Your Voice Needed to Ensure Portland Enacts Historic Fossil Fuel Terminal Ban

Last fall Portland City Council passed a historic resolution to ban new fossil fuel facilities in the city, putting Portland at the forefront of the climate justice movement. The resolution was the result of massive grassroots advocacy and the leadership of Mayor Hales and City Council. Now, one year later we need to hold the City to their word as they work to implement this resolution into binding city code. Overall, the proposed code is a strong step forward, but it could be made stronger.

Submit Comments and Attend the November 10 Hearing:

When: November 10, 2016 from 2 to 5 p.m.
Where: City Council Chambers – 1221 SW 4th Ave, Portland OR 97204

Email your comments to Portland City Council at fossilfuelzoning@portlandoregon.gov

With the proposed draft, the City is taking steps towards making last year’s fossil fuel ban a reality, but they need to hear from the community that we expect the proposal to completely follow through with enacting a full ban of fossil fuel expansion, as last fall’s resolution explicitly called for.

Urge them to strengthen the code proposal by:

• Enacting a full ban on all new fossil fuel terminals by removing the exception for terminals under 2 million gallons. The proposed 2-million-gallon exception would still allow new fossil fuel facilities to be built in our communities
• Eliminating the provision that allows existing fossil fuel terminals to grow by as much as 10% in exchange for seismic upgrades. These upgrades should be required, not provided in exchange for even bigger facilities.
• Directing Portland Bureau of Emergency Management to develop proposals for State building code changes to require seismic upgrades
• Rejecting Northwest Naturals request to be exempted from these regulations.

Please act now to ensure Portland fulfills the promise to its historic fossil fuel resolution!