Left on Shakey Grounds

Sophia Shen • January 1, 2026

Portuguese Bend in Rancho Palos Verdes (RPV) is notable for its stunning views – hosting a substantial part of the Palos Verdes Nature Reserve, it offers breathtaking hikes and ocean trails, but beneath its beauty lies a dangerous reality—one that may take millions of dollars to fix. The ground has been slowly shifting and has recently become worse, damaging roads and homes. The movement is creating serious safety challenges for homeowners and making it difficult for them to maintain a secure place to live. Despite this, on Oct. 1, Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed Assembly Bill 986 (AB986), which would have qualified landslides and unstable ground movement, such as the ground movement in Portuguese Bend, as state or local emergencies (California Emergency Services Act). With the bill vetoed, impacted communities may face more damage to homes and infrastructure and may be forced to handle it on their own. The School Resource Officer Barber expressed his thoughts about this.

“I think that the bill would have helped people out in case their property gets damaged,” Barber said. “With the bill getting vetoed, there will be a harder way for people to get help. From what it sounds like, it is supposed to help people who live in areas where they could be in devastation or with a lot of property damage. I do not think that this was the right decision that he made.”

The proposal of AB986 intended to provide a more effective way for disaster recovery to reach communities affected by land movement through classifying landslides as a type of natural disaster. The area is notorious for heavy rains, climate change and water‑saturated clay and rock. However, these damages caused by these conditions could be mitigated with active government intervention and further preventative measures – vetoing the bill could worsen the challenges already faced by Portuguese Bend residents. AP Literature and English 3 Honors teacher Jeffrey Mirosavich shared his thoughts on the situation.

“For the past 20 years of me living in the area, there has always been land moving every year,” Mirosavich said. “We’re going to have a harder time from now on [if it is not considered an “emergency”]. In situations like this, when people’s property is involved becomes much more complicated, because you have to pay for that property, or maybe get rid of it.”

Unsurprisingly, Portuguese Bend remains a primary concern due to its ongoing landslide activity according to the Los Angeles Times. Entire houses have shifted, cracked or been lost as the ground moves. With this bill being vetoed, the area might keep facing damage from heavy rains and unstable soil without any government intervention. Reflecting upon this reality, Girls and Boys’ Varsity water polo coach, US History teacher and RPV resident, Charles Kim, shared his opinion on what the government should do in regards to the land movement.

“Overall, I think that people who grew up in the Peninsula area often see their homes damaged or destroyed by [land movements] and they feel that something should be done to prevent it,” Kim said. “I think [in that case, the] when the government should step up, [and] maybe help out with some kind of relief here so there is kind of an assurance that there is backup. I do not think that this was the right decision that he made. I believe there should be a time where the government steps in and helps out with homes that are affected.”