Original photo by Mark Graves/Oregonian
On December 5th, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality issued a $372,600 fine to Zenith Energy for unauthorized construction and use of a leased dock and required Zenith to obtain a new Land Use Compatibility Statement (LUCS) from the City of Portland before considering a new air permit. DEQ has set a deadline of February 4, 2025, for Zenith to obtain new land use permissions. Around Dec. 11th, Zenith submitted a new LUCS application to the City of Portland that contains new uses like blending “sustainable aviation fuel” on site. DEQ’s unprecedented action puts the City of Portland in the position to protect Portland’s residents and environment by denying Zenith’s LUCS application. Let’s make sure this happens!
What’s the concern with oil trains?
The crude oil inside the railcars running through our neighborhoods is highly pressurized, and trains can derail and explode, posing severe health and safety risks to communities and the environment.
Take Action: Tell your Portland City Councilors, Mayor Wilson and city administrators to deny Zenith's LUCS application!
Choose your district to take action! Don't know what district you are in? Use this tool to find out.
This email template has all you need to write your email! You can also click on your district below send an email.
If you live or work in the Blast Zone, your voice is especially important in this fight. Use this tool created by 350PDX to figure out if you are in the "Blast Zone".
The "Blast Zone" are the areas most at risk during derailment and explosion. The yellow and red lines indicates the 1 Mile and .5 Mile U.S Dept of Transportation Potential Evacuation Zones.
Resources to learn more:
- Columbia Riverkeeper, Zenith Energy’s Legacy of Violations and Lies, https://tinyurl.com/4ypep6z4
- 350PDX, Stop Zenith https://350pdx.org/campaigns/fossil-fuel-resistance/stopzenith/
- Dec. 16, 2024 Letter from advocates to Mayor Wheeler, Incoming Mayor Wilson, and City administrators, https://tinyurl.com/rhprmc6u
- Jeremiah Hayden, Environmental advocates’ letter puts city ‘on notice’ over Zenith Energy, Street Roots (Dec. 17, 2024), https://tinyurl.com/2rh8rt62
- Jeremiah Hayden, Zenith Energy seeks to add ‘sustainable aviation fuel’ blending to its operations, according to public records, Street Roots (Dec. 19, 2024), https://tinyurl.com/2bhn5ykc
- Dec. 27, 2024 ‘Letter to Portland: Zenith Energy’, https://tinyurl.com/42r7h6m9
- Readers respond: Don’t give Zenith land use permit by Laurie King