5 15-0977 Subject: Health And Safety Impacts Of Coal In Oakland
From: Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan
Recommendation: Conduct A Public Hearing And Upon Conclusion Consider A Report And Recommendation For Options To Address Coal And Coke Issues, Including Introducing:
1) An Ordinance (1) Amending The Oakland Municipal Code To Prohibit The Storage And Handling Of Coal And Coke At Bulk Material Facilities Or Terminals Throughout The City Of Oakland And (2) Adopting • California Environmental Quality Act Exemption Findings; And
As an Oakland resident, I strongly support all action to prohibit the transport and storage of any coal in Oakland. I trust that Oakland's City Council will do the right thing to protect the health of some of its most vulnerable residents, already disproportionately affected by pollution, as well as take a firm stance to keep fossil fuels in the ground and not further contribute to global climate change.
Support amending the municipal code to prohibit the storage and handling of Coal and Coke at Bull material facilities and terminals in City of Oakland. Please. No Coal transport or handling in Ports in and around Oakland.
I live in East Oakland, have lung damage and I already have trouble breathing on days with bad air quality. Allowing the shipment to and transfer of coal at the Port of Oakland will degrade our local air quality even further on a direct local basis and indirectly as coal is burned in China and particulate matter from their use returns to us across the Pacific. I completely support the City Council's resolution and proposed ban and hope that the vote tonight will be unanimous. However, it is critical the City seeks outside legal counsel to ensure that we have a legal basis to defend against Tagami's certain lawsuit following a ban. You would be in a much better position if you were to do a focused supplemental EIR or an addendum to the existing EIR. You have already approved the generic project so how can you legally ban coal from going through the facility, when it was never previously discussed? ESA's report has no legal teeth but could be incorporated into a CEQA document.
The Center for Environmental Health is an Oakland based national non-profit organization. We ask that you vote Aye for a ban ordinance and resolution on the transportation of coal through the OBOT. By allowing the OBOT to transport coal through West Oakland the City Council would be doubly polluting communities by transporting coal and then having the air pollution from burning coal in China impact air quality here in California. The health assessment report released by the Human Impact Project health professional panel underscores the health and safety concerns around coal transport through West Oakland. From decreasing the lung function of children who already have the highest rates of asthma in Alameda County to combustion from the handling of coal. Coal transport through Oakland will impact the health and safety of the West Oakland community. We strongly urge you to vote to ban the transportation of coal through the OBOT.
Please, prohibit handling, storage and transport of coal throughout City of Oakland
The idea that we would trade away the possibility of forestalling massive loss of life and biosphere so Phil Tagami and his associates could make a lot of money and a handful of jobs could be created is offensive. Not stopping this fiasco would make the OPD appear as a paragon of high ethical standards.
No coal or coke should be allowed into our beautiful city or port. This toxic product poses a serious health risk for our residents and is a danger to our city and region's environment. We should be on the cutting edge of supporting and creating cleaner, greener, healthier, and safer jobs too in the 21st Century, not stepping backwards into a past that is associated with damaging our lungs and air. The City Council and Mayor need to stand on the correct side of history by putting our community's health above profits that don't really benefit Oakland in the long run.
I have lived in West Oakland for all of my 34 years. I have watched neighbors old and young suffer from pollution caused by the freeways and diesel truck emissions that circle our homes. We can't breathe. We need our leaders to help protect us from health hazards like coal and coke, now and for our future generations. Please support the resolution to prohibit the transport, storage, and handling of coal and coke in our community.
As a former resident of Utah, I urge Oakland leadership to ban the transport of coal through the city and the port. The actions of Utah's leaders are a clear case of interstate environmental injustice, where public funds are converted to private profit with the citizens of both states losing health and environmental quality. Oakland leadership should not sacrifice the health of its citizens to facilitate Utah's antiquated and misguided devotion to the fossil fuel industry.
The Oakland Education Association stands with No Coal In Oakland to support a BAN on Coal in Oakland. It harms our children's health and threatens their future with even worse climate change.
Families globally deserve protection from environmentally harmful actions. The impact on climate change by shipping coal / coke through Oakland is a threat to their health now and in the future. Other cities have refused to transport this fuel and Oakland should follow suit. The jobs created by the Port development will not be eliminated because one product (coal) is banned. This is just a clear case of GREED at both ends of the coal train.
I am a resident of District 3 and strongly support the ban on coal. Transporting coal through West Oakland would cause major health problems for residents already disproportionately exposed to contamination. Say no to environmental racism and promote community health by voting for the ban on coal in Oakland.
While the threats to the well being of our community from the transport of coal and coke are well documented the supposed benefits of this proposal are dubious at best. Oakland deserves to be on the right side of history when it comes to the well being of our planet and its communities.
Pastor Jim Hopkins
Lakeshore Avenue Baptist Church
I am a resident living in District 3, and I strongly support the ban on coal in Oakland. I am lucky enough to live in an apartment complex in West Oakland that is full of amazing, wonderful, and active kids and young families--families who would be absolutely devastated by the deterioration of our neighborhoods if coal, a scientifically-proven substance that is detrimental to human health and the environment, gets exported through our communities. Please honor the lives of the people who have lived here and want to continue to live here for many generations by allowing them to live in neighborhoods free from harmful environmental pollutants that are caused by coal and other fossil fuels.
As an Oakland resident, I strongly support all action to prohibit the transport and storage of any coal in Oakland. I trust that Oakland's City Council will do the right thing to protect the health of some of its most vulnerable residents, already disproportionately affected by pollution, as well as take a firm stance to keep fossil fuels in the ground and not further contribute to global climate change.
Support amending the municipal code to prohibit the storage and handling of Coal and Coke at Bull material facilities and terminals in City of Oakland. Please. No Coal transport or handling in Ports in and around Oakland.
I live in East Oakland, have lung damage and I already have trouble breathing on days with bad air quality. Allowing the shipment to and transfer of coal at the Port of Oakland will degrade our local air quality even further on a direct local basis and indirectly as coal is burned in China and particulate matter from their use returns to us across the Pacific. I completely support the City Council's resolution and proposed ban and hope that the vote tonight will be unanimous. However, it is critical the City seeks outside legal counsel to ensure that we have a legal basis to defend against Tagami's certain lawsuit following a ban. You would be in a much better position if you were to do a focused supplemental EIR or an addendum to the existing EIR. You have already approved the generic project so how can you legally ban coal from going through the facility, when it was never previously discussed? ESA's report has no legal teeth but could be incorporated into a CEQA document.
The Center for Environmental Health is an Oakland based national non-profit organization. We ask that you vote Aye for a ban ordinance and resolution on the transportation of coal through the OBOT. By allowing the OBOT to transport coal through West Oakland the City Council would be doubly polluting communities by transporting coal and then having the air pollution from burning coal in China impact air quality here in California. The health assessment report released by the Human Impact Project health professional panel underscores the health and safety concerns around coal transport through West Oakland. From decreasing the lung function of children who already have the highest rates of asthma in Alameda County to combustion from the handling of coal. Coal transport through Oakland will impact the health and safety of the West Oakland community. We strongly urge you to vote to ban the transportation of coal through the OBOT.
I agree with Susan Steinhauer: Please vote to prohibit handling, storage and transport of coal throughout City of Oakland !
Please, prohibit handling, storage and transport of coal throughout City of Oakland
The idea that we would trade away the possibility of forestalling massive loss of life and biosphere so Phil Tagami and his associates could make a lot of money and a handful of jobs could be created is offensive. Not stopping this fiasco would make the OPD appear as a paragon of high ethical standards.
No coal or coke should be allowed into our beautiful city or port. This toxic product poses a serious health risk for our residents and is a danger to our city and region's environment. We should be on the cutting edge of supporting and creating cleaner, greener, healthier, and safer jobs too in the 21st Century, not stepping backwards into a past that is associated with damaging our lungs and air. The City Council and Mayor need to stand on the correct side of history by putting our community's health above profits that don't really benefit Oakland in the long run.
Ban Coal!!!
Prohibit handling, storage and transport of coal throughout City of Oakland.
I have lived in West Oakland for all of my 34 years. I have watched neighbors old and young suffer from pollution caused by the freeways and diesel truck emissions that circle our homes. We can't breathe. We need our leaders to help protect us from health hazards like coal and coke, now and for our future generations. Please support the resolution to prohibit the transport, storage, and handling of coal and coke in our community.
As a former resident of Utah, I urge Oakland leadership to ban the transport of coal through the city and the port. The actions of Utah's leaders are a clear case of interstate environmental injustice, where public funds are converted to private profit with the citizens of both states losing health and environmental quality. Oakland leadership should not sacrifice the health of its citizens to facilitate Utah's antiquated and misguided devotion to the fossil fuel industry.
I urge the council to ban the storage, handling, and transportation of coal and coke in Oakland. No coal in Oakland!
I support a ban on coal in Oakland.
The Oakland Education Association stands with No Coal In Oakland to support a BAN on Coal in Oakland. It harms our children's health and threatens their future with even worse climate change.
I am AGAINST the storage/handling of coal and coke here in Oakland. Resident of West Oakland
Families globally deserve protection from environmentally harmful actions. The impact on climate change by shipping coal / coke through Oakland is a threat to their health now and in the future. Other cities have refused to transport this fuel and Oakland should follow suit. The jobs created by the Port development will not be eliminated because one product (coal) is banned. This is just a clear case of GREED at both ends of the coal train.
I am a resident of District 3 and strongly support the ban on coal. Transporting coal through West Oakland would cause major health problems for residents already disproportionately exposed to contamination. Say no to environmental racism and promote community health by voting for the ban on coal in Oakland.
I am a resident of District 1 and support a ban on coal. We should not sacrifice the health of our community for a dying industry.
While the threats to the well being of our community from the transport of coal and coke are well documented the supposed benefits of this proposal are dubious at best. Oakland deserves to be on the right side of history when it comes to the well being of our planet and its communities.
Pastor Jim Hopkins
Lakeshore Avenue Baptist Church
I am a resident living in District 3, and I strongly support the ban on coal in Oakland. I am lucky enough to live in an apartment complex in West Oakland that is full of amazing, wonderful, and active kids and young families--families who would be absolutely devastated by the deterioration of our neighborhoods if coal, a scientifically-proven substance that is detrimental to human health and the environment, gets exported through our communities. Please honor the lives of the people who have lived here and want to continue to live here for many generations by allowing them to live in neighborhoods free from harmful environmental pollutants that are caused by coal and other fossil fuels.