[Note: this is my (Janet Weil’s) expansion on the open letter created by Braided River Campaign regarding the franchise transfer from Zenith Energy to I Squared Capital to the members of the Portland City Council, using my personal information — and emotions. My changes to the Braided River letter text are in bold below. If you would like to send this letter, preferably with your own words included, click here: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/voice-your-concern-on-zenith-energys-franchise-agreement-transfer-to-i-squared-capital. Time is of the essence.]
As City Council deliberates on the Zenith Energy franchise transfer to I Squared on Wednesday, I am writing to express my frustration and disappointment. I reside in District 4, 2 blocks from rail tracks that take dangerous oil trains to the Zenith facility, and a mile or so from the Zenith transfer station. I am very worried and seriously considering moving out of Portland.
Throughout this process so far, City Council has caved to the demands and threats of the fossil fuel industry rather than protecting Portlanders like myself and my husband.
City attorneys changed the rules of how many votes are needed for this item to pass in the middle of the process — how is that even LEGAL? Also, they advised the “Committee of the Whole” to only consider money, legal, and technical expertise of I Squared Capital. What about ETHICAL AND HUMAN HEALTH AND SAFETY considerations?
Documents were kept hidden from the public before voting occurred, only loaded to a publicly available website AFTER the committee meeting. Decisions were rushed while Council was out on recess. Zenith sued the City, and now it seems like the City is giving the company whatever it wants. Why did it take dozens of community members testifying for transparency for Robert Taylor to finally admit it’s in the city’s best interests to release public documents? Even so, those documents were released too late.
I was present at the hearing where only people representing out-of-state business interests – Zenith and I Squared Capital, which has a dodgy record regarding health and safety elsewhere – were heard. I attended a separate meeting two weeks later where, finally, members of the public were allowed to speak on the mic and on the record, debunking claims that I Squared Capital reps had made. Astonishingly, the Vice President of I Squared Capital made the assertion that ISQ came to Portland to help us with our climate goals, and create a regional renewable fuels hub. HUH?? Such a regional fuels hub should only be created if the people of Portland want it and decide it is in our best interests going forward, a dubious proposition.
I urge you all to do your duty to Portlanders, and to NOT grant any franchise agreement at this time. Creating a legal requirement that bans expansion of the facility before new policies around the CEI Hub are passed would be the best way to accomplish this.
Historically, our city officials has let us down repeatedly with Zenith Energy. We are currently living with air pollution and risks of catastrophic damage by fire, derailment, chemical spills, and/or earthquake damage. Community confidence is very low in the Mayor or the City Administrator or the City bureaucracy to adequately scrutinize this franchise transfer. It is the job of the City Council to insist upon oversight and that the terms of the Franchise Agreement will protect Portlanders.
Given the inability or unwillingness of Mayor Wilson to enforce this agreement against Zenith, third party enforcement of this agreement is a necessity so that the community and environmental organizations can ensure the terms of the agreement are upheld.
Please do your due diligence to restore the public trust and protect the safety of our community and our beautiful, but threatened, environment.
