SoCalGas begins natural gas restoration in Rancho Palos Verdes following land movement slowdown

RANCHO PALOS VERDES, Calif. - SoCalGas on Tuesday will begin restoring natural gas service to homeowners in Rancho Palos Verdes affected by the recent landslide.

What we know:

According to SoCalGas, natural gas service will be restored in phases, beginning with the Seaview neighborhood.

Technicians will go door-to-door on Dauntless, Exultant, and Admirable drives to evaluate homes for restoration readiness. Service can only resume if homes are natural gas compatible and meet all safety requirements.

The utility expects the restoration and construction process in Seaview to last approximately four to five weeks. Once completed, homes along Palos Verdes Drive South will be assessed for potential reconnection.

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This restoration effort follows months of slowed land movement in the area. Since February, monitoring has shown no measurable movement in Seaview and Portuguese Bend Beach Club, and only minor activity—less than 0.1 inches per week—in the City of Rolling Hills.

SoCalGas also confirmed it is drafting plans to restore service to the Portuguese Bend Beach Club and Rolling Hills. 

These efforts will proceed only if localized land conditions continue to support safe operations. However, the nearby Portuguese Bend community remains unstable, with active land movement making service restoration unsafe for now.

Timeline:

In 2024, accelerating land movement forced SoCalGas to shut off natural gas service to protect residents and infrastructure. 

Last July, the company halted service to multiple homes while relocating pipelines and intensifying safety inspections.

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Now, after extensive coordination with city officials and third-party experts, SoCalGas has determined that conditions in certain neighborhoods are stable enough to begin restoration efforts. Infrastructure upgrades are set to start on May 27.

What To Expect:

As part of the restoration process, SoCalGas will replace sections of gas mains and services, install safety equipment such as automatic shut-off valves, isolation valves, pipeline pressure monitors, and survey markers. 

All new and existing infrastructure will be tested for leaks before gas service is reconnected.

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Technicians will conduct in-home evaluations to check for leaks and appliance compatibility. SoCalGas will only proceed with reconnection if the homeowner is present and the property is deemed gas-ready.

Customers are advised that:

• An adult over 18 must be present during the restoration.
• Technicians must access both the gas meter and interior of the home.
• The restoration process may take one to two hours.
• Homeowners should never attempt to turn gas service back on themselves.

What they're saying:

"They could have done a lot better. They have not kept us in the loop. They have not communicated," said Seaview resident Eva Albuja about the response from SoCalGas. "They don't give us any dates,any houses or which ones will go on. They have not specified anything."

The backstory:

Landslides have devastated the Palos Verdes Peninsula, particularly the Portuguese Bend community in Rancho Palos Verdes for several years now.

 Last year, slides forced interruptions to gas and power services and damaged roads. Several houses were red-tagged.

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The city says the land has been moving since 1956, when Los Angeles County extended Crenshaw Boulevard. But heavy rains over the last few years have accelerated landslides.

Rancho Palos Verdes