The CEI Hub Task Force sponsored Press Conference and Letter Release on April 16,2024 was a big success. The Letter signed by 40 neighborhood organizationsand over 20 groups was delivered to elected officials AND presented to the media and general public. Over 100 people attended the event hosted by the Augustana Lutheran Church. There was a good showing of media present and the event lead the news on both KGW and KOIN-TV as well as being reported on OPB Radio. There was a good round-up of speakers, plus representatives of Portland’s Neighborhood Associations.
Speakers included:
Nancy Hiser; Community Safety Advocate, Linnton Neighborhood Assn., Neighborhood Emergency Team
Patricia Kullberg; Multnomah Co. Medical Director, 1988-2008
Michael Pouncil; City of Portland Planning Commission, Portland Harbor CommunityAdvisory Group, Chair
Jay Wilson; Oregon Seismic Safety Policy Advisory Commission, Chair 2014-2017
If you were unable to attend, you can view the full press conference here.
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The letter read as follows (Neighborhood Associations and organizations not listed at the end of letter):
Dear Governor Kotek, DEQ Director Feldon, Members of the Portland City Council, Members of the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners, Members of the Metro Council, Members of the Oregon Legislature, and Members of the Oregon Federal Delegation,
Based on the findings of the City of Portland and Multnomah County funded CEI Hub Seismic Risk Analysis, it is clear that the Critical Energy Infrastructure (CEI) Hub poses serious health, safety, cultural, social justice, economic and environmental risks to every Portland neighborhood and the entire Pacific Northwest region.
The 2022 Legislative action that passed Senate Bill 1567 addressing the potential dangers associated with the CEI Hub is a commendable first step, but not enough.
We, the undersigned Portland Neighborhood Associations and other organizations therefore support the following actions:
1) Through ongoing and widespread media campaigns, local (city, county), regional, and state officials must educate and alert the people of the greater Portland-area to the dangers of the CEI Hub.
2) Local and state government agencies must take immediate action to monitor and remediate the cumulative pollution associated with the operations of the CEI Hub.
3) Local and state governments must immediately coordinate to develop a new plan for Oregon’s fuel storage. All communities must have opportunities to participate in this process. Environmental justice is at the heart of this demand.
4) Local and state governments must require companies who operate within the CEI Hub to assume full financial responsibility for addressing potential disaster prevention, emergency services, clean-up and restoration.
5) The Oregon legislature must work to craft legislation that requires companies to regularly update local officials and emergency responders as to the types of fossil, bio-energy fuels, petro-chemicals and toxins that are stored and transported to and from the CEI Hub.
6) City and State agencies must monitor Zenith Energy’s transport and storage of fossil fuels and substantiate with peer-reviewed research the environmental, public health, safety, and economic advantages of their transition away from crude oil to other fuels. (In their Oct. 2022 Land Use Compatibility Statement, the city made an agreement with Zenith Energy to stop transloading crude oil in 5 years.)
We are all just one earthquake, one train derailment or one human error away from tragedy. Our elected and appointed representatives have the responsibility to protect the health and safety of the entire region. Please provide us with a timely response to all of these concerns.
Sincerely,
The CEI Hub Task Force- Anne Bryant, Mark Darienzo, Laurie King, Nikki Mandell, Bonnie McKinlay, Lyn Neeley, Cathy Spofford, Jan Zuckerman ceitaskforce@gmail.com
(Neighborhood Associations and Other Organizations were listed here.)
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RESOURCES
The Multnomah County Commission and the City of Portland contracted EcoNorthwest to study the “Impacts of Fuel Releases from the CEI Hub”. Here is the executive summary of the report issued in Feb 2022.
LINK to Hazardous Materials Report (Oct 2023) from PSU’s Institute for Sustainable Solutions and Multnomah County
Jay Wilson’s CEI Hub GoogleEarth Flyover Video More here.
Overview CEI Hub and CSZ Earthquake. DEQ. PowerPoint
Background on the Critical Energy Infrastructure Hub and Zenith Energy, “Once A Braided River”, a documentary by Barbara Bernstein
KGW Report, “Regulation Coming To Portland Oil Facilities As State Looks To Avert Massive Spill After The “Big One”. Williams, K. 11/3/22
What’s shaking at the Critical Energy Infratstructure Hub, by Mark Darienzo.
