Exhibit B-Draft Rosemead Public Safety Element 9-3-21P U B L I C S A F E T Y
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R O S E M E A D G E N E R A L P L A N
he Public Safety Element identifies and addresses the
natural and human-caused hazards that may influence the
development, redevelopment, and utilization of
properties in Rosemead. Foremost, this Element identifies the
ways to reduce the risk of property damage, injuries, or loss of life
in the event of a natural or human-caused disaster.
According to the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research, the
Safety Element works to “reduce the potential risk of death,
injuries, property damage, and economic and social dislocation
resulting from fires, floods, earthquakes, landslides, and other
hazards.” This Public Safety Element sets forth policies designed
to minimize threats from natural and human-caused hazards. By
implementing the directives of the Public Safety Element, the City
intends to use available planning methods in order to: 1) minimize
risk exposure, 2) provide timely emergency service delivery to all
residents and businesses when the need arises, and 3) maintain
an optimal environment for personal security. While population
growth and changing needs within the community will continue
to place demand on resources, Rosemead is committed to
enhancing the safety of neighborhoods, business districts, and
public places.
The Public Safety Element is one of the required General Plan
elements. The City emphasizes a proactive approach to planning,
which involves identifying and avoiding or mitigating hazards
T
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present in the environment that may adversely affect property and
threaten lives. Government Code Section 65302(g) and Section
65302(f) identify several issues to consider in such planning
efforts, as does California Health and Safety Code Section
56050.1. In Rosemead, safety issues of concern include:
▪ Geologic hazards, including (non-seismic) slope failures;
collapsible, compressible or expansive soils subsidence
due to groundwater pumping; and shallow ground water.
▪ Seismic (earthquake) hazards, including surface fault
rupture, ground shaking, liquefaction effects, and
earthquake-induced slope instabilities; instability’s;
▪ Flooding (inundation) from extreme weather and
seismically induced dam failure;
▪ Urban fires and smoke from wildfires in the region;
▪ Presence of hazardous materials; and
▪ Climate change hazards.
A requirement to address climate change in safety elements was
added through Senate Bill 379 in 2015, which specifies that local
jurisdictions conduct a vulnerability assessment to identify the
risks of climate change, and develop a set of goals, policies, and
objectives to address the identified risks. To meet this
requirement, the City relied on the analysis included in the
Southern California Adaptation Planning Guide (SoCal APG)
prepared by the Southern California Association of Governments
(SCAG, 2020), the City’s adopted Hazard Mitigation Plan (2018),
and the Climate Vulnerability Assessment (CVA) currently being
prepared by the County of Los Angeles. The CVA provides a
countywide analysis of the effects of climate change hazards that
all 88 cities in Los Angeles County can access and use. Climate
vulnerability findings along with the City’s climate adaptation
goals, policies, and actions are provided in this Public Safety
Element.
Fire safety is of growing importance in California. As a result, State
law requires that general plans in high-risk areas, generally at the
wildland urban interface, address wildfire risks. In addition, SB
1035 (2018) requires regular updates to the Safety Element
chapter of the General Plan to address new information regarding
flood and fire hazards, as well as climate change adaptation and
resilience. State law also requires local governments to identify
and evaluate evacuation routes (AB 747, 2019) and to identify
residential developments in hazard areas that do not have at least
two emergency evacuation routes (SB 99, 2019). The City of
Rosemead does not have very high fire severity zones but is still
impacted by wildfires in the region due to smoke and possible
disruptions to transportation, electricity, water emergency
response, and other systems.
Environmental justice is another new topic that must be
addressed in general plans. In 2016, Senate Bill 1000 was signed
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into law which requires local jurisdictions that have
disadvantaged communities to either add a new element or
incorporate environmental justice policies into their general
plans. Environmental justice addresses inequitable exposure to
pollutants and other impacts, and the lack of infrastructure and
amenities to equitably serve vulnerable populations. “Vulnerable
populations” include disadvantaged communities based on
geographic, socioeconomic, public health and environmental
hazards criteria. “Equity” means that all people are justly and
fairly treated according to their circumstances. The City of
Rosemead has disadvantaged communities and has chosen to
incorporate its environmental justice policies into its Public Safety
Element. However, many environmental justice policies are
already addressed throughout the General Plan, as summarized in
Table 5-2.
Geologic, Seismic, and
Flooding Conditions
Introduction and General Setting
The information on the geologic, seismic, and flooding conditions
within and around the City are summarized briefly in this section.
Information is derived from readily available technical documents
that can be referred to for more details as necessary to evaluate
and analyze individual projects; additional technical background
information is presented in Appendix A. Issues due to hazards
arising from the geologic, seismic, and dam failure-induced
flooding conditions in the City are discussed in a following section.
A geologic, seismic, or dam failure-induced flooding event that
would impact a portion of the City has the potential to affect
persons and property in the City. These issues and their potential
impacts are the basis for establishing the goals and policies to
protect lives and property. Discussion is also provided regarding
the buildings and infrastructure most important to the citizens
and City personnel in the event earthquake effects are particularly
severe in the City.
The technical issues summarized in Appendix A must be taken
into account as the City of Rosemead expands, fills in, and
redevelops. Existing building codes and land use planning
requirements can address most of the hazards inherent in the
geologic setting of the City. As newer, more accurate geologic,
soils, and seismic information has been developed since the last
General Plan update, it is now possible to identify many of the
areas in the City vulnerable to natural hazards, and account for the
hazards in future development. Sources for this information range
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from generalized regional reports and maps (including the
previous General Plan Seismic Element) to project-specific
geotechnical and engineering geology reports.
Geology and Soils
Geologic units at and near the ground surface in Rosemead are
presented by Yerkes and Campbell (2005; Figure 5-1). The
southernmost portion of the City abuts the Montebello Hills,
which consist of sandstone, siltstone and conglomerate of the
Fernando formation (map symbol Tf). The remainder of the City,
north of the hills, is underlain by older alluvium (Qof, Qof1, and
Qoa) and younger alluvial fan deposits (Qyf) shed from the
surrounding hills, various young stream wash deposits (Qw, Qyw),
landslide deposits (Qls) associated with the Fernando Formation,
and artificial fill (Qaf) along the freeways and in at least one large
tract development. These geologic units have physical
characteristics that can produce hazards such as landslides,
mudslides, collapsible or expansive soils, subsidence, or shallow
groundwater. Appendix A provides more detailed descriptions of
the geologic units (see Appendix A Table 5-1) and the hazards
associated with the unit characteristics of these geologic units.
Seismicity/Earthquake Groundshaking, and
Faults
Figure 5-2 (Shaw et al., 2002; California Geological Survey [CGS,
formerly the California Division of Mines and Geology- CDMG],
2005) shows the regional faults that would impact the City should
a moderate to large earthquake be generated on any of these
seismic sources within about 25 miles of Rosemead. Earthquakes
resulting in ground shaking characterized by greater than 20
percent the acceleration of gravity (g) can be expected on the
Whittier (magnitude [M] 6.8), Puente Hills (M 7.1), Upper Elysian
Park (M 6.4), Raymond (M 6.5), Sierra Madre (M 7.2), Verdugo
(M 6.9), San Jose (M 6.4), Hollywood (M 6.4), and Clamshell-
Sawpit (M 6.5) faults. The only known active fault at the surface
within the City (Figure 5-3; CDMG, 1991) is the Alhambra Wash
fault (zoned as an Alquist-Priolo Earthquake Fault Zone
[APEFZ]). However, there are several other unnamed fault
segments or suspected faults of unknown age of last movement
mapped across the City (Figure 5-4; Treiman, 1991; Yeats,
2004). Potential seismic/earthquake hazards include surface fault
rupture, ground shaking, earthquake-induced liquefaction
(including lateral spreading and ground failure) and landslides
(shown on Figure 5-5; CDMG, 1999). The City is also underlain
by two buried thrust faults that, although they do not reach the
ground surface, have the potential to cause strong ground shaking
in Rosemead. These hazards and the local earthquake faults are
discussed further in Appendix A.
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Flooding
According to flood maps prepared by the Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA), no part of Rosemead lies within a
100-year or 500-year flood zone. Regional drainage improve-
ments, including historic improvements to the Rubio and
Alhambra Washes, adequately protect the City from flooding
associated with major storm events. FEMA Flood Insurance Rate
Maps (FIRMs) indicate that most of the City is subject to minimal
hazard from flooding (Figure 5-6). State law, as revised in 2007
(AB 162), identifies this as a flood hazard zone, although limited
flood risk is associated with this classification. A small portion of
the City on the south border is an unstudied area and as such
flooding hazards are unknown. Rosemead has an adopted and
FEMA approved flood plain management ordinance that
substantially complies with AB 162.
State law (AB 162) also requires General Plans to identify existing
and planned development in flood hazard zones, including
structures, roads, utilities, and essential public facilities. Flood
hazards in the City were reviewed as a part of the 2018 Hazard
Mitigation Plan Update, with no change to flood risk noted; As
noted above, nearly the entire City is located in an area subject to
minimal flood risk. If new data and information becomes
available, the City will take it into consideration, where necessary.
Refer to Figure 2-1 in the Land Use Element for allowable
development throughout the City, and Figure 4-1 of the Resource
Management Element for utilities (Edison power lines and related
easement). Refer to Figure 5-8 for a map of important facilities,
all of which are located within areas of minimal flooding risk. As
of 2009, awareness floodplain mapping provided by the
Department of Water Resources was not available for the City of
Rosemead.
While general flooding from storm events is not common in
Rosemead’s history, several dams, which continually or
sometimes impound water, have the potential to fail during a large
earthquake and flood portions of the City. These are the Whittier
Narrows Dam, Santa Fe Dam/Reservoir, and Garvey Dam/
Reservoir. Failure of any of these dams during a time when
significant water is impounded could cause inundation of
residences, businesses, and infrastructure. Figure 5-7 (California
Office of Emergency Services, 2009; National Geographic Society,
2003) shows the potential flood areas associated with this
potential hazard, which is discussed further in Appendix A.
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Hazards Due to Human
Activities
Businesses and residents in Rosemead are subject to potential
hazards associated with earthquakes, hazardous materials
incidents, fires, and other conditions that may impact
infrastructure and impede emergency response. Each type of
disaster requires focused planning to minimize the risks to life and
property when a disaster occurs. The period following a disaster is
often very difficult for communities and can be, at times, as
devastating as the disaster itself. Cities that prepare ahead of time
can reduce the fear, confusion, and loss resulting from
catastrophic incidents. Planning efforts need to ensure access to
critical facilities such as police and fire, hospitals and emergency
care facilities, schools, utilities, roadways, and freeways.
Rosemead participates in the Standardized Emergency
Management System (SEMS) that provides a statewide
framework for coordinating multi-agency responses to
emergencies and disasters. The City’s SEMS incorporates mutual
aid agreements with other jurisdictions, establishes lines of
communication during emergencies, and standardizes incident
command structures. The City has also complied with the Federal
Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) requirements to
prepare a disaster mitigation plan in accordance with the Disaster
Mitigation Act of 2000. The plan represents Rosemead’s
commitment to reducing the risk from natural hazards and serves
as a guide for the use of available City resources. This plan also
helps the State provide technical assistance and prioritize project
funding.
Rosemead contracts with the Los Angeles County Sheriff and the
Los Angeles County Fire Department for provision of emergency
response and law enforcement services. This arrangement allows
the City to more readily adjust staffing to meet the changing needs
of businesses and residents. Also, County agencies can easily
provide supplemental responses from any other Sheriff or Fire
Department stations. The County of Los Angeles (LA County)
Office of Emergency Management (OEM) is the lead agency for
the “Operational Area,” which includes all of the independent
cities and special districts in LA County. As the Operation Area
Coordinator, the OEM employs a set of policies, procedures and
practices to ensure an effective response to the most prevalent
local emergencies driven by climate change – namely wildfires,
mudslides in burn areas, drought, heat waves, vector-borne public
health emergencies, sea level rise, and urban flooding. The LA
County OEM works with County departments, cities, and partner
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agencies to increase the capability of the region to mitigate,
prepare for, respond to, and recover from all hazards impacting
the County, including those exacerbated by climate change.
In the event of an emergency requiring evacuation, Rosemead
residents would have multiple options through the existing City
and regional transportation system. Designated evacuation
routes are identified on Figure 5-8. The evacuation route map is
maintained in coordination with the County of Los Angeles.
Rosemead has easy accessibility to several freeways that connect
it to the City to Los Angeles and the larger Los Angeles
metropolitan region. The San Bernardino Freeway (Interstate 10)
runs east-west through the City, and the Pomona Freeway (State
Route 60) runs through the southern portion (see General Plan
Introduction Figure 1-1 and Figure 1-2). Interstate 710 to the
west provides direct access to Long Beach, and Interstate 605 to
the east connects to Huntington Beach. Interstate 210 to the north
provides east-west connection to the San Fernando Valley and the
Inland Empire.
Rosemead Boulevard, Walnut Grove Avenue, San Gabriel
Boulevard, and Del Mar Avenue are the major north-south
roadways within the City. All four major north-south roads
provide connections to Interstate 10. In addition, San Gabriel
Boulevard connects to SR-60 within the southern area of the city.
Valley Boulevard, Garvey Avenue, Graves Avenue, and Rush
Street are the major east-west roadways within the City. These
arterials provide good alternative travel routes to destinations
throughout the San Gabriel Valley.
The road network provides safe and ready access for emergency
equipment and the evacuation of residents during disasters.
Transit evacuations are coordinated through the Los Angeles
County Sheriff’s Department and the California Highway Patrol.
In addition, if needed, the City will reach out to the County EOC
through the Operational Area Response and Recovery System to
request for transit services and buses for evacuation. In the event
of an emergency requiring evacuation, the City is prepared to
provide instructions to residents through the City’s E-Alerts, Nixle
alerts, website, and social media platforms to instruct individuals
on which roadways should be used. Routes would vary based on
the type of emergency and the area affected.
Fire Hazards
Fire hazards, including brush land and structure types, are a
significant problem in Los Angeles County and throughout
California. State law (SB 1241, 2012) requires cities to update their
general plan safety elements to address the risk of fire in State
Responsibility Areas (SRA) and Very High Hazard Fire Hazard
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Severity Zones (VHFHSZ), and to regularly review changing fire
risks (SB 1035, 2018). Rosemead does not have any SRAs or
VHFHSZs within its boundaries. Although Rosemead is an
urbanized community surrounded by other developed
communities, the increase in catastrophic fires within Southern
California has demonstrated that even areas of low fire hazard risk
can experience impacts from extreme fire events. Climate change
plays an increasing role in contributing to these disasters.
Structural fires represent the primary fire hazard in Rosemead.
Structural fires are generally caused by faulty equipment or lack
of knowledge of fire prevention precautions. The potential for fire
hazards increases when flammable and explosive materials are
improperly stored, handled, or used. Planning for adequate fire
protection and suppression in a densely built community like
Rosemead becomes increasingly important due to aging
buildings, and proximity of residences to commercial and
industrial uses.
The County of Los Angeles Fire Department has two fire stations
in Rosemead:
▪ Station 4, located at 2644 N. San Gabriel Boulevard
▪ Station 42, located at 9319 E. Valley Boulevard
As noted above, any County fire unit may respond to incidents in
Rosemead, depending on need and availability. In particular,
special hazardous materials response units from the stations are
available. The City will coordinate with the County Fire
Department to implement fire hazard education and fire
protection programs. In addition, the City will coordinate with
local water districts to ensure water pressure is adequate for
firefighting purposes.
Adequate water flow and pressure is determined through the
application of Regulation No. 8 of the Fire Code. This code sets
standards for new development and existing development.
Hazardous Materials
Commercial and industrial businesses in Rosemead and adjacent
communities use hazardous materials. These businesses include
dry cleaners, film processors, auto service providers, landscape
contractors, and paint shops. Larger businesses can generate, use,
and/or store large quantities of hazardous products. The current
regulatory environment provides a high level of protection from
the hazardous materials manufactured, transported to businesses,
and stored within Rosemead. Federal, State, and County agencies
enforce regulations for hazardous waste generators and users.
According to the California Environmental Protection Agency, as
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of 2006, approximately 49 hazardous waste generators are
located within the City of Rosemead.
Rosemead’s land use pattern generally separates industry from
residential uses. However, commercial freight carriers
transporting hazardous substances along the I-10 and SR-60
freeways, along major truck routes such as Rosemead Boulevard,
or along railways present potential hazards. All motor carriers and
drivers involved in the transportation of hazardous materials
must comply with the requirements of Ffederal and State
regulations, and must apply for and obtain a hazardous materials
transportation license from the California Highway Patrol. When
transporting explosives, inhalation hazards, and highway route-
controlled quantities of radioactive materials, safe routing, and
safe stopping places are required. The City has established truck
routes and, these roadways that must be used by larger trucks and
any vehicle specifically carrying hazardous wastes and materials.
The Los Angeles County Fire Department, Health Hazardous
Materials Division tracks hazardous materials handlers to ensure
appropriate reporting and compliance. The Division inspects
businesses that generate hazardous waste, conducts criminal
investigations, provides site mitigation oversight, and undertakes
emergency response operations. Such inspections reduce risks
associated with exposure to hazardous materials and adverse
environmental effects. The County Fire Department’s Emergency
Operations Section provides 24-hour emergency response
services to hazardous materials incidents. Emergency responders
identify unknown substances, monitor spills and releases for safe
and immediate mitigation, and identify responsible parties for
payment of cleanup costs. The Inspection Division of the Fire
Department’s Emergency Operations section inspects hazardous
material handling and hazardous waste-generating businesses to
assure compliance with applicable laws. Additionally, Inspection
Division staff responds to medical waste emergencies, assists law
enforcement agencies with response to illegal drug labs, and
investigates resident and business complaints.
The City hosts “Household Hazardous Waste Roundup” events
sponsored by the Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County and
the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works. The
County’s Household Hazardous Waste Collection Program
collection events allow residents to dispose of hazardous materials
safely and at no cost to them.
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Statutes and Plans of
Other Agencies
The federal and State governments – in recognition of safety
issues affecting broad geographic areas – have adopted programs
with their public safety planning efforts.
California Building Code
Beginning in 2007, rather than using the Uniform Building Code,
California instead adopted the 2006 International Building Code
(IBC) with substantial local amendments. The IBC is developed
and published by the International Code Council (ICC), which was
formed in 1994 by a merger of the three national building code
publishers. During January and February 2007, the California
Building Standards Commission (http://www.bsc.ca.gov)
adopted, in sections, the 2007 International Building Code (IBC).
The new California Building Code (CBC) became effective July 1,
2006, and local codes were adopted 180 days later. The State
adopts a set of new construction codes every three years. Effective
January 1, 2008, all new construction in Rosemead must be done
in accordance with the 2007 CBC.
The California Building Standards Code is a compilation of three
types of building standards from three different origins:
▪ Building standards that have been adopted by State
agencies without change from building standards
contained in national model codes;
▪ Building standards that have been adopted and adapted
from national model codes to address California’s ever-
changing conditions; and
▪ Building standards, authorized by the California
legislature, that constitute amendments not covered by
national model codes, that have been created and adopted
to address particular California concerns.
The 2007 California Building Code (CBC) is a fully integrated code based
on the 2006 International Building Code. Part 2 now also includes Title
24, Part 8 (California Historical Building Code) and Title 24, Part 10
(California Existing Building Code). The California Building
Standards Code is comprised of twelve parts that incorporate
public health and safety standards used in the design and
construction of buildings in California. The codes also include
standards for historic buildings, energy efficiency and access
compliance for persons with disabilities. Structures such as dams
and freeways fall under criteria developed by various State and
Federal agencies. The City of Rosemead has adopted and currently
enforces the 2019 California Building Code as amended by Title 26
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Los Angeles County Building Code (adopted November 26, 2019,
by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors), together with
their appendices.
Alquist-Priolo Earthquake Fault Zoning
Act
The 1972 Alquist-Priolo Earthquake Fault Zoning Act seeks to
mitigate the hazard of fault rupture by prohibiting the placement
of structures for human occupancy across the trace of an active
fault. The State Geologist is required to compile maps that
delineate earthquake fault zones (AP zones) along faults that are
"sufficiently active" and "well defined." Cities and counties are
responsible before issuing building permits for a Project to assure
that a geologic investigation is performed to demonstrate that
proposed buildings will not be constructed across active faults.
The fault evaluation and written report for the specific site must
be prepared by a geologist registered in the State of California. If
an active fault is found, a structure for human occupancy cannot
be placed over the trace of the fault and must be set back a safe
distance from the fault. A Project is carefully defined, but
generally includes all land divisions and most structures for
human occupancy, although some exceptions are allowed and
local agencies can be more restrictive than state law requires. An
AP zone map has been compiled by the State Geologist for the City
of Rosemead area (CDMG, El Monte Quadrangle, 1991; Figure
5-3) and defines an AP zone for the Alhambra Wash fault within
the City.
Seismic Hazards Mapping Act
California’s 1990 Seismic Hazards Mapping Act (http://www.
consrv.ca.gov/cgs/shzp) requires the State Geologist (CGS) to
compile maps identifying and describing seismic hazard zones in
California, with emphasis given to the urbanized areas in Los
Angeles, Ventura and Orange counties in southern California, and
Alameda, San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties in
northern California. Seismic hazards considered include
amplified shaking due to local geological or geotechnical
conditions, liquefaction, and earthquake-induced landslides.
Guidelines prepared by the State Mining and Geology Board
identify the responsibilities of State and local agencies in the
review of development within seismic hazard zones. Development
on a site that has been designated as a seismic hazard zone
requires a geotechnical report and local agency consideration of
the policies and criteria established by the Mining and Geology
Board. A seismic hazard zones map (Figure 5-5) delineates the
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areas within or near Rosemead that may be susceptible to
liquefaction and earthquake-induced landslides.
Unreinforced Masonry Building Law
In 1986, California enacted a law that required local governments
in Seismic Zone 4 to inventory unreinforced masonry (URM)
buildings, to establish a URM loss-reduction program and report
progress to the state by 1990. Each local government can tailor its
program to its own specifications to allow for each jurisdiction to
take political, economic, and social priorities into account. This
law requires 366 local governments in the highest Seismic Zone 4
to:
▪ Inventory URM buildings within each jurisdiction.
▪ Establish loss reduction programs for URM buildings by
1990.
▪ Report progress to the California Seismic Safety
Commission.
In addition, the law recommends that local governments:
▪ Adopt mandatory strengthening programs by ordinance.
▪ Establish seismic retrofit standards.
▪ Enact measures to reduce the number of occupants in
URM buildings.
California’s Seismic Safety Commission (2006) monitors local
government efforts to comply with this law and reports to the
state’s Legislature. The City of Rosemead had seven URMs; five
have been strengthened and two were demolished. The City is in
compliance with mitigation requirements.
National Flood Insurance Program
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
administers the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).
Participating jurisdictions must exercise land use controls and
purchase flood insurance as a prerequisite for receiving funds to
purchase or build a structure in a flood hazard area. Rosemead has
participated in the program since 1979 and as of 2007, no special
flood hazard areas have been identified in the City. The NFIP
provides federal flood insurance subsidies and federally financed
loans for eligible property owners in flood- prone areas. Rosemead
is identified on the National Flood Insurance Program’s Flood
Insurance Rate Maps as being within Zone X and D, an area
outside the 100- and 500-year flood zones, and thus subject to
minimal flooding. Nevertheless, nearly 25 percent of the flood
claims received by FEMA on an annual basis occurred in areas
outside the 100- and 500-year flood zones. Associated hazards in
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hillside areas and at the base of hills or bluffs can include severe
erosion, mudflows and debris flows.
Standardized Emergency Management
System (SEMS)
All cities in California are required to adopt a SEMS plan to
establish procedures and responsibilities of various City staff in
the event of an emergency. A SEMS Plan allows cities to quickly
respond to any large-scale disaster that requires a multi-agency
and multi-jurisdictional response.
National Incident Management System
(NIMS)
NIMS is the federal equivalent to the SEMS response plan. The
Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (OES) is the lead agency
for the adoption, promotion, and implementation of NIMS.
Federal Disaster Mitigation Act of
2000
The Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 requires state and local
governments to prepare mitigation plans to document their
mitigation planning process, and identify hazards, potential
losses, mitigation needs, goals, and strategies. This type of
planning supplements the City’s General Plan and emergency
management planning programs. provided a new set of mitigation
plan requirements that emphasize State and local jurisdictions to
coordinate disaster mitigation planning and implementation. States are
encouraged to complete a “Standard” or an “Enhanced” Natural
Mitigation Plan. “Enhanced” plans demonstrate increased coordination
of mitigation activities at the State level, and if completed and approved,
will increase the amount of funding through the Hazard Mitigation Grant
Program. California recently updated its State Hazard Mitigation Plan
which will require approval by the Federal Emergency Management
Agency (FEMA) by October 8, 2007. The State of California Plan was
adopted on October 7, 2007 and approved by FEMA Region IX on
December 17, 2007.
The City adopted an update to its Hazard Mitigation Plan
(Mitigation Plan) in 2018 in response to the Disaster Mitigation
Act. The Mitigation Plan is a federally mandated update to the
City of Rosemead 2012 Hazard Mitigation Plan and ensures
continuing eligibility for Hazard Mitigation Grant Program
(HMGP) funding. Part I of the Hazard Mitigation Plan documents
the mitigation planning process including how it was developed,
the planning timeframe, and who was involved in drafting the
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document. In Part II, the Mitigation Plan provides information
on hazard identification, vulnerability and risk associated with
hazards in the City, and describes the hazards posing a significant
threat to the City. Part III identifies mitigation strategies
including the goals, community capabilities, and priority setting
methods, and Part IV includes appendices with additional
information.
The City of Rosemead utilized the categorization of hazards as
identified in California’s State Hazard Mitigation Plan including:
Earthquakes, Floods, Levee Failures, Wildfires, Landslides and
Earth Movements, Tsunami, Climate-related hazards, Volcanoes,
and Other hazards. The Mitigation Plan includes information on
previous occurrences of hazard events and the probability of
future events; Earthquake and Flooding were identified as
“Moderate” probability hazards, Windstorm as a “High”
probability hazard, and Dam Failure as a “Low” probability
hazard.
As stated in the Mitigation Plan, a vulnerability assessment “is a
simultaneous look at the geographical location of hazards and an
inventory of the underlying land uses (populations, structures,
etc.). Facilities that provide critical and essential services
following a major emergency are of particular concern because
these locations house staff and equipment necessary to provide
important public safety, emergency response, and/or disaster
recovery functions.” The Mitigation Plan assessment references
the City’s General Plan and uses demographic and land use data
to help identify present day and future vulnerabilities. The core of
the Mitigation Plan is the Mitigation Strategy which outlines the
City' s blueprint for reducing the potential losses identified in the
risk assessment, based on existing authorities, policies, programs,
and resources, and its ability to expand on and improve these
existing tools.
The Mitigation Plan provides valuable information to understand
potential climate change vulnerability, since climate change
impacts tend to exacerbate existing vulnerabilities. However, the
Mitigation Plan does not specifically address climate change. As
such, the 2021 Public Safety Element technical update
summarizes the key findings of the Mitigation Plan, provides the
climate vulnerability assessment and adaptation policies required
by State law, and incorporates the Mitigation Plan into the
General Plan by reference. A more detailed vulnerability analysis
related to climate change is provided below.
USA PATRIOT Act
Signed into law on October 26, 2001, the USA PATRIOT Act
expanded the authority of U.S. law enforcement. The Act included
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the identification of federal crimes for attacks on public
transportation and the use of biological weapons, and increased
government surveillance powers to track activities related to
homeland security and terrorism.
Relationship to Other General Plan
Elements
The Public Safety Element relates most closely to the Land Use
Element. Policies and plans in the Public Safety Element are
designed to protect existing and planned land uses from specific
types of hazards. Table 5.2 below provides additional details on
how the Public Safety Element relates to the rest of the General
Plan with respect to Environmental Justice.
Issues, Goals, and
Policies
Certain human activities and natural conditions discussed in the
Public Safety Element create hazards in Rosemead. These hazards
in turn pose risks to individuals and properties that affect how we
may develop and use property. Risk from such hazards can be
reduced or avoided by recognizing the hazards and adopting and
implementing land use and emergency response policies that
provide the degree of protection the community desires.
These goals, policies, and implementation actions focus on:
1) reducing risks from natural hazards; 2) preparing for
emergency situations; and 3) reducing risks from hazards
associated with hazardous materials.
Natural Hazards
This section presents information on hazards related to geologic
and soil units, active and potentially active faults, earthquakes,
secondary seismic effects (e.g., liquefaction and dam inundation
flooding) that affect policy and long-range planning in the City of
Rosemead.
Geology and Soil Hazards
Geotechnical and engineering geology reports prepared for
development and re-development projects in the City are required
to identify geologic and soil hazards, as well as routine geologic
and soils conditions important to the design and construction of
the project (Figure 5-1). These reports are required to undergo
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review by qualified professional engineers and geologists to assure
that the information, results, conclusions, and recommendations
meet the state of the professional practice. Primary hazards
considered are landslides, mudflows, general slope instability,
unstable soils due to expansion or consolidation, subsidence, and
shallow groundwater. Where these hazards are present, damage
to structures and potentially serious injuries to individuals can
occur. Proper mitigation of these hazards is required to prevent or
reduce the potential damage to structures, injuries, and the loss of
life. The City Planning, Building and Safety, and Public Works
Departments shall continue to collectively assure that proper
reports are prepared, reviewed, and approved in accordance with
City, County, State, and Federal guidelines, as applicable.
Seismic/Earthquake Ground Shaking Hazards
As discussed above, there are eleven known faults within about 30
miles of Rosemead (shown on Figure 5-2) that pose an
earthquake ground shaking hazard to the City of Rosemead.
Standard construction (e.g., residential, commercial, industrial) is
governed by the California Building Code (currently the 2007
version) and the City must adopt measures necessary to assure
that these codes are followed. Knowledge of the sedimentary basin
depth and geometry beneath the City of Rosemead are important
for the proper estimation of earthquake ground motions.
The expected moment magnitudes and median peak horizontal
ground accelerations shown in Appendix A are for planning
purposes; individual projects require site-specific design
earthquake determinations depending upon the uses associated
with the project and whether the project is considered an essential
services facility or other type of important structure. Projects in
the City may fall within the jurisdiction of County, State, or
Federal agencies (e.g., Caltrans, Division of the State Architect,
and the Federal Emergency Management Agency) with more or
less stringent earthquake design criteria. It is the responsibility of
the City to protect the lives and property of the citizens of
Rosemead by submitting input to these agencies to assure, to the
maximum degree possible, their consideration for the application
of the proper earthquake design factors.
Active and Potentially Active Surface Fault
Rupture Hazard
Total damage/collapse of structures and severe injury can result if
surface rupture occurs beneath or in the immediate vicinity of a
building. Based on the geologic, seismic, groundwater, and
tectonic/fault studies that have been conducted to date within and
adjacent to the City of Rosemead. it is concluded that: 1) the
Alhambra Wash fault (a trace of Whittier fault as is the East
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Montebello fault) is the only known active surface fault crossing
the City and studies required by the APEFZ Act (Figure 5-3) are
necessary; 2) the northwest- trending escarpment of Bullard and
Lettis (1993), and various aerial photograph lineaments described
by Treiman (1991; Figure 5-4), should be considered as
potentially active faults with 200-foot wide “fault hazard
management zones” (FHMZs) requiring special investigation on a
case-by-case basis for new or significantly modified “important”
facilities (defined below), and 3) the northwest trending
groundwater barrier (CDWR, 1966) in east-central Rosemead is
not considered to be active and is not included with a FHMZ.
Secondary Seismic Hazards
Local geological conditions may create additional hazards
associated with seismic activity. Large and moderate earthquakes
produce ground-shaking effects that may result in ground failure.
Figure 5-5 shows areas susceptible to seismically induced
liquefaction. In locations where shallow groundwater levels and
loose, unconsolidated soils occur together, a condition called
liquefaction can occur, when the area is subjected to strong
ground shaking. Soils that liquefy lose the ability to support
structures; buildings may sink or tilt, with the potential for
extensive structural damage. Liquefaction presents the most
prominent secondary earthquake ground failure issue in
Rosemead. Seismically induced landslides have the potential to
occur in a limited area in the south of Rosemead, but proper
geotechnical investigation and mitigation will minimize these
secondary seismic hazards. Liquefaction-related lateral spreads
can occur adjacent to stream channels and deep washes that
provide a free face toward which the liquefied mass of soil fails.
Lateral spreads can cause extensive damage to pipelines, utilities,
bridges, roads and other structures.
California law (Seismic Hazard Mapping Act) requires
identification of liquefaction-susceptible zones, where the
dynamic (under seismic conditions) stability of the foundation
soils must be investigated, and seismically induced landslide
zones, where the stability of hill slopes must be evaluated. Within
these areas, geologic studies must be completed and
countermeasures undertaken in the design and construction of
important infrastructure and buildings for human occupancy.
California law also requires disclosure of these hazards as a part
of all real estate transactions within the identified areas. The City
shall continue to 1) apply the State seismic hazard zoning
regulations at the earliest possible stage in the development
process, 2) identify these hazards at the project development
permit stage to assure proper design measures are implemented,
and 3) inform at an early stage applicants planning to develop
heavy structures or structures over two stories that the areas with
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historic high groundwater less than 30 feet deep are most
susceptible to liquefaction and lateral spread landslides where
adjacent to channel-type slopes.
Dam Inundation Flooding Hazards
Rosemead does not have natural floodplain areas, although it is
bordered by the Rio Hondo in its eastern and southeastern
extremes. Dam failure can be caused by strong earthquake ground
shaking or a seiche event, erosion, improper siting and/or design,
and rapidly rising floodwaters during heavy storms. Such a dam
failure can be instantaneous or gradual, depending on many
factors (e.g., the cause and dams building materials). Resulting
release of water can also be instantaneous or gradual, with either
situation potentially causing injuries, loss of life, property
damage, displacement of persons residing within the inundation
path, and damage to infrastructure. Portions of the City are
located within dam inundation areas for the Whittier Narrows
Dam, Santa Fe Dam/Reservoir, and Garvey Dam/Reservoir
(Figure 5-6). Given the City’s distance from the Pacific Ocean, it’s
exposure to tsunami hazards resulting from offshore earthquakes
is nil.
Natural Hazard-Related Goals and Policies
The overarching natural hazard related goal is stated below to
provide the basic purpose and strategy adopted by the City of
Rosemead to address safety concerns posed by natural hazards.
Goal 1 has several policies that are more specific guidelines and
tactics that will be used to meet Goal 1. Finally, implementation
actions, the specific steps to be taken to satisfy the goal and
policies, are presented in a subsequent section.
Underlying Goal 1 is the precept that all buildings and structures
in the City of Rosemead should conform to the appropriate
building standards in order to protect every citizen to the degree
practical. In consideration of certain hazard zones referred to in
the Safety Element, the City has defined the category “Important”
building or structure in considering new or substantially
refurbished existing facilities that should receive increased
consideration for geologic, soil, seismic/earthquake, and flood
hazard avoidance. An important facility, which would not apply to
existing buildings of the types described below unless substantial
refurbishment were proposed, would be defined by the City
Community Development Planning Director, the City Engineer,
and the City Building Official for each case, as appropriate. In
general, “Important” would include, but not necessarily be limited
to:
(1) One whose function is judged as essential following a
severe natural hazard such as an earthquake, e.g.,
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police, fire, City communications center, and hospitals,
in order to provide for the safety and well- being of the
citizens of Rosemead;
(2) A structure that is critical to the City’s recovery
following a severe earthquake, i.e., key transportation/
evacuation routes, bridges, over/underpasses,
electrical substations and towers, natural gas/fuel
pipelines;
(3) Structures that may be sensitive to earthquake hazards
(e.g., liquefaction and ground shaking), e.g., buildings
greater than 2-stories, pre-1971 tilt-ups, non-
retrofitted buildings, soft-story construction, non-
ductile reinforced concrete, and parking garages; and
(4) Buildings that may have significant populations,
and/or high-population densities, i.e., schools/pre-
schools, nursing homes, and locations with limited
mobility populations.
Goal 1: The City of Rosemead will act in cooperation
with federal, State, and County agencies
responsible for the enforcement of planning
statutes, environmental laws, and building
codes to minimize, to the extent practical,
risks to people and property damage, risks
related economic and social disruption, and
other impacts resulting from 1) geologic and
soil hazards, 2) seismic hazards including
primary and secondary effects of seismic
shaking, fault rupture, and other earthquake-
induced ground deformation in Rosemead,
and 3) dam failure-induced flood and
inundation hazards, while reducing the
disaster recovery time due to hazard incidents
in Rosemead. The City of Rosemead will
continue using consider undertaking a
HAZUS-based loss estimation analysis to
more fully quantify potential physical damage,
economic loss, and social impacts from these
events.
Policy 1.1: Geology and Soil Hazards
a. Encourage development in low hazards areas
and implement actions that minimize changes to
the natural topography and drainages, while
protecting public safety and reducing potential
property damage due to geologic and soil hazards
through the use of proper design and
construction techniques.
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b. Assure that all aspects of the geotechnical and
engineering geology evaluation process
(planning, investigation, analysis, reporting,
review, construction, and operations) for new
development and redevelopment are conducted,
and independently reviewed, by qualified
professionals.
Policy 1.2: Earthquake and Fault Hazards
a. Minimize the exposure of people and property to
primary and secondary earthquake-related
hazards, while allowing properly designed
projects to be developed in appropriate
locations.
b. Assure that all aspects of the earthquake, fault
rupture, liquefaction, and related seismic hazard
evaluation process (planning, investigation,
analysis, reporting, review, construction, and
operations) for new development and redevelop-
ment are conducted, and independently
reviewed, by qualified professionals.
Policy 1.3: Flood Hazards
a. Minimize development of Important Facilities in
areas with potential for flood inundation to the
extent possible in order to protect public safety
and reduce potential property damage due to
dam failure-induced flooding. Maintain the
structural and operational integrity of essential
public facilities during flooding.
b. Assure that all aspects of the dam failure
flood/inundation evaluation process (planning,
investigation, analysis, reporting, review,
construction, and operations) for new
development and redevelopment are conducted,
and independently reviewed, by qualified
professionals.
c. Minimize the risks of flooding to new
development. Carefully evaluate whether new
development should be located in a flood prone
area or potential dam inundation area, and
identify construction methods or other methods
to minimize damage if new development is
located in these areas.
d. Establish cooperative working relationships
among public agencies with responsibility for
flood protection.
Policy 1.4: Disaster Preparedness and Communication
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a. Create and maintain emergency preparedness
and evacuation plans; create public
information/education programs to help assure
coordinated response, recovery, and mitigation
efforts carried out by the City and other
governmental agencies.
b. Foster cooperation with neighboring cities and
agencies to enhance mutual aid opportunities
following natural hazard events.
Hazards Due to Human Activities
Goal 2: Ensure safety of all City residents and local
workers from hazardous wastes and the
hazards associated with the transport of such
wastes.
Policy 2.1: Work with the Los Angeles County Fire Department
to identify and maintain an up-to- date database of
all producers, users, and transporters of hazardous
materials and wastes.
Policy 2.2: Strictly enforce the use of designated truck routes for
vehicles transporting hazardous materials (Figure
5-8).
Policy 2.3: Support, develop and participates in safety hazard
awareness programs that provide for the safe and
efficient collection and disposal of household
hazardous wastes.
Policy 2.4: Review in detail any industrial development
proposed to be located adjacent to a residential use
to ensure that necessary safeguards are included to
minimize the risk to residential uses. Safeguards
may include, for example, appropriate siting of
buildings and loading areas, on-site emergency
response equipment or supplies, and barrier walls.
Fire Protection and Law Enforcement
The Los Angeles County Fire Department provides service from
two stations in Rosemead.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department serves the City of
Rosemead from the nearby Temple Station. In addition to
providing patrol and investigative services, the Sheriff offers a
broad range of support services, including Neighborhood Watch
coordination, community education programs, drug prevention
education for school children, and homeland security. A key crime
prevention program the Department runs is the Community/Law
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Enforcement Partnership Program, or CLEPP. Sheriff’s Depart-
ment staff shall help communities mobilize and organize against
gangs, drugs, and violence by working through schools,
community-based organizations, local businesses, churches,
residents, and local governments.
Goal 3: Provide high levels of public safety,
emergency response, and law enforcement
services.
Policy 3.1: Ensure that current applicable building codes and
fire codes are maintained and implemented.
Policy 3.2: Include the Fire Department in the review process of
proposed projects to ensure that fire prevention and
suppression features have been considered in the
overall design.
Policy 3.3: Require that any structures identified as deficient in
fire protection or lacking adequate suppression
devices make recommended improvements in a time
frame established by the Fire Department.
Policy 3.4: Work with local water service providers to ensure
that private water distribution and supply facilities
have adequate capacity to meet both the water
supply needs of the community and required fire
flows. Service planning should include methods to
address earthquake-induced damage to water
storage and distribution facilities.
Policy 3.5: Provide for all street signs and property address
signs to be clearly marked and visible to emergency
personnel.
Policy 3.6: Annually assess the level and quality of services
provided by the County Sheriff and County Fire
Departments, and adjust the service levels as needed
to meet changing community needs.
Policy 3.7: Take full advantage of community policing,
education, and crime prevention programs available
through the County Sheriff’s Department.
Policy 3.8: Incorporate crime prevention considerations into
the development project review process, where
applicable.
Policy 3.9: Develop and implement a periodic inspection
program for multi-family units over three units and
mixed-use projects.
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Policy 3.10: Continue to coordinate with Los Angeles County for
nsider the adoption of a citywide emergency
evacuation planning and the American Red Cross for
emergency shelter planning needs.
Policy Map and Plan
Rosemead’s approach to mitigating public safety hazards and
reducing loss of life, injury, and property damage in the City
focuses on emergency preparedness. The policies contained in this
element include requirements that the City maintain an up-to-
date regional emergency response system, procedures for
educating the public about the importance of emergency
preparedness, and programs to ensure that emergency equipment
and supplies are maintained to adequately meet the needs of the
City in an emergency situation.
Implementation of the goals and policies in this Element will have
the beneficial effect of reducing potential fire hazards in the City.
The replacement of older, deteriorating structures and the
requirement that owners maintain their properties and
incorporate of up-to-date fire-suppression devices in structures
will reduce the occurrence of structural fires in the City.
Figure 5-8 identifies designated hazardous materials transport
routes and evacuation routes, as well as fire stations, medical
facilities, and potential emergency centers. The City has identified
local schools as potential sites for emergency centers. Having
recommended sites will expedite the time necessary to set up
emergency centers such as shelters.
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Implementation
Actions
Natural Hazard Safety
Goal 1: The City of Rosemead will act in cooperation
with federal, State, and County agencies
responsible for the enforcement of planning
statutes, environmental laws, and building
codes to minimize, to the extent practical,
risks to people and property damage, risks
related to economic and social disruption, and
other impacts resulting from 1) geologic and
soil hazards, 2) seismic hazards, including
primary and secondary effects of seismic
shaking, fault rupture, and other earthquake-
induced ground deformation in Rosemead,
and 3) dam failure-induced flood and
inundation hazards, while reducing the
disaster recovery time due to hazard incidents
in Rosemead. The City of Rosemead will
consider undertaking a HAZUS-based loss
estimation analysis to more fully quantify
potential physical damage, economic loss, and
social impacts from these events.
Action 1.1 Review County and special district capital
improvement plans for consistency with the seismic
safety policies governing the location of critical
public facilities.
Action 1.2 Inspect critical public facilities for structural
integrity, and require correction as necessary.
Action 1.3 Require all private roads to conform to the existing
City standards concerning safety and the movement
of emergency vehicles.
Action 1.4 Develop a public information program on, hazard
prevention and disaster response and disseminate
information on public safety to all residents and
businesses in the City on a regular basis.
Action 1.5 Create a website or link on the City of Rosemead
website that includes links to readily available
published geologic, soil, and earthquake hazard
maps covering the City, and links to the City statutes,
plans, and codes governing development and re-
development projects. Use the site to communicate
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to the public information about geologic and soil,
seismic, and dam inundation flood hazards and City
requirements, including but not limited to a) specify
sources to identify licensed professionals such as
California Registered Geotechnical Engineers and
Certified Engineering Geologists, b) seismic design
and construction requirements for individuals and
developers applicable to new and existing property
improvements, c) City emergency preparedness
plans, and d) home- or business-based emergency
preparedness procedures and resources.
Action 1.6 Identify evacuation routes and update on a regular
basis the Emergency Preparedness and Evacuation
Plan (as required by Government Code Section
65302) that addresses structural hazards, landslides
and slope stability, liquefaction, inundation from
dam failure, seismic activity, and other natural
disasters.
Action 1.7 Encourage only the minimum grading necessary to
create suitably sized and safe building areas.
Action 1.8 Avoid grading and development that requires filling
natural drainages or changing natural surface water
flow patterns.
Action 1.9 As required by law and statute, the City shall
implement applicable federal, State, and County
regulations related to geologic and soils
investigations, analyses, designs, and construction,
including but not limited to implementing the most
up-to-date California Building Code (CBC)
provisions regarding lateral forces (Chapter 23) and
grading (Chapter 70), and incorporate and adopt
Los Angeles County amendments to the CBC.
Action 1.10 Require proper geotechnical and engineering
geological investigations and reports that address
and evaluate necessary analyses of (for example) soil
foundation conditions (i.e., expansivity, collapse,
seismic settlement), slope stability, surface and
subsurface water, and provide necessary design
recommendations for grading and site stability, such
as excavation, fill placement, and stabilization or
remediation measures.
Action 1.11 Require routine inspection of grading operations by
properly qualified City representatives to assure site
safety and compatibility with approved plans and
specifications.
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Action 1.12 Regularly review the technical data on public safety,
seismic safety, and flooding safety for use in the
planning process and undertake revisions or
updates to the Public Safety Element as needed.
Action 1.13 Enact ordinances for the evaluation and abatement
of structural hazards (i.e., parapet ordinance and
hazardous building ordinance requiring repair,
rehabilitation, or demolition of hazardous structures
following structural evaluation). As appropriate,
prepare multi-lingual materials that discuss
hazardous structures and provide suggestions for
the mitigation of structural hazards.
Action 1.14 Required geological studies shall be conducted by
California Certified Engineering Geologists
following the guidelines published by the California
Geological Survey and the State Mining and Geology
Board, and geotechnical studies shall be conducted
by California Registered Geotechnical Engineers.
Action 1.15 Required liquefaction assessment studies shall be
conducted in accordance with (a) the California
Geological Survey’s Special Publication 117:
Guidelines for Evaluating and Mitigating Seismic
Hazards in California, (b) the Southern California
Earthquake Center’s (1999 or subsequent document,
as amended) procedures to implement Special
Publication 117.
Liquefaction Hazards, and (c) the Earthquake
Engineering Research Center’s Report No. EERC-
2003-6; Recent Advances in Soil Liquefaction
Engineering: A Unified and Consistent Framework.
Required slope stability analyses shall be conducted
in accordance with California Geological Survey’s
Special Publication 117: Guidelines for Evaluating
and Mitigating Seismic Hazards in California, and
the Southern California Earthquake Center’s (2002
or subsequent document, as amended) guidelines
for evaluating and mitigating landslide hazards.
Action 1.16 As required by law and statute, the City shall
implement applicable federal, State, and County
regulations related to earthquake hazard investiga-
tions, analyses, designs, and construction, including
but not limited to the adoption of applicable sections
of the current California Building Code and the
County of Los Angeles Geotechnical Guidelines, and
compliance with the State Alquist-Priolo
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Earthquake Fault Zoning Act and the Seismic
Hazards Mapping Act requirements.
Action 1.17 Ensure that no structure for human occupancy,
other than single-family wood-frame and steel-
frame dwellings that are less than three stories and
are not part of a development of four units or more,
shall be permitted within fifty feet of an active fault
trace as defined by geologic investigations
conducted in accordance with the intent of the
Alquist-Priolo Earthquake Fault Zoning Act, and the
guidelines contained in the California geological
survey notes 48 and 49.
Action 1.18 Encourage most new construction in areas with a
minimum of identified earthquake-related and
flood-related hazards.
Action 1.19 Minimize to the maximum extent practical the
construction of important structures (e.g., critical,
essential, sensitive, and high-occupancy buildings
and critical infrastructure) within known, or
suspected earthquake-related hazard zones.
Action 1.20 The City shall require geologic and seismic studies as
part of Important Facilities development proposals
within established 200-foot wide Fault Hazard
Management Zones (FHMZ) along possible or
suspected fault-related features (100-feet on either
side) identified in the State Fault Evaluation Report
222 (Treiman, 1991; as shown on Figure 5-3), in
other peer-reviewed reports (e.g., Bullard and Lettis,
1993), and in future City fault hazard management
zone study reports (as applicable). Within the FHMZ
along the escarpment of Bullard and Lettis (1993)
investigations shall be conducted for facilities as
required under the Alquist-Priolo Earthquake Fault
Zoning Act (APEFZ) only if new data are developed
for an Important Facility investigation in this FHMZ
or from some outside study (e.g., California
Geological Survey, U. S. Geological Survey, or the
Southern California Earthquake Center) that
indicates this escarpment is sufficiently active to
require such APEFZ-level investigations.
Investigation and reporting requirements for
FHMZs shall mirror those for Alquist-Priolo
Earthquake Fault Zones and California Geological
Survey Notes 48 and 49. FHMZs shall be updated
periodically based on the results of studies
conducted in the City, which may cause the FHMZs
to bethe expanded, reduced, or removed.
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Action 1.21 Where construction of important structures (e.g.,
critical, essential, sensitive, and high-occupancy
buildings and critical infrastructure) within known,
or suspected earthquake-related hazard zones is
proposed, require proper geotechnical and
engineering geology investigations and reports that
include necessary analyses of (for example) strong
ground shaking, fault rupture, liquefaction, lateral
spreading, ground subsidence and slope instability,
and that provide necessary design recommendations
for grading and site stability, such as building
setbacks, special foundation considerations,
dewatering, ground improvement, and other
stabilization or remediation measures.
Action 1.22 Require routine and special inspection of
investigation sites (e.g., fault exploration trenches)
and grading operations by properly qualified City
representatives to assure scientifically adequate
methods, site safety, and compatibility with
approved plans and specifications.
Action 1.23 The City shall monitor engineering and scientific
studies affecting development or redevelopment in
areas of known or suspected earthquake-related
hazards that may impact the City, and shall ensure
that site-specific data, up-to-date geologic
knowledge, and expert peer (independent third
party) review are incorporated into the planning,
design, construction, and inspection stages of
important project structures (e.g., critical, essential,
sensitive, and high-occupancy buildings and critical
infrastructure).
Action 1.24 As required by law and statute, the City shall
implement, where applicable, federal, State, and
County regulations related to hydrology and flood
investigations, analyses, designs, and construction,
including but not limited to continued participation
in the National Flood Insurance Program.
Action 1.25 Minimize to the maximum extent practical the
construction of Important Facilities (e.g., critical,
essential, sensitive, and high-occupancy buildings
and critical infrastructure) within potential dam
failure-induced flood/inundation areas.
Action 1.26 Require proper hydrology and flooding
investigations and reports that include necessary
analyses of (for example) pre- and post-
development flow characteristics, changes to surface
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drainage network, potential environmental impacts
on existing development down-gradient from new
construction in upstream areas, and adequacy of
current and proposed culverts, debris basins, and
storm drain systems.
Action 1.27 As appropriate, require new development to be
designed to provide protection from potential
impacts of flooding resulting from dam inundation,
consistent with evolving State and federal guidelines
and the City’s flood plain management ordinance,
and as directed by the City Engineer.
Action 1.28 Assess the level of impact on existing public facilities
if flooding was to occur. Develop strategies to
minimize impacts and provide continued operation
of essential public facilities.
Action 1.29 Consult with public agencies that have responsibility
for flood protection including but not limited to the
Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Army
Corps of Engineers, the California Department of
Water Resources, the California Office of Emergency
Services, the Los Angeles Flood Control District, and
the Metropolitan Water District of Southern
California regarding data, flood hazard zones, best
practices, and emergency response.
Action 1.30 Consistent with Government Code Section
65302(a), annually review those areas covered by
the General Plan that are subject to flooding
identified by flood plain mapping prepared by the
Federal Emergency Management Agency or the
California Department of Water Resources.
Action 1.31 Establish procedures for reviewing subdivisions and
other development permit applications to ensure
safety from seismic and geologic hazards, including
liquefaction areas, slope stability, and ground
shaking zones. The City shall retain a California
certified engineering geologist(s) and a California
registered geotechnical engineer(s), either on staff
or on a contract basis, to review all engineering
geologic and geotechnical studies and grading
operations for new development or redevelopment,
including but not limited to geotechnical
evaluations, liquefaction studies, and fault rupture
evaluations. Each reviewer shall have a minimum of
10 years of practical experience in their respective
fields, shall be independent of development work
being conducted in the City within 12 months before
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or after the subject reviews, and shall otherwise not
have a conflict-of-interest regarding the project or
the project participants.
Action 1.32 The City recognizes the need to consider the latest
state-of-knowledge related to the earthquake
analysis and considerations for the design of
structures and facilities pursuant to the current
version of the California Building Code. Knowledge
of the sedimentary basin depth and geometry
beneath the City of Rosemead are important for the
proper estimation of earthquake ground motions. In
addition to the amplifications and resonances
caused by shallow softer alluvium, there are
complex interactions between the three-
dimensional geometry of the basin and the seismic
waves that have been shown to increase the
amplitude and duration of shaking during an
earthquake. Interactions may focus the wave energy
to a surface location from the bottom of the basin
leading to a concentration of intensity of shaking in
small regions. Likewise, the edges of basins appear
to trap incoming seismic waves, thereby increasing
the duration of shaking in the basin. Basin depth and
geometry can be estimated using tools available
through the Southern California Earthquake Center
(SCEC) website, which will assist developers and
City building officials in ensuring compliance with
the 2-percent in 50-years event requirements in the
2007 CBC. Other information important to proper
code compliance includes consideration of
(a) distant large duration/large magnitude
earthquakes, (b) recently developed Next
Generation Attenuation (NGA) relationships, (c)
ongoing updates to U.S. Geological Survey and
California Geological Survey databases. The City is
committed to assist in providing access to these tools
and databases to enhance the public safety in
Rosemead.
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Human Activities
Hazard Safety
Goal 2: Ensure the safety of all City residents and
workers from hazardous wastes and the
hazards associated with the transport of such
wastes.
Action 2.1 Coordinate with the Los Angeles County Fire
Department’s Health Hazardous Materials Division
to identify and mitigate hazardous materials
dangers.
Action 2.2 Enforce the use of designated routes for truck travel
with signage, information provided to businesses
and coordination with Sheriff’s Department staff.
Action 2.3 Require that producers, users, and transporters of
hazardous materials comply with State and federal
regulations requiring identification of these
materials on signs posted on the exterior of buildings
or storage facilities containing such materials, and
on trucks or vehicles transporting hazardous
substances through the City.
Action 2.4 Coordinate with the Los Angeles County
Department of Public Works to increase outreach
and participation in the County’s Household
Hazardous Waste Collection events within the City.
Increase visibility of the County’s program through
newspapers, the City’s website, and posted
information at public facilities and City-sponsored
events.
Action 2.5 Prohibit new businesses that produce or transport
hazardous wastes from locating in or adjacent to
residential neighborhoods. Update the City’s zoning
ordinance to limit these businesses to industrial
zones not adjacent to residential areas, and limit the
permitted uses for business in or adjacent to
residential areas.
Goal 3: Provide high levels of public safety,
emergency response, and law enforcement
services.
Action 3.1 Cooperate with the Los Angeles County Fire
Department in the preparation of a Fire Prevention
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Program to reduce the extent of damage resulting
from fire.
Action 3.2 Meet annually, if not more frequently, with County
Fire Department officials to assess how services are
provided and whether any changes are required in
response to City and/or County needs.
Action 3.3 Use public education activities to inform residents,
businesses, and City staff about community policing
and crime prevention.
Action 3.4 Implement Crime Prevention through Environmental
Design (CPTED) features with the establishment of
specific design criteria, and apply those criteria to
proposed projects through the development project
review process.
Action 3.5 Continually address expected effects of climate
change that may impact public safety, including
increased risk of wildfires, flooding and sea level rise,
salt water intrusion; and health effects of increased
heat and ozone, through appropriate policies and
programs.
Action 3.6 Consider adopting programs for the purchase,
transfer or extinguishment of development rights in
high-risk areas.
Action 3.7 Monitor the impacts of climate change. Use adaptive
management to develop new strategies, and modify
existing strategies, to respond to the impacts of
climate change.
Climate Change
Vulnerability and
Adaptation
CVA Discussion
The City of Rosemead recognizes that climate change affects
public safety and disaster management. According to “California’s
Fourth Climate Change Assessment” developed by the State of
California, continued climate change will have a severe impact on
California. Increased temperatures, drought, wildfires, and sea
level rise are several of the main concerns related to climate
change in the Southwest. Other impacts anticipated from climate
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change include food insecurity, increases in vector-borne
diseases, degradation of air quality, reduced ability to enjoy
outdoors, and potential economic impacts due to uncertainty and
changing conditions.
Climate change disproportionately affects those with existing
disadvantages. Low-income communities and communities of
color often live in areas with conditions that expose them to more
severe hazards, such as higher temperatures and worse air quality.
These communities also have fewer financial resources to adapt to
these hazards. For instance, low-income populations may reduce
air conditioning usage out of concerns about cost. Outdoor
workers, individuals with mobility constraints, and sensitive
populations such as the very young, elderly, and poor, as well as
those with chronic health conditions, are particularly at risk to
climate change hazards.
The Southern California Climate Adaptation Guide (SoCal APG)
prepared by the Southern California Association of Governments
(SCAG) in 2020, and the Climate Vulnerability Assessment
prepared by Los Angeles County in 2021, are valuable resources
for assessing the City’s vulnerability and identifying policies and
actions to adapt to changing conditions and build resiliency. The
SoCal APG describes the range of climate change hazards the
SCAG region is likely to face in the coming decades, describes
adaptation principles geared to the region, and outlines a general
process of adaptation planning. The County of Los Angeles
Climate Vulnerability Assessment (CVA) addresses both physical
infrastructure and social vulnerabilities. In summary, the CVA:
▪ Examines historic, current, and projected climate impacts
to communities including extreme heat, wildfire, sea level
rise, drought, and flooding.
▪ Gathers data on physical infrastructure and social
vulnerabilities.
▪ Analyzes the potential cascading impacts between physical
infrastructure and social vulnerabilities.
▪ Guides priorities for climate adaptation and resilience
efforts, policies and programs.
▪ Informs public health preparedness, emergency
preparedness, response planning, and community
resiliency.
▪ Identifies equity implications, including how climate
impacts and vulnerabilities are distributed across
communities and sub-populations such as low-income
rural neighborhoods, populations who are linguistically
isolated, populations without housing, populations with
limited mobility, and outdoor workers.
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Table 5-1 provides a summary of key climate hazards and
anticipated impacts facing Southern California, as well as their
relevance to the City of Rosemead.
Table 5-1
Climate Change Hazards
Climate Change
Hazard Risk to Southern California Implications for Rosemead
Extreme Heat The SCAG region can expect
longer and hotter heat waves,
with continued future warming
over the region.
Due to the City’s high concentration of
impermeable surfaces, the urban heat island
effect (a condition in which cities are hotter
than surrounding areas due to the amount of
paving and lack of shading) may become more
pronounced. At a community workshop held
to inform preparation of this Element, 60% of
respondents identified extreme heat as one of
the hazards they were most concerned about.
In addition, of 170 survey responses to this
question, 29 respondents reported visiting a
cooling center and 32 found an outdoor space
to adapt to extreme heat.
Sea-Level Rise/Coastal
Flooding
Sea-level rise is increasing the
risk of coastal erosion and
flooding along the California
coast.
Not directly at risk but could be impacted
from regional impacts to the economic,
housing and mobility systems, and reduced
recreational access to beaches and coastal
resources.
Wildfire Wildfire events are projected to
be considerably larger, more
frequent, and more destructive
by mid-century.
Rosemead does not have any areas within
wildfire state responsibility area (SRA) or very
high fire hazard severity zones (VHFHSZs).
However, residents are subject to wildfire
smoke and disruption to regional systems. Of
168 survey responses to this question, 57
respondents reported that they experienced
health complications due to poor air quality
from wildfires, and 56 individuals were unable
to attend school or work, or unable to
complete daily activities as a result of air
quality or power outages due to wildfires.
Drought The SCAG region can expect
more intense and extended
duration of droughts, leading to
longer water supply shortages.
The SCAG region imports
approximately three-quarters of
its potable water from outside
the region.
Same as regional impacts. At a community
workshop held to inform preparation of this
Element, 60 percent of respondents identified
drought as one of the hazards they were most
concerned about.
Air Quality Air quality is expected to
worsen with climate change due
to higher ground level ozone
concentrations and increased
Same as regional impacts.
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Climate Change
Hazard Risk to Southern California Implications for Rosemead
particulate matter from
wildfires.
Severe Storms/Wind Severe storms can cause
injuries or deaths, cause
damage to buildings, fell trees,
block roads with debris, and
spark fires. Strong winds, such
as the Santa Ana winds, are
conducive to wildfire outbreaks.
Severe windstorms pose a significant risk to
life and property in the City of Rosemead by
creating conditions that disrupt essential
systems such as public utilities,
telecommunications, and transportation
routes. High winds can cause tornado-like
damage to local homes and businesses in and
near the community. High winds have
destructive impact, especially to trees, power
lines, and utility services.
Inland Flooding Dry and wet extremes are both
expected to increase with
climate change. By the late-21st
century, total rainfall on the
wettest day of the year is
expected to increase across
most of the Los Angeles region.
The City’s HMP identifies the entire city as
being at a moderate level of probability for
urban flooding to streets and underpasses
from heavy rains. Flooding has not been a
serious hazard to Rosemead in several
decades, and the risk of disastrous flooding in
the City is considered minimal. However, the
potential for a localized flood event still exists
and may increase due to climate change.
Heavy rains in January and February of 2017
resulted in flooding to several streets and
underpasses in the City of Rosemead.
Source: Southern California Climate Adaptation Guide, City of Rosemead Hazard Mitigation Plan, and County of Los Angeles Climate Vulnerability Assessment presentation of findings.
In addition, the region will face ecological impacts due to climate
change. Ecosystems and wildlife will be challenged by the spread
of invasive species, barriers to species migration or movement,
and direct impacts. Climate change will also impact the spread of
vector-borne diseases with consequences for human health. The
local economy will be affected as the impacts of extreme heat,
extreme weather, sea level rise, wildfire, and drought will have
direct impacts on the cost and loss of critical infrastructure, real
estate, human health, and productivity. It is anticipated that
climate change will cause stressed supply chains and shortages of
critical resources, and increased economic inequality, especially in
already vulnerable populations including lower-income and
marginalized communities.
Climate change impacts are interrelated, and urban areas are
linked to local, regional, and global systems. When one system is
affected, others may also be impacted resulting in cascading
effects on other sectors that increase risks to residents’ health and
well-being. For example, disruptions to electricity may also
impact communications, water, and transportation systems.
Impacts to transportation systems may affect workforce
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availability, and workforce availability may limit emergency
response.
Goals and Policies
Goal 4: Effectively adapt to and increase the
community’s resilience to climate change
impacts.
Objective: Conduct proactive hazard and emergency
preparedness planning
Policy 4.1 Consider climate change impacts when preparing or
updating emergency response and preparedness
plans.
a. Develop an emergency shelter plan that includes
addressing the need for cooling centers during
extreme heat events.
b. Educate residents on how to protect themselves
from poor air quality during wildfire events
affecting the region.
c. Evaluate the need for battery or other back-up
power systems for communications systems,
emergency shelters and key facilities.
Policy 4.2: Regularly update the Hazard Mitigation Plan to
continue to protect the community as local
conditions change, and to maintain eligibility for
grant funding.
Policy 4.3: Coordinate with neighboring jurisdictions, county,
regional, state, and federal agencies on climate
adaption, resource management, emergency
management, and risk reduction planning and
activities. See also Public Safety Element Policy 1.4.
Policy 4.4: Ensure that the latest versions of the adopted
Building and Fire Codes are adopted and enforced.
See also Public Safety Element Policy 3.1 and Land
Use Element Actions 5.11 – 5.19.
Policy 4.5: Promote preparedness for City staff, businesses and
residents that empowers them to increase their
resilience to hazard related events and a changing
climate.
Policy 4.6: Reduce the impacts of extreme heat on people and
the electric grid through measures such as
increasing urban tree planting, and implementing
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cool roofs and pavement materials. See also Land
Use Element Actions 5.7 – 5.8.
Objective: Coordinate land use, climate, and Capital
Improvement Planning
Policy 4.7: Incorporate best available data and understanding
about the impacts of a changing climate into
decision making.
Policy 4.8: Incorporate resiliency measures and adaptation
strategies into capital improvement planning and
other investment decisions.
a. Pursue resiliency measures which may include
but are not limited to green infrastructure that
reduces flooding, adaptation of stormwater
systems, and tree planting for increased shade.
b. Locate, when feasible, essential public facilities
outside of at-risk areas, or identify construction
methods or other methods to minimize damage
if these facilities are located in at-risk areas.
c. Prioritize investments that protect vulnerable
communities.
Policy 4.9: Design adaptation initiatives and programs to
provide multiple co-benefits, including reduction in
greenhouse gas emissions, support for the local
economy, enhancements to the natural environ-
ment, or alleviating underlying health inequities.
Objective: Achieve meaningful community engagement
Policy 4.10: Commit to ongoing community engagement and
dialogue to help identify or refine local information
on the needs of vulnerable populations and assets as
conditions change.
Policy 4.11: Build partnerships with public, private and
nonprofit sectors to provide services to residents as
needed, and foster community connections.
Implementation Actions
Action 4.1 Integrate the results and applicable adaptive policies
of the County of Los Angeles Climate Vulnerability
Assessment into City planning and emergency
preparedness documents where appropriate, as new
information becomes available. Documents to
review for periodic updates include the: Emergency
Response Plan, Hazard Mitigation Plan, Zoning
Ordinance, and other applicable codes.
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Action 4.2 Strengthen climate resiliency through building and
zoning codes.
a. Evaluate landscaping and design regulations and
guidelines for effect on providing shade for
pedestrians, and amend as needed.
b. Consider an urban tree canopy ordinance that
includes guidance and standards for proper tree
pruning to preserve the structural integrity of
trees, including the prohibition of tree-topping
which weakens tree structures and increases
their susceptibility to limb loss during high wind
events.
Action 4.3 Monitor, evaluate, and adjust plans and
implementation strategies as needed as conditions
change over time. See also Action 3.7.
Action 4.4 Pursue grant and funding opportunities to provide
financial assistance or reduced cost for energy
retrofits or installation of other adaptation measures
to help protect low-income, senior citizens, and
other vulnerable residents against extreme heat
events.
Action 4.5 Evaluate Los Angeles County emergency evacuation
plans and refine as needed to meet local needs.
Include provisions for evacuating people that have
mobility constraints and identify the role of transit
providers in providing evacuation assistance.
Action 4.6 Enhance local emergency warning systems to
include alerts for high-heat days, including
instructions for location of resiliency hubs, shelters
and self-care steps.
Environmental Justice
Environmental justice is the movement to recognize and
ameliorate the disproportionate and unfair burden of
environmental pollution and other toxins faced by low-income
communities and communities of color. In 2016, Senate Bill 1000
was signed into law which requires local jurisdictions that have
disadvantaged communities to incorporate environmental justice
policies into their general plans. For the purpose of general plan
requirements, environmental justice is defined as: “the fair
treatment and meaningful involvement of people of all races,
cultures, incomes, and national origins, with respect to the
development, adoption, implementation, and enforcement of
environmental laws, regulations, and policies” (California
Government Code Section 65040.12). Residents living in or near
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neighborhoods with high levels of pollution are at an increased
risk for developing respiratory diseases, such as asthma, and
cardiovascular diseases, such as stroke. Pregnant women living in
highly polluted neighborhoods are also at an increased risk for
experiencing poor birth outcomes, such as preterm birth. The
environmental justice movement is intended to address these
types of inequities by addressing the specific environmental
hazards faced by disadvantaged communities.
Identification of Disadvantaged Communities
SB 1000 defines “disadvantaged communities” as areas identified
by the California Environmental Protection Agency pursuant to
Section 39711 of the Health and Safety Code or as an area that is
low-income that is disproportionately affected by environmental
pollution and other hazards that can lead to negative health
effects, exposure, or environmental degradation. To assist in
identifying disadvantaged communities, the State has provided a
mapping tool called “CalEnviroScreen.” CalEnviroScreen uses
several factors, called “indicators” that have been shown to
determine whether a community is disadvantaged and
disproportionately affected by pollution. Pollution burden
indicators measure different types of pollution that residents may
be exposed to, and the proximity of environmental hazards to a
community. Population characteristics represent characteristics
of the community that can make them more susceptible to
environmental hazards.
CalEnviroScreen provides an overall percentile score determined
by combining weighted individual scores for all the individual
indicators analyzed. SB 1000 considers a 75 percent or higher
score in this category to be a qualifier for consideration as a
disadvantaged community. The overall scores are represented in
a statewide map, with red representing the highest percentile
range and green representing the lowest. Areas with higher scores
generally experience higher pollution burdens and fare more
poorly on a range of health and socioeconomic indicators than
areas with low scores. Census tracts in Rosemead score between
60 and 90 percent overall for pollution, with 9 of the 16 census
tracts within the 75 percent or above category.
The majority of the City of Rosemead is considered a
disadvantaged community based on the CalEnviroScreen scores.
As a disadvantaged community, Rosemead is eligible for the
State’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (SB 535 and AB 1550) set
aside funding. Figure EJ-1 shows CalEnviroScreen 4.0 results,
and Figure EJ-2 shows Rosemead’s SB 535 Disadvantaged
Communities.
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The Housing Element of the General Plan provides additional
context necessary for understanding environmental justice needs
in the City of Rosemead by providing an assessment of the City’s
demographic and socioeconomic characteristics. The City is a
majority-minority area, with Asian community members
comprising 61.7 percent of the population and Hispanic/Latino of
any race individuals making up 32.6 percent. With respect to
household income, a majority of the City’s population is
comprised of households that are within either the 60-75 percent
Low to Moderate Income (LMI) group, or the 75-100 percent LMI
block groups.
Environmental justice and social equity goals relate closely to
policies supporting healthy communities. The physical
environment, as well as the conditions in the environments in
which people are born, live, learn, work, play, and age (collectively
known as the social determinants of health) have a profound effect
on how healthy people are over the course of their lives.
Accordingly, communities that have open space and recreational
opportunities, high quality and affordable housing, and safe
multi-modal transportation options, as well as access to resources
such as affordable healthy foods, medical services, living-wage
jobs, and quality educational services experience better health
outcomes.
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Source: California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment and California Department of Housing and
Community Development, AFFH Data and Mapping Resources, https://affh-data-resources-cahcd.hub.arcgis.com//
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Source: California Department of Housing and Community Development, AFFH Data and Mapping Resources,
https://affh-data-resources-cahcd.hub.arcgis.com//
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General Plan Interrelationships
Environmental justice is an interdisciplinary issue that is
addressed in multiple elements of the City’s General Plan, as
shown in Table 5-2. However, specific environmental justice
discussion, goals and policies are provided in the Public Safety
Element to provide a focus on the City’s environmental justice
efforts.
Table 5-2
Environmental Justice in the General Plan
Environmental
Justice (EJ) Topic
General Plan
Element EJ Area of Focus
Overview Introduction The General Plan vision expressed as “Envision
Rosemead” is for the City to become a place “where people
have many options for housing, employment, shopping,
and recreation; where businesses create a strong economic
foundation for high quality municipal services; where
parks and recreational facilities offer opportunities for a
diverse population to exercise and interact; where schools
and teachers educate and inspire youth; and where the
natural environment is protected and enhanced.” A
specific vision is identified to “enhance parks and
recreational space in underserved neighborhoods.”
Population and
Socioeconomic
Characteristics
Housing Identifies overall demographics and includes analysis of
minority, low-income, cost-burdened, and special needs
households. These populations often face a greater
exposure to pollution and vulnerability to climate hazards
and lack resources to adapt.
Affirmatively
Furthering Fair
Housing (AFFH)
Housing Section 2.I, Program 12, and Appendix D provide a
comprehensive assessment of fair housing issues and
meaningful actions. EJ goals overlap with AFFH goals as
both initiatives are concerned with addressing inequities
and fostering opportunities.
Pollution Exposure Public Safety – EJ
Section
Goal 5 and related policies address pollution exposure and
climate vulnerability.
Actions prohibit new businesses that produce or transport
hazardous wastes from locating in or adjacent to
residential neighborhoods.
Resources
Management
Goal 1 and related policies are to provide high-quality
parks, recreation, and open space facilities to meet the
needs of all Rosemead residents. Policy 1.3 addresses
underserved needs.
Goal 3 and related policies are to manage the use of and
protect water resources, including eliminating
groundwater and urban runoff pollution.
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Environmental
Justice (EJ) Topic
General Plan
Element EJ Area of Focus
Goal 4 addresses air quality and energy conservation and
includes Policy 4.1 to integrate air quality planning with
City land use, economic development, and mobility
planning efforts.
Land Use Policy 4.3 is to exclude commercial and industrial
activities that adversely impact the City and its residents
without
providing corresponding benefits.
Public Facilities Land Use Makes connections between the City’s economic health
and the availability of public facilities and services.
Public Safety Addressed comprehensively, with the Goal 6 section
focusing on facilities from an EJ perspective.
Resources
Management
Goal 1 calls quality parks, recreation, and open space
facilities to meet the needs of all Rosemead residents. See
also the Physical Activity row below.
Food Access Public Safety – EJ
Section
Goal 5 includes a subsection supporting access to healthy
food.
Safe and Sanitary
Homes
Housing The provision of safe, sanitary and affordable housing is
addressed throughout the Element.
Land Use Fosters mixed-use and transit-oriented development along
major corridors to provide opportunities for higher density
residential development and enhanced economic
development.
Public Safety Policies under Goal 3 are to further community policing,
education, and crime prevention programs through the
County Sheriff’s Department.
Physical Activity Introduction The General Plan focuses on the connections between
residential neighborhoods and adjacent commercial
centers
that may lead to a healthier lifestyle for residents by
creating
opportunities to walk within the City that did not exist
before.
Circulation Goal 2 plus related policies and actions support
development of infrastructure and services for active
modes of travel including pedestrian and bicycle access,
and strives for connectivity and amenities.
Land Use Goal 3 and associated policies promote pedestrian-friendly
mixed-use projects with public spaces and lively street
fronts where people can meet and interact.
Resource
Management
Plans for parkland and recreational open space. Goal 1 is
to provide parks, recreation and open space to meet the
needs of all residents. Policy 1.3 is to look for opportunities
to establish public parks and other useable open space
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Environmental
Justice (EJ) Topic
General Plan
Element EJ Area of Focus
areas in those parts of Rosemead underserved by such
facilities.
Goal 2 is to increase greenspace throughout to improve
community aesthetics, encourage pedestrian activity and
provide passive cooling benefits. Action 2.8 is to connect
parks and open space through shared pedestrian/bike
paths and trails to encourage walking and bicycling.
Land Use Action 5.20 supports bicycle and walking access.
Civic Engagement Housing Section 1.E describes the importance of public input and
how it influenced policies and programs.
Public Safety Addresses equitable and effective civic engagement.
Including Goal 6 and associated policies. Goal 4 includes
policies for community engagement related to climate
vulnerabilities.
Resource
Management
Action 1.5 is to emphasize the need for citizen
participation in
reducing vandalism in City parks through the City’s
Neighborhood Watch programs.
Needs of
Disadvantaged
Communities
Public Safety – EJ
Section
Identifies Rosemead’s disadvantaged community areas
and addresses issues through Goals 5 and 6 and associated
policies and actions.
Land Use – Goal 5
and Actions
Sets forth targeted land use changes that improve housing
and economic opportunities. Calls for green buildings,
energy and water efficiency and shade producing trees,
and developing a heat island mitigation plan.
Resource
Management
Goal 2 calls for increased greenspace throughout
Rosemead to improve community aesthetics, encourage
pedestrian activity, and provide passive cooling benefits.
Environmental Justice (EJ) Topics
Pollution Exposure
Pollution exposure occurs when people interact with
contaminants in the air, food, water, and soil. These contaminants
and pollution sources do not impact everyone equally. Vulnerable
populations (such as children, older adults, low-income families,
people with chronic health conditions, and outdoor workers) and
sensitive land uses (such as schools, housing, parks, medical
facilities, senior living, and childcare facilities) are more
susceptible to pollution exposure impacts. EJ communities are
disproportionately impacted by multiple pollution sources,
including toxic gas emissions from solid waste facilities, mobile
and stationary sources such as vehicle and diesel engine exhaust,
hazardous chemicals contaminating groundwater and soil from
leaking storage tanks. EJ communities as well as individuals
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experiencing homelessness and outdoor workers, are also often
more at risk to climate change hazards. For example, in a survey
conducted to inform preparation of this Element, 27 of 165
respondents to this question indicated that they had a disability
that would affect their ability to travel to an air-conditioned place
during an extreme heat emergency.
California Government Code Section 65302(h) mandates that the
EJ Element assess the “unique or compounded health risks” due
to pollution exposure in EJ communities and focuses on pollution
sources related to air pollution, groundwater contamination, and
toxic and hazardous materials. The California Healthy Places
Index (HPI) Clean Environment Score is a composite measure of
pollution that was developed by the Public Health Alliance of
Southern California. It is based on the average levels of four
common environmental pollutants used in the California
Environmental Protection Agency’s CalEnviroScreen 3.0 tool. The
system uses a zero to 100 scale, with 100 representing the lowest
pollution burden.
The Rosemead Health Profile prepared the Los Angeles County
Department of Public Health as a part of its City and Community
Health Profiles series, reported that the City of Rosemead scored
in the 29th percentile, meaning that Rosemead faces a relatively
high pollution burden. The Health Profiles also addressed indoor
air quality, with findings that poor air quality indoors may be
related to building materials, emissions from fireplaces and
stoves, or tobacco use, and that cities and communities can play a
vital role in supporting public health efforts to reduce the toll of
smoking and other forms of tobacco use. The Rosemead
Municipal Code (RMC) prohibits the use of tobacco on Public
Parks (RMC 12.44.050) City Buildings including City Hall,
Community Center, Zapopan Community Center, and park
offices, (RMC 2.44.060), and Skate Plaza (RMC 10.20.040).
Public Facilities
EJ communities may lack adequate access to public facilities
necessary to promote a healthy quality of life. SB1000 refers to
public facilities as “public improvements, public services, and
community amenities” pursuant to California Government Code
Section 66000. This includes a variety of public buildings and
infrastructure, such as community centers, schools, parks, and
open space, and emergency services. The prevalence of these
public facilities plays an important role in providing residents
amenities and services that enhance community resilience, health,
and wellbeing.
The City’s Capital Improvement Program (CIP) allocates
resources to improve and maintain the public infrastructure and
aesthetics of the community through identification of projects and
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associated funding sources. The CIP also identifies needed
projects for which funding is not available. The City’s 2020-21
budget was severely impacted by the national and state financial
environment, as well as local impacts resulting from COVID-19
emergency measures, which makes it challenging to meet public
facilities needs. Based on survey results, a majority (53%) of
respondents either strongly agreed, or agreed that the condition
of neighborhoods (streetlights, sidewalks, parks, etc.) is the
foremost challenge facing the community.
The Land Use Element describes how land use policies can create
business and employment opportunities to strengthen the City’s
economic health and provide funds necessary to provide desired
public facilities and services. Adoption of the Garvey Avenue
Specific Plan in 2018 exemplifies this strategy. The Garvey Avenue
Specific Plan is intended to transform key pockets of Garvey
Avenue into active pedestrian and retail areas with a wide mix of
uses to serve a variety of needs and stimulate a range of
environments.
Physical Activity
Physical activity has a direct impact on the long-term health and
wellbeing of Rosemead residents. People who are physically active
tend to have a higher life expectancy and lower risk for certain
diseases. People participate in physical activities in many different
forms and for different purposes, including recreational, health,
and active transportation and commuting. Engaging in regular
physical activity can also bring social and emotional benefits, such
as social interaction and building community with others which
helps to reduce depression, isolation, stress, and anxiety.
One of the issues facing Rosemead is the availability of open space
and parkland to residents for passive and active recreation. The
Resource Management Element serves as a plan for parkland and
recreational open space in Rosemead. The City also promotes
active living through General Plan policies supporting active
modes of travel and fostering a pedestrian-friendly streetscape.
City parks, open spaces, bike routes and community centers are
shown in the General Plan Resource Management Element,
Figure 4-1.
Food Access
Food is essential to the health, economy and culture of a
sustainable and thriving community, making access to healthy
and affordable food sources a necessary component for measuring
the quality of life. Food access is not only linked to the physical
accessibility of affordable food but also the sense of security that
food is readily available. For example, the City of Rosemead’s
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Senior Nutrition Program helps increase food security for the
City’s seniors.
Increasing physical activity and improving access to healthy foods
are two important ways to improve the health of community
residents. Being physically active and eating healthy are often
considered lifestyle choices that are under the control of
individuals, but these “choices” are strongly influenced by
community environments. For example, it is difficult for people to
be physically active if their communities do not have safe places
for recreation. Likewise, it is challenging for people to have a
healthy diet if they have limited access to nutritious and affordable
food options. The Rosemead Health Profile reports that 73 percent
of Rosemead residents live within a half mile of a supermarket or
grocery store. For Los Angeles County as a whole, the number is
62 percent. In response to a question included in a survey
conducted to inform development of this Element, 26 of 162
respondents reported that they sometimes or frequently
experienced food insecurity, and another 43 reported that they
rarely had that experience.
Safe and Healthy Homes
The condition, quality and affordability of housing have
significant impacts on the health, safety and well-being of
Rosemead residents in an environmental justice context.
Numerous factors, such as hazardous building materials,
exposure to excessive heat or cold, poor air quality and filtration,
and moisture and mold from flooding or inadequate building
maintenance can lead to severe and negative health outcomes.
Some EJ community residents live in housing units that were built
before established regulations about removing pollutants such as
lead paint and asbestos. Unsafe and unsanitary housing
conditions can also indicate inadequate or incomplete kitchen and
plumbing facilities. The City of Rosemead has a proactive code
enforcement program to address and provide remedies to
substandard housing conditions, as discussed in the Housing
Element.
Housing burden can negatively impact health by causing
significant stress and limiting the amount of money people have
available to spend on other necessities, such as food, healthcare or
recreation. High costs related to owning or renting a home, along
with a comprehensive set of policies and programs addressing
affordable housing are discussed in the Housing Element. The
impact of a high cost of housing is described as “cost burden.” A
household is considered cost burdened if it spends more than 30
percent of its income in housing costs, including utilities.
Reducing housing cost burden can also help foster more inclusive
communities and increase access to opportunities for persons of
color, persons with disabilities, and other protected classes. As
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stated in the Housing Element, many Rosemead households
experience a high cost burden, with 23.3 (3,420) percent of all
households paying more than 30 percent to less than 50 percent,
and 23.5 percent (3,445) paying more than 50 percent of the
household’s income on housing costs. The Housing Element
includes goals for increasing the provision of affordable homes
suitable for a range of incomes and life stages. In a survey
conducted to support development of the Housing Element, 80
percent of respondents felt that the City needed more multi-family
housing.
Civic Engagement
Equitable and effective planning and decision-making processes,
especially for EJ issues, should meaningfully involve the most
impacted community members. Promoting civic engagement is
imperative for jurisdictions to prioritize improvements and
programs in EJ communities. This level of engagement can help
strengthen community involvement and deepen the investment of
stakeholders in identifying and realizing community
improvements. EJ issues can be more organically identified and
resolved if there are accessible and culturally relevant
opportunities to engage in decision-making processes prioritizing
low-income communities, communities of color, and linguistically
isolated communities. Also, providing timely and updated
information for how residents can reach relevant and appropriate
staff from the City as well as other agencies can be an important
step towards transparency and accountability across programs
and services.
Rosemead has a wide range of organizations providing services to
its residents; these organizations may be effective partners to
collaborate with on future public engagement efforts. At a
community workshop held to support development of this
Element, 60 percent of respondents identified “youth services and
opportunities” and “senior resources and opportunities” as top
strengths and assets in Rosemead, with respect to social service
resources.
Needs of Disadvantaged Communities
It is important to prioritize projects, programs, and investments
that directly serve and benefit residents within EJ communities.
Due to historical, geographic, and procedural inequities, EJ
communities have specialized needs and priorities that require
intentional actions to improve existing conditions and to ensure
negative impacts are not exacerbated. Effective prioritization
requires coordination and alignment across government agencies,
departments, and shared jurisdictional partners along with
consistent and sustained engagement with EJ community
stakeholders.
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To identify opportunities for improving health and reducing
health inequities, the Public Health Alliance of Southern
California collaborated with national, state, and local public
health experts to develop a single composite measure that
summarizes the health of a community, referred to as the
California Healthy Places Index (HPI). The index is calibrated to
correlate with life expectancy. In addition to environmental
factors, it takes into account the diverse non-medical economic,
social, and political factors that influence physical and mental
function, behavior and disease. In total, the index combines 25
community characteristics into a single composite HPI score. For
the City and Community Health Profiles series, the HPI score was
recalculated for jurisdictions and assigned a percentile rank to
facilitate comparison among cities and communities within Los
Angeles County. As reported in the Rosemead Health Profile, the
City ranked in the 17th percentile, which places it among
communities with fewer healthy community conditions.
Goals and Policies
Goal 5: Ensure the availability of a healthy environ-
ment for all people.
Objective: Reduce pollution exposure and climate
vulnerability
Policy 5.1: Work with the South Coast Air Quality Management
District to meet State and federal ambient air quality
standards in order to protect residents, regardless of
age, culture, ethnicity, gender, race, socioeconomic
status, or geographic location, from the health
effects of air pollution.
Policy 5.2: Encourage smoke-free workplaces, parks, and other
community spaces to reduce exposure to second-
hand smoke.
Policy 5.3: Educate, and if possible, provide subsidies, to
residential property owners to retrofit properties
affected by adverse air quality with air filters,
ventilation systems, landscaping or other measures.
Policy 5.4: Educate residents on how to protect themselves
from extreme heat, and smoke exposure during
wildfire events, and additional climate
vulnerabilities as discussed under Goal 4 of this
Element.
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Objective: Provide healthy and secure food access
Policy 5.5: Support provision of convenient access to healthy
foods in all neighborhoods and districts.
Policy 5.6: Promote statewide efforts to expand usage of food
assistance benefits (e.g., CalFresh, WIC, and Market
Match) at farmers’ markets and local retailers.
Policy 5.7: Support the operation of existing and future farmers’
markets in the City.
Policy 5.8: Encourage healthy food options at all municipal
buildings and at City events where food is made
available by the City.
Policy 5.9: Support private sector actions of existing liquor
stores, convenience stores, and ethnic markets to
stock fresh produce and other healthy foods.
Policy 5.10: Encourage participation in community edible
gardens where appropriate.
Objective: Provide safe, sanitary, and affordable homes
and communities
Policies: See the Housing Element for a full range of policies
and programs.
Policy 5.11: Adopt planning programs, such as specific plans and
zoning amendments, to improve environmental
quality, and strengthen economic and educational
opportunities.
a. Address the needs of those who may not have
been represented in the public process.
b. Foster transit-oriented development that
provides access to local and regional
opportunities and strengthens community
development.
Objective: Citywide opportunities for safe and healthy
physical activity
Policy 5.12: Continue to maintain and, if possible, expand the
public park system, promote use of bicycles, and
encourage day and evening pedestrian activity
through improved sidewalks and lighting.
Policy 5.13: Incorporate Complete Streets principles into all
transportation projects at all phases of development,
including planning and land use decisions, scoping,
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design, implementation, maintenance, and
performance monitoring.
Policy 5.14: Increase the City’s urban tree canopy cover to
contribute to an attractive and comfortable
pedestrian environment, and maximize additional
co-benefits of trees, such as, capturing particulate
matter pollution, and reducing urban heat, energy
use and urban runoff.
Policy 5.15: Provide a variety of parks, facilities, and programs to
meet the recreational needs of a diverse population,
including children, teens, adults, persons with
disabilities, elderly, and visitors.
Implementation Actions
Action 5.1: Review proposed zoning code amendments for their
impact on EJ goals and policies.
Action 5.2: Prioritize environmental justice needs when
formulating and adopting the City’s budget and
Capital Improvement Plan.
Action 5.3: Ensure that development projects are reviewed for
conformance with EJ policies as a part of the
discretionary review process.
Goal 6: Fair treatment and meaningful participation
of populations and communities most
impacted by environmental hazards.
Objective: Effective and equitable public engagement
Policy 6.1: Proactively and meaningfully engage community
residents in the planning and development process
by using culturally appropriate and accessible
channels, including: providing appropriate language
services; providing child care; holding meetings,
focus groups, or listening sessions at a variety of
venues throughout the community; and using
participatory facilitation techniques.
Policy 6.2: Consult with California Native American tribes to
provide them with an opportunity to participate in
local land use decisions at an early planning stage,
for the purpose of protecting, or mitigating impacts
to cultural places.
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Policy 6.3: Facilitate the meaningful participation of
community residents, businesses, and organizations
in the development, adoption, and implementation
of planning, public facilities and built environment
initiatives, and consider their input throughout the
decision-making process.
Policy 6.4: Foster collaborative partnerships, including with
public health professionals and other public and
private sector stakeholders, to develop and
implement EJ-related initiatives.
Objective: Equitable provision of public facilities and
services
Policy 6.5: Prioritize and allocate citywide resources to provide
public facilities and services to communities in need.
a. Allocate greater resources to communities where
greater needs exist.
b. Foster public and private investments in
vulnerable communities that increase economic
opportunity and environmental quality.
c. Pursue grant funding for investments that
increase the resiliency and adaptive capacity of
low-income households and communities.
Policy 6.6: Provide equal access to public facilities and
infrastructure for all community residents.
Policy 6.7: Plan and design projects, including City Capital
Improvement Program (CIP) projects, to consider
current and planned adjacent land uses, local
transportation needs, and climate change
vulnerabilities, while incorporating the latest and
best practice design guidance. See also Goal 4
policies.
Policy 6.8: Coordinate with regional planning and
transportation agencies to provide high quality
public transit services in the City of Rosemead.
Policy 6.9: Collaborate with others to educate residents on how
to conserve water and minimize impacts of drought.
Implementation Actions
Action 6.1: At public meetings and outreach events provide
appropriate language services, childcare, and
options for live or delayed online participation.
Action 6.2: Design Capital Improvement Projects to achieve EJ
goals and strengthen climate resiliency.
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Action 6.3: Share the results of public outreach with decision-
makers to help inform their actions.
Action 6.4: Seek funding for plans and projects to strengthen
resilience in vulnerable neighborhoods.
Action 6.4: Collaborate with others to increase social networks
and website updates to distribute information on
climate change and other threats to vulnerable
populations. Include information on actions people
can take to reduce exposure and increase resiliency.
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References
California Department of Housing and Community
Development, AFFH Data and Mapping Resources,
https://affh-data-resources-cahcd.hub.arcgis.com// ,
accessed various dates 2021.
California Energy Commission, Natural Resources Agency, and
Governor’s Office of Planning and Research, California’s
Fourth Climate Change Assessment, 2018.
https://www.climateassessment.ca.gov/, accessed 7/21/2021
California Environmental Justice Alliance and Placeworks, SB
1000 Implementation Toolkit: Planning for Heathy
Communities. October 2017.
California Environmental Protection Agency: Environmental
Justice website, https://calepa.ca.gov/envjustice, accessed
various dates 2021.
California Environmental Protection Agency: Office of
Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA),
CalEnviroScreen 4.0, https://oehha.ca.gov/calenviroscreen
website accessed various dates 2021.
City of Rosemead: Hazard Mitigation Plan, October 2018.
Los Angeles County: Climate Vulnerability Assessment Key
Findings Workshop Presentation, July 1, 2021.
https://ceo.lacounty.gov/wp-
content/uploads/2021/07/20210701_LA-County-CVA-
Findings-Workshop_Final.pdf
Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, City and
Community Health Profiles/ Rosemead, June 2018.
Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG),
Southern California Climate Adaption Planning Guide,
https://scag.ca.gov/sites/main/files/file-
attachments/socaladaptationplanningguide_oct2020.pdf.
October 2020.