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some may hold them in a high -enough quantity to pose a public risk. Approximately 300 locations in the <br />City have been contaminated with hazardous materials, mostly a consequence of leaking storage tanks, <br />although many of these sites have been mitigated. These facilities are largely located along US Route 101 <br />and near the Port. The California Department of Toxic Substance Control maintains a current list of active <br />sites. <br />There is no history of substantial hazardous material incidents in the City. Small-scale events have <br />occasionally occurred. All expectations are that there will continue to be a risk of hazardous material <br />incidents in Redwood City. This may occur as a consequence of a natural disaster, a vehicle accident, or <br />other events. While a hazardous material incident may occur anywhere in the City, it is more likely to occur <br />along major transportation corridors or in industrial areas. <br />2.2.3 EARTHQUAKE <br />The Earth's seemingly -solid surface is composed of numerous large sections, called tectonic plates, which <br />are very slowly moving around the planet. As these plates and their individual sections move past each <br />other along boundaries called faults, they sometimes stick together due to friction. Stress builds and <br />eventually becomes strong enough to overcome the friction, causing the plates to suddenly slip past each <br />other. This rapid movement creates the shaking that we perceive as an earthquake. Moderate shaking can <br />cause power outages and break small items, while more severe shaking can damage or destroy structures. <br />The nearest major fault to Redwood City is the San Andreas Fault, which is approximately four miles from <br />downtown Redwood City at its closest point. The San Andreas Fault is the largest fault in California and <br />one of the most likely to generate a significant earthquake. The Hayward Fault, located in the East Bay <br />(approximately 15 miles from Redwood City) also has a substantive chance of creating a major earthquake. <br />Other major regional faults include San Gregorio (12 miles away), Calaveras (21 miles away), and Green <br />Valley (33 miles away). A major earthquake is likely to cause similar shaking throughout Redwood City, <br />although areas closest to the event and land created by filling in San Francisco Bay will likely experience <br />the strongest shaking. These filled areas are also at risk of another earthquake -related hazard, called <br />liquefaction, which causes soil to lose its structural integrity and can damage or destroy buildings or <br />structures built on or in it. <br />The last major earthquake in the region was the 2014 West Napa earthquake, with a magnitude of 6.0. <br />Although strong enough to be felt in Redwood City, it did not do any substantive damage to the <br />community. The magnitude 6.9 Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989 was strong enough to cause damage in <br />Redwood City, including $3 million in damage to the old courthouse. The Great San Francisco Earthquake <br />of 1906 (magnitude estimated at 7.9) also caused major damage in the community. <br />The Third Annual California Earthquake Rupture Forecast identifies that the San Andreas Fault has more <br />than a 16 percent chance of causing magnitude 6.7 or greater earthquake by 2044, and a 3 percent chance <br />of creating a magnitude of 8.0 or greater earthquake during the same timeframe. The Hayward Fault has <br />over a 20 percent chance of causing a 6.7+ earthquake by 2044, but a much smaller (less than a 10th of a <br />percent) chance of causing an 8.0+ earthquake during the same period. <br />11 <br />