Comments on Portuguese Bend Landslide Remediation Project Draft EIR Due April 14

Public comments are due April 14 for the Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the proposed Portuguese Bend Landslide Remediation Project, a $33 million public works project that aims to significantly slow the continuously moving landslide.

The Draft EIR is part of a state-required review process that studies how proposed major construction projects could affect the environment and what can be done to mitigate those effects. EIRs are meant to inform decision-makers and the public of any potential impacts before a project can be built. The Portuguese Bend Landslide Remediation Project Draft EIR was released on February 9, 2023, and found that the project would have no significant impacts with measures that mitigate potential impacts to a less than significant level.

The Draft EIR is available on the City website and at Rancho Palos Verdes City Hall, the Miraleste Library, and the Peninsula Center Library. The deadline to comment is 4:30 p.m. on April 14. Email your comments to publicworks@rpvca.gov.

What happens next? A flow chart shows the timeline for the Portuguese Bend Landslide Remediation Project EIR process. The Draft EIR was released on February 9, 2023. Next, a public hearing will be held on March 21, 2023. Next, the public review period will end on April 14, 2023. Finally, the anticipated final certification is expected to take place in summer 2023. After the public review period ends, the City's environmental consultant will review the comments, respond to them, and make final revisions to the report. A Final EIR will go before the City Council for certification at a future meeting, likely in summer 2023. Certifying the EIR does not mean the City would or would not proceed with project construction. Construction would depend on multiple factors, including funding availability. The City is exploring grant opportunities for the estimated $33 million project. Want to learn more? For more information about the landslide, the project, and the Draft EIR, visit: rpvca.gov/landslide

After the public review period ends, the City's environmental consultant will review the comments, respond to them and make final revisions to the report. A Final EIR will go before the City Council for certification at a future meeting, likely in summer 2023. Certifying the EIR does not mean the City would or would not proceed with project construction.

To learn more about the Draft EIR, the project, and the Portuguese Bend Landslide, visit rpvca.gov/landslide.

If you are a person with a disability and need an accommodation to participate in programs, services, activities and meetings, contact the City's ADA Coordinator/Risk Manager at 310-683-3157, adarequests@rpvca.gov, 30940 Hawthorne Blvd., Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 90275, at least 48 hours in advance to request an auxiliary aid or accommodation.