4 14-1215 Subject: Public Hearing On Coal or Petroleum Coke in Oakland
From: Councilmembers Kalb, Kaplan & Reid
Recommendation: Conduct A Public Hearing To Receive Information, Testimony And Other Evidence, Oral Or In Writing, Regarding The Types Of Coal Products That Are Transported, The Public Health And/Or Safety Impacts, And Other Impacts, Of The Transportation Transloading, Handling And/Or Export Of Those Products In/Through The City Of Oakland, Adequacy Of Existing Regulations, And The City's Ability To Regulate The Transportation And Handling Of Such Poducts, In Part, As A Follow-Up To Resolution No. 85054 CMS (Resolution Opposing The Transportation Of Hazardous Fossil Fuel Materials, Including Crude Oil, Coal, And Petroleum Coke, Through The City Of Oakland; Adopted On June 17, 2014 [TITLE CHANGE]
I live and work in North and West Oakland and strongly support Resolution 85054. My neighborhoods already experience health problems due to industrial pollution in our areas. Please don't put our families' health at risk.
I am in support of MEASURE 85054. The people of Oakland should not continually be burdened with a soiled environment for the profit of corporations and the ease of goods for a few. NO COAL IN OAKLAND.
I support Resolution No. 85054. Please do not make Oakland a place that funnels Coal to other parts of the world. We need to stop using this dirty and dangerous energy source. And trucking/training in tons of coal will do nothing to improve the livability and health of Oakland and surrounding communities.
I am a proud resident of District 3, small business owner, and father of a beautiful daughter as of 5 days ago. I am very concerned that she's going to end up like so many other children in Oakland, with asthma. Oakland residents currently suffer three times the number of emergency room visits for respiratory emergencies than the national average, yet today we are talking about sending coal trains through our neighborhoods.
The public and our City officials were explicitly told by Mr. Tagami that this project would not in any way involve coal and relied on this information in making their decisions. Now the developer is employing an intentional bait and switch, bluffing that they won’t complete the project if you don’t allow them to make a lucrative significant change to the project description and allow significant health impacts that were not studied in the EIR. The city wouldn't make one cent in export tax on this coal, petroleum coke or oil.
We are counting on you to protect us.
I am a scientist studying complexity in neural systems, and I was trained by a father who studies complexity in ecosystems. The impact of fossil fuel exports are difficult to estimate, but we have observations from consumption of fossil fuels. China consumes a large quantity of fossil fuels, is in a position to buy our exports, and still uses old coal burning equipment not up to our emissions standards, often to create consumer goods for our country (Lin et al., 2014, PNAS). Pollution particles from China are detectable by sensors in California, and the size of atmospheric particles affects the formation of precipitation (Creamean, J., et al. 2013, Science ). We need to consider the complexity of the relationship between our local weather and intensified drought, the global climate, and our role in contributing to consumption of fossil fuels outside or our state. This is not merely an economic issue, but a moral issue related to human health locally, and globally.
I am a native Oakland. I support Resolution No. 85054. The City of Oakland should take the lead and stop coal from moving through the Port of Oakland.
1) Transporting coal to Oakland would affect residents from Sacramento to Oakland. The rail corridor runs along the Bay and prevailing winds would blow coal dust into numerous communities affecting millions of people’s health.
2) East and West Oakland's children are already suffering higher than normal rates of asthma and allergies due to industrial activities in their communities. Coal dust will affect the entire City of Oakland.
3) Isn’t Oakland a partner with TransForm? That partnership would seem at odds with coal transport.
4) Phil Tagami is one person who interests do not benefit Oakland residents. We expect the City of Oakland to protect and serve residents who elected you to office.
By passing this resolution, Oakland proves it is a leader. We must be part of the solution to Global Warming, not part of the problem.
I am a long-time resident of Lower Bottoms, West Oakland. Our neighborhood has had more than its share of environmental stressors over the past decades, including Superfund sites, shipping traffic, and the pollution and soot associated with diesel trucking through and around the area. We have elevated asthma rates, as many of my family members can attest to, as well as increases rates of lung cancer and other life-threatening diseases. I have watched with some hopefulness as the city has (albeit belatedly) acted to decrease pollution associated with the port in recent years. It is therefore with great alarm that we in the neighborhood see the port poised to undo in one misguided action all the hard work that has gone into bringing Lower Bottoms closer to mainstream norms of public health. We urge the City of Oakland to take all necessary steps to prevent the transport and shipping of coal and coal-related products through our city.
Coal should not be used for power production in this day and age. Whether we burn it here or if China burns it, the act of transporting the coal through our ports will result in the release of more greenhouse gases and pollution into the environment. The port of Oakland must not allow coal to be transported for the sake of our children and our environment. My son is counting on you.
Thanks you,
Kristian Eldridge
I support Resolution 85054 and strongly oppose the shipment of coal from the Oakland Army Base project for the continued health and safety of West Oakland residents. Our neighborhood already is bearing the burden of too many environmental issues- from truck and train exhaust, to expanding garbage processing facilities. Coal shipments were not part of the original proposal regarding the Army Base and seem to have caught our neighborhood by surprise. In an area that already faces many challenges, permitting these shipments would have a terrible impact on our neighbors of West Oakland.
I support Resolution No. 85054. The City of Oakland should take the lead and stop coal from moving through the Port of Oakland.
1) Transporting coal on the rail corridor from Utah to Oakland would affect huge amounts of populations from Sacramento to Oakland. The rail corridor runs along the Bay from Hercules to Oakland and prevailing winds would blow coal dust into numerous communities affecting millions of peoples health.
2) West Oakland's health would be hugely impacted by such an operation, haven't they had enough health issues related to the Port in the past.
3) Oakland has to take responsibility and say no to the use of fossil fuels being shipped to China, thus damaging our environment even more. By passing this resolution, Oaklander's tell the world that alternative means or power must be implemented now. We must be part of the solution to Global Warming, not part of the problem.
I support Resolution No. 85054, which should be applied in preventing the shipment of Coal and related products out of Oakland's shipping terminals. Control measures are cited to mitigate the environmental impacts of coal and its transportation, but it's not enough.
The immediate local impacts should not be ignored. The fact remains that coal and its bi-products are carcinogenic; coal dust even with surfactants will occur.
Let us also not forget the overall impacts. We're allowing a DIRTY product to be shipped and burned to areas that have less stringent environmental controls.
Allowing this, we will support the worlds addiction to a fuel that is slowly killing us worldwide.
Allowing this, we will be helping with the demise of Arctic ice.
Allowing this, we will be helping the world get warmer, making our Sierra snow pack cease to exist. Allowing this, we are helping California's drought problems increase.
The time is now to stand up against local and worldwide pollution.
I can't tell if the previous comment was registered. I support the resolution 85054, previously passed, and most strongly object to the transportation of fossil fuel materials through my beloved city of Oakland. Plus, I am rather fond of planet Earth, and hope to leave it to my children and to yours. Thank you.
I live and work in North and West Oakland and strongly support Resolution 85054. My neighborhoods already experience health problems due to industrial pollution in our areas. Please don't put our families' health at risk.
I am in support of MEASURE 85054. The people of Oakland should not continually be burdened with a soiled environment for the profit of corporations and the ease of goods for a few. NO COAL IN OAKLAND.
I support Resolution No. 85054. Please do not make Oakland a place that funnels Coal to other parts of the world. We need to stop using this dirty and dangerous energy source. And trucking/training in tons of coal will do nothing to improve the livability and health of Oakland and surrounding communities.
I support Resolution No. 85054 -- NO COAL PASSING THROUGH OR SHIPPING OUT OF OAKLAND!! Thanks!
I am a proud resident of District 3, small business owner, and father of a beautiful daughter as of 5 days ago. I am very concerned that she's going to end up like so many other children in Oakland, with asthma. Oakland residents currently suffer three times the number of emergency room visits for respiratory emergencies than the national average, yet today we are talking about sending coal trains through our neighborhoods.
The public and our City officials were explicitly told by Mr. Tagami that this project would not in any way involve coal and relied on this information in making their decisions. Now the developer is employing an intentional bait and switch, bluffing that they won’t complete the project if you don’t allow them to make a lucrative significant change to the project description and allow significant health impacts that were not studied in the EIR. The city wouldn't make one cent in export tax on this coal, petroleum coke or oil.
We are counting on you to protect us.
I am a scientist studying complexity in neural systems, and I was trained by a father who studies complexity in ecosystems. The impact of fossil fuel exports are difficult to estimate, but we have observations from consumption of fossil fuels. China consumes a large quantity of fossil fuels, is in a position to buy our exports, and still uses old coal burning equipment not up to our emissions standards, often to create consumer goods for our country (Lin et al., 2014, PNAS). Pollution particles from China are detectable by sensors in California, and the size of atmospheric particles affects the formation of precipitation (Creamean, J., et al. 2013, Science ). We need to consider the complexity of the relationship between our local weather and intensified drought, the global climate, and our role in contributing to consumption of fossil fuels outside or our state. This is not merely an economic issue, but a moral issue related to human health locally, and globally.
I am a native Oakland. I support Resolution No. 85054. The City of Oakland should take the lead and stop coal from moving through the Port of Oakland.
1) Transporting coal to Oakland would affect residents from Sacramento to Oakland. The rail corridor runs along the Bay and prevailing winds would blow coal dust into numerous communities affecting millions of people’s health.
2) East and West Oakland's children are already suffering higher than normal rates of asthma and allergies due to industrial activities in their communities. Coal dust will affect the entire City of Oakland.
3) Isn’t Oakland a partner with TransForm? That partnership would seem at odds with coal transport.
4) Phil Tagami is one person who interests do not benefit Oakland residents. We expect the City of Oakland to protect and serve residents who elected you to office.
By passing this resolution, Oakland proves it is a leader. We must be part of the solution to Global Warming, not part of the problem.
I am a long-time resident of Lower Bottoms, West Oakland. Our neighborhood has had more than its share of environmental stressors over the past decades, including Superfund sites, shipping traffic, and the pollution and soot associated with diesel trucking through and around the area. We have elevated asthma rates, as many of my family members can attest to, as well as increases rates of lung cancer and other life-threatening diseases. I have watched with some hopefulness as the city has (albeit belatedly) acted to decrease pollution associated with the port in recent years. It is therefore with great alarm that we in the neighborhood see the port poised to undo in one misguided action all the hard work that has gone into bringing Lower Bottoms closer to mainstream norms of public health. We urge the City of Oakland to take all necessary steps to prevent the transport and shipping of coal and coal-related products through our city.
Coal should not be used for power production in this day and age. Whether we burn it here or if China burns it, the act of transporting the coal through our ports will result in the release of more greenhouse gases and pollution into the environment. The port of Oakland must not allow coal to be transported for the sake of our children and our environment. My son is counting on you.
Thanks you,
Kristian Eldridge
I support Resolution No. 85054 and strongly object to the transportation of fossil fuel materials through Oakland.
I support Resolution 85054 and strongly oppose the shipment of coal from the Oakland Army Base project for the continued health and safety of West Oakland residents. Our neighborhood already is bearing the burden of too many environmental issues- from truck and train exhaust, to expanding garbage processing facilities. Coal shipments were not part of the original proposal regarding the Army Base and seem to have caught our neighborhood by surprise. In an area that already faces many challenges, permitting these shipments would have a terrible impact on our neighbors of West Oakland.
I support Resolution No. 85054. The City of Oakland should take the lead and stop coal from moving through the Port of Oakland.
1) Transporting coal on the rail corridor from Utah to Oakland would affect huge amounts of populations from Sacramento to Oakland. The rail corridor runs along the Bay from Hercules to Oakland and prevailing winds would blow coal dust into numerous communities affecting millions of peoples health.
2) West Oakland's health would be hugely impacted by such an operation, haven't they had enough health issues related to the Port in the past.
3) Oakland has to take responsibility and say no to the use of fossil fuels being shipped to China, thus damaging our environment even more. By passing this resolution, Oaklander's tell the world that alternative means or power must be implemented now. We must be part of the solution to Global Warming, not part of the problem.
I support Resolution No. 85054, which should be applied in preventing the shipment of Coal and related products out of Oakland's shipping terminals. Control measures are cited to mitigate the environmental impacts of coal and its transportation, but it's not enough.
The immediate local impacts should not be ignored. The fact remains that coal and its bi-products are carcinogenic; coal dust even with surfactants will occur.
Let us also not forget the overall impacts. We're allowing a DIRTY product to be shipped and burned to areas that have less stringent environmental controls.
Allowing this, we will support the worlds addiction to a fuel that is slowly killing us worldwide.
Allowing this, we will be helping with the demise of Arctic ice.
Allowing this, we will be helping the world get warmer, making our Sierra snow pack cease to exist. Allowing this, we are helping California's drought problems increase.
The time is now to stand up against local and worldwide pollution.
I can't tell if the previous comment was registered. I support the resolution 85054, previously passed, and most strongly object to the transportation of fossil fuel materials through my beloved city of Oakland. Plus, I am rather fond of planet Earth, and hope to leave it to my children and to yours. Thank you.