With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today .
More earthquake mapping needed, LA-area state senator says
State Sen. Ted Lieu (D-Torrance) is calling for more funding to map dangerous earthquake faults in California.
This week Lieu sent a letter to Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg asking for help in restoring funds to the California Geological Survey, the state agency tasked with mapping earthquake faults.
“We need to immediately increase funding to map all the fault lines across California so that local officials and developers can comply with state law,” Lieu said.
The law he cites is the Alquist-Priolo Act passed in 1972. It requires the state to map the areas around active faults. It also mandates that any development project in a mapped area must test to make sure it is least 50 feet away from the fault.
Lieu said he was surprised to learn that developers in Hollywood and Santa Monica were able to put up new buildings on or near active faults simply because such maps hadn't been completed.
In his letter to Steinberg, Lieu said this was "not acceptable."
Lieu told KPCC he plans to review how cities in his district go about approving projects near known faults.
The California Geological Survey is responsible for creating fault maps and has finished 554 of them since 1972.
However, a decade ago, when California faced a $30 billion budget deficit, state lawmakers cut the CGS’s general fund allocation to less than $4 million dollars, nearly half of what it was.
Since then, efforts to map faults have slowed to a crawl. CGS is currently completing one a year and still has an estimated 300 to go, according to state geologist John Parrish.
Lieu says now that California has a projected surplus of over $2 billion, it's time CGS' budget be restored.
"We can certainly take a very small portion of that surplus and increase funding to map and update all of the fault lines across California."
A representative for Steinberg says the senate president "looks forward to a detailed discussion on the issue with colleagues in the coming year."
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
-
The City Council will vote Tuesday on a proposal to study raising the pay for construction workers on apartments with at least 10 units and up to 85 feet high.
-
The study found recipients spent nearly all the money on basic needs like food and transportation, not drugs or alcohol.
-
Kevin Lee's Tokyo Noir has become one of the top spots for craft-inspired cocktails.
-
A tort claim obtained by LAist via a public records request alleges the Anaheim procurement department lacks basic contracting procedures and oversight.
-
Flauta, taquito, tacos dorados? Whatever they’re called, they’re golden, crispy and delicious.
-
If California redistricts, the conservative beach town that banned LGBTQ Pride flags on city property would get a gay, progressive Democrat in Congress.