The 135 homes affected by the cutoff are not part of a normal Californian city. Ranchos Palos Verdes is dubbed the richest retirement town in the country.
Residents are in uproar after their gas was shut off because of landslides due to “accelerated land movements” which caused “significant strain on SoCalGas infrastructure.” However, the problem might not stop with a gas cutoff. People could be left stranded with no power at all.
Worsening Land Movement Is to Blame
According to SoCalGas, they’re making this sudden decision for an important reason — and it has everything to do with land in the region.
“Due to worsening land movement, SoCalGas has determined it is unsafe to continue providing natural gas service in your community. Unfortunately, your natural gas service will be discontinued effective Monday, July 29, 2024, at approximately 9 a.m.,” SoCalGas’ service notice said.
Taking Immediate Action
The utility company further explained that they regret disrupting the service to these homes, but this must be done.
The notice said, “We regret this unexpected disruption of service. This dynamic situation requires we take immediate action to protect public safety.”
Land Movement Could Damage Gas Infrastructure
SoCalGas also stated that the land movement seen in the area has the potential to damage homes, roads and even the company’s infrastructure.
This California region “continues to experience significant new land movement damaging roads, homes, and further threatening the safety of SoCalGas’ infrastructure.”
Protecting Those in the Area
The utility company explained that they have to cut off these natural gas lines, as they don’t want potential land movement to lead to dangerous circumstances.
The company said, “The significant strain on SoCalGas’ infrastructure caused by this recent land movement requires that we discontinue service at this time to protect the safety of the Portuguese Bend Community.”
Addressing the Problem
SoCalGas has acted quickly to support those left without gas in their homes.
In a press release, SoCalGas said it will “continue to distribute financial assistance to the Portuguese Bend community.” At this point, assistance has reached about 90% of homes affected by the cutoff. The company is also expanding its infrastructure to protect the impacted households from future disruption.
The Situation May Get Worse
Accelerated land movement could affect other utilities that are essential to every household. It could lead to companies shutting off residents’ electricity, too.
In a letter to the public, Southern California Edison’s executive and COO, Jill C. Anderson, wrote: “Over the past 18 months, there has been considerable land movement, putting the utilities serving the area and your property at risk. Your property may be discontinued if conditions warrant.”
Electricity at Risk
Why would increased land movement put residents’ access to electricity at risk?
The open letter from Anderson said that land movement has created hazardous conditions for staff and customers. This ground movement is “causing power poles to lean and power lines to fail. The impact on SCE’s equipment “increases the risk of system failure, fire ignition or other public safety hazards.”
Devastating Impact on Residents
The impact of SoCalGas cutting off natural gas from the public could be huge for residents.
Mike Hong, a 65-year-old Portuguese Bend resident, said, “It’s like a domino effect. This could be devastating for us, financially and emotionally.” The situation has left many feeling afraid to leave their homes. Many feel their utility companies are “abandoning” them.
Finding Alternative Arrangements
The couple is making do with what they have at their disposal. Instead of using a stove, they are cooking their meals on a hot plate, which is designed for campers living off-grid.
“It’s not a private for-profit corporation. It’s a utility company. Their job is to serve the whole community. Gas, and especially electricity, and even more so water, if they go, then pretty much they’re abandoning our properties,” said Hong.
Switching Utilities
Residents like Hong and his wife must consider alternative arrangements to get by.
The couple is considering switching their appliances to propane. However, this process would be expensive and difficult. SCE has encouraged residents to plan for power cuts in case the company has to “suspend electric service.” Residents are increasingly worried that other utilities might be at risk in the near future.
Anxieties Over Other Utilities
The increasing uncertainty among residents has made some think that the cut-offs will not stop at gas and electricity.
Hong fears that his water supply might be affected. He said, “When the water goes out, then it’s game over.” Around 11,000 of Rancho Palos Verdes are over 65, just over a quarter of the city’s population. California Water Service has no plans to cut off the water supply but is also strained by land movement.
Coming Up With a Plan
Even those unaffected by the cut-offs are worried that they are next.
Huma Ahmed, who lives in the Seaview neighborhood, feels it is “only a matter of time” before the problem reaches her doorstep. Ahmed said that she “now needs to have a Plan B.” SCE has urged customers to come up with emergency plans in case they have to pull the plug at short notice.
What Is Land Movement?
Land movement, which is also often called ground movement, is anything that has to do with the movement of the Earth’s surface, such as sliding, shifting or settling.
The Rancho Palos Verdes area has seen quite a lot of land movement in the past few years, particularly landslides that have led to many concerns within the community.
Are Ancient Landslides to Blame?
Some of the recent land movements seen in the area have begun to be blamed on ancient landslides in the region, which make up a complex area.
These ancient landslides are made worse when the region suffers from heavy rainfall during its winter months, which further causes land movement.
A Notable Increase in Land Movement
Unfortunately, a notable increase in various kinds of land movement has been experienced in the Portuguese Bend region of Rancho Palos Verdes.
In May of this year, the area’s land movement had increased by a whopping 31 times when compared to what was seen in November of 2019.
Land Movement Can Cause Dangerous Situations
One of the main reasons SoCalGas has cut its natural gas line to this community is because they’re trying to ensure the rest of the city stays safe.
Land movement can lead to gas pipeline cracks or ruptures. This then can cause gas leaks, which can become dangerous and deadly if an explosion or fire occurs.
An Indefinite Situation
Residents in this California community have been left suddenly without any gas connected to their homes — and they have no idea when they may get this line connected again.
SoCalGas has not indicated when they think the gas may be turned back on. As a result, these homeowners may not have a gas line for an indefinite period.
Weather Whiplash
Due to climate change, researchers expect land movement to become more frequent and intense.
Researchers from UCLA and JPL say that extreme drought followed by extreme rains will exacerbate landslides. This is because long stretches of dry weather can open cracks in the ground. This means the rain penetrates deeper into the ground, causing bigger changes in the groundwater during rainy seasons.
Expanding Infrastructure
To prevent further disruptions in the future, SoCalGas is enhancing its infrastructure to protect residents.
In their press release, the company said it is conducting frequent leak surveys of the neighborhoods and will also enhance monitoring of its facilities. They will focus their surveys on the City of Rolling Hills due to recent reports of land movement in the area.
Finding a Solution
To prevent major disturbances like this from happening again, SoCalGas is expanding its infrastructure.
The utility company began work at the start of this month to install a series of isolation valves. This would allow them to safely cut off the gas on individual streets most affected by land movement. Isolating the disruption to single streets would stop other streets from having their service disrupted.
