(On August 6, 2026, Lynn Handlin’s testimony was the first of dozens of in-person testimonies to the Finance and Governance Committee of the Whole, City Council. Many more written testimonies were submitted to the City of Portland, and numerous Portlanders witnessed, wearing red to signify the “red line” situation that the city and region face at the CEI Hub.)
My name is Lynn Spitaleri Handlin. I am speaking today on behalf of myself and many others who previously signed up to testify. In the interests of time, we have decided to provide a few collective testimonies summarizing our key concerns with the Zenith franchise transfer. (Note: the Portland Mercury covered this potential transfer of the oil facility franchise to I Squared Capital in impressive detail; for background and a detailed account of the committee meeting, which evolved into a review of the dirty deeds of Zenith Energy, please read here: https://www.portlandmercury.com/news/in-zenith-energy-transfer-the-public-wants-assurances-is-the-city-listening/).
Our hope is that by giving back agenda time to you, you will be able to move more quickly on the one key action Council can take now to make the Zenith and all CEI Hub facilities safer for Portland: the CEI Hub Policy Project.
Zenith Energy is a company with a history of violations, backroom deals, flat-out lies to the DEQ about their plans, a company that poses many threats to the health and safety of the community, the rivers and the environment. This, and the City administration’s inability or unwillingness to provide adequate oversight, are why third-party enforcement and due diligence around ISQ’s legal and technical history are so critical.
In a short time we have learned that I Squared Capital (ISQ) has numerous worker safety, railroad safety, environmental, and other violations in the UK, lawsuits around business practices and investment strategies in NYC, allegations of fraud and malpractice suits settled by substantial payouts in Florida, and the list goes on. This is why the community is asking for full transparency and documentation on the administrative review.
ISQ has publicly stated it will continue to pursue expansion of the Zenith facility into a major fuel export hub, increasing the facility’s risk to Portlanders by more fuel bomb train activity down the Columbia Gorge and even more fuel storage on liquefiable riverbank soils.
We know you understand that this brings only risk with no significant benefit to Portlanders.
Our ask of you is simple: Make sure you are not creating a loophole by which the new owner can apply for facility expansions before you consider and implement the new zoning codes that will come from the CEI Hub Policy Project. The franchise transfer agreement should be conditioned, or a separate resolution should be passed, precluding expansion permits until the CEI HUB policy has been debated and implemented.
We understand the City Council faces a packed agenda of critical issues, but we also know that a catastrophe at the Hub could erupt any time. We stand behind Council doing everything in its power to quickly pass the strongest possible CEI Hub protections to make Portland’s future safer and healthier.
Bureau of Planning and Sustainability staff have obtained and reviewed information provided by ISQ Holdings regarding their corporate structure and operational processes that will be in place after the sale. There is nothing public about the results of that review, clearly not a meaningful process.
And for Community involvement: “Staff expects that the same constituents who follow and testify on CEI Hub related activities are the same constituents who will likely testify on this franchise agreement transfer ordinance.” I am surprised the mayor didn’t actually include the matching shirt comment here, but it is implied. Clearly the author of the ordinance is deriding the very idea of community involvement: This is the extent of mention of community involvement in this ordinance.
