For more information, please contact: Daphne Wysham, 503-310-7042, info@thisland.earth.
(Portland, OR) In the aftermath of community safety advocates educating candidates for political office on the risks of a catastrophic spill at the Critical Energy Infrastructure (CEI) Hub in North Portland, This Land, a 501 C-4 nonprofit based in Oregon, conducted a poll, asking all candidates and incumbents for Portland City Council, Portland Mayor and Multnomah County Commission to respond to questions regarding the CEI Hub. The overwhelming majority of those polled consider the CEI Hub a serious risk to the community, believe that risk bonding is an important part of the solution, and, if elected, commit to take no funds from the fossil fuel industry.
The CEI Hub, located in the Northwest Portland Linnton neighborhood, includes 530 fuel tanks that store 90 percent of Oregon’s liquid fuel, including 300 million gallons of volatile explosives and flammable liquids stored in unsafe tanks. The Hub is located next to the Willamette River on in-fill soil, in the Cascadia subduction zone. There is a 37% chance that a major quake of 7.1 or above will occur in the next 50 years. Without additional safety measures, the CEI Hub is predicted to collapse and explode in such a quake, killing thousands, and causing the largest oil and chemical spill in the U.S.
In response, Dr. John Talberth, Senior Economist with Center for Sustainable Economy (CSE) who helped conceive of the concept of fossil fuel risk bonding, stated, “Clearly, Oregonians want to safeguard our communities from the hazards of fossil fuel infrastructure and eliminate the public financial liabilities associated with explosions, spills and abandonment. It is encouraging to see that the vast majority of candidates who responded to the poll are in sync with this basic ‘polluter pays’ sentiment.”
Of those who responded to the poll, 94% considered the Critical Energy Infrastructure Hub a risk to our community; 97% support fossil fuel risk bonding as a way of addressing the risk; 91% agree that the City and County ordinances opposing new fossil fuel infrastructure should remain in place; 92% agree to revisit the Land Use Compatibility Statement for Zenith Energy; and 89% commit to taking no funds from the fossil fuel industry if elected.
Overall, the response rate to the poll was 53%, with 68 out of 128 candidates and incumbents responding. Surprisingly, 12 of the 19 candidates for mayor, or 63%, chose not to respond to the poll. The following mayoral candidates did respond: Durrell Kinsey Bay, Mingus Mapps, Sharon Nassett, Michael O’Callaghan, Liv Osthus, Carmen Rubio, and Keith Wilson.
More granular detail on the poll follows:
All candidates were asked the following five questions, with the option of Yes or No answers:
1. In response to the question, “Do you think the Critical Energy Infrastructure (CEI) Hub represents a hazard to our community,” 94% said “yes.” Mayoral candidates Durrell Kinsey Bay and Saadiq Ali, District 3 City Council Candidate Melodie Beirwagen, and District 4 City Council Brandon Farley said “no.”
2. The second question read: “The Oregon DEQ Fuel Tank Seismic Stability Program requires CEI Hub facilities to assess and mitigate risk from earthquakes. The risk mitigation does not include financial assurance to pay for potential damages, leaving taxpayers on the hook for costs related to cleanup, remediation, and restoration. Do you support the Multnomah County Commission’s proposed Toxics Release Financial Responsibility Ordinance, which would hold CEI Hub facility owners responsible for posting financial assurances (risk bonding) for the cost of their risks?” In response, 97% said “yes.” District 4 City Council candidates Kelly Michael Doyle and Brandon Farley voted “no.”
3. In response to the question, “Do you support the ordinances passed by the City of Portland in 2015 and the County of Multnomah in 2016 for no new fossil fuel infrastructure,” 92% said “yes.” District 3 Candidate Heart Free Pham and District 4 candidates Bob Callahan, Kelly Michael Doyle, Brandon Farley and Kevin Goldsmith voted “no.”
4. In response to the question, “Zenith Energy managed to bring in new fossil fuel infrastructure despite the clear intention of the City of Portland to ban new fossil fuel infrastructure. If elected, would you commit to looking into withdrawing the land use compatibility statement (LUCS) for Zenith Energy’s facility,” 92% said “yes.” Mayoral candidate Michael O’Callaghan voted “no” as did City Council President Dan Ryan and District 4 candidates Eric Zimmerman and Brandon Farley.
5. In response to the question, “Do you commit to take no funds from the fossil fuel industry once elected to office,” 89% said “yes.” Those who said “no”: Mayoral candidate Saadiq Ali, District 2 candidate Elana Pirtle-Guiney, District 3 candidate Kelly Janes, and District 4 candidates Mike DiNapoli, Kelly Michael Doyle, and Brandon Farley.
On the Multnomah County Commission, Commission Chair Jessica Vega-Pederson, Commissioner Lori Stegman and Commissioner Sharon Meieran all responded “yes” to all of the questions, as did Multnomah County Commissioner Candidates Sam Adams, Meghan Moyer, Vadim Mozyrsky, and Shannon Singleton. Multnomah County Commissioner Julia Brim-Edwards and County Commission candidate Vince Jones-Dixon failed to respond to the poll.
To view the poll results, for more information, or to speak with representatives from Tank the Tanks, Center for Sustainable Economy, or This Land please 503-310-7042 or e-mail: info@thisland.earth or nancyhiser@comcast.net.
