The tar sands of Alberta, Canada is the largest industrial project on the planet. Visible from space, this massive extraction project produces the most polluting and ecologically destructive fossil fuel, surpassing all other oils for total greenhouse gasses emitted.
In 2018, tar sand came to Portland with the opening of the Zenith Energy oil terminal, which quietly turned an asphalt facility on the Willamette River into the first tar sands by rail export terminal on the West Coast. Further north along the Columbia River, the Global Partners oil terminal is also preparing to ramp up its tar sands by rail business. Both these facilities put the environment and communities in Portland, Vancouver, and Columbia County in perpetual risk of derailment, spills, and life-threatening explosions.
Join our partners at Center for Sustainable Economy and allies at Patagonia Portland for a panel discussion from activists fighting tar sands by rail in the Pacific Northwest.
Learn about the risks for communities along it's life cycle, how the industry figures in the broader context of climate change and fossil fuel development, and learn how you can get involved in the grassroots movement to keep it in the ground!