Officials dispute landslide remarks

Barbara Diamond

City officials reacted Wednesday to a published interview with a

Coastal Commission geologist who was quoted as saying that the

Flamingo Drive landslide was predictable.

The interview with geologist Mark Johnsson was published the day

he was to make a report on the landslide to the Coastal Commission,

which was meeting in San Diego.

“I think it was irresponsible of the commission to release a

report before discussing it with the city’s geologist and city

staff,” Mayor Elizabeth Pearson-Schneider said.

Johnsson said he was misquoted in the news reports.

“I was very careful not to use the word ‘predictable,’” Johnsson

said Thursday. “Predictable implies a short-term time frame.”

In subsequent interviews, Johnsson said he drew the analogy that

an 8.0 earthquake on the San Andreas Fault is predictable, but the

actual timing is not.

“I feel apologetic about the tone of the AP [Associated Press]

story,” Johnsson said. “I just reviewed the work of others who are

doing the hard work.”

Johnsson said he wouldn’t even call his oral presentation to the

commission a report.

“I visited the site, but I did not do any testing,” Johnsson said.

“I just made observations, although a trained geologist can tell a

lot just by looking.”

Johnsson said he is a technical advisor to the commission and he

volunteered to make the presentation. He has made presentations on

other events, including the La Conchita slide.

Johnsson said he talked with the city’s geotechnical consultant

Hannes Richter before making the presentation.

“I confirmed that he and I have pretty much the same conclusions,”

Johnsson said.

Johnsson said he emphasized at the presentation to the commission

that “predictable” was not the right word.

City Manager Ken Frank was not pleased that Johnsson spoke about

his conclusions regarding the landslide.

“I don’t think it was appropriate for a geologist to give an

interview before giving his presentation or without talking to us,”

Frank said. “It was embarrassing for us.”

City Councilwoman Toni Iseman, who served on the coastal

commission until May, said the absence of a commissioner familiar

with local conditions is a problem. Orange County is not represented

on the commission.

“Anyone who thinks it is not important to have a knowledgeable

representative from your area on the commission is just downright

naive,” Iseman said.

The June 1 landslide destroyed or severely damaged at least 21

homes on a south-facing slope in Bluebird Canyon.

A public update on the slide will be presented at 3:30 p.m.

Tuesday in City Council chamber, 505 Forest Ave.