Portland leaders are considering to limit the expansion of fossil fuel terminals after years of legal challenges from industry groups.
Namely, they are considering a zoning code change that would prohibit the construction of new fossil fuel terminals in the city and prevent the 11 existing terminals that dot the Portland harbor from adding fossil fuel storage tank capacity.
During a hearing, supporters said the move was a necessary step to reduce the region’s greenhouse gas emissions and prevent a disastrous oil spill into the Willamette River during the next major earthquake.
As we work to make our community safer, the first step is to make sure the situation does not get worse. Continuing to allow new fossil fuel terminals and new fossil fuel storage tanks increases the risk to the surrounding district, the Willamette River and the entire city
said Commissioner Carmen Rubio.
Ten of the city’s existing terminals handle petroleum products, and one handles liquid natural gas for heating in the winter, according to Bureau of Planning and Sustainability Supervising Planner Tom Armstrong.
This is the third time city leaders have tried to get these zoning changes codified. They first tried in 2016, but that ordinance was appealed to the Oregon Supreme Court.
The city tried again in 2019, but the region’s major industry groups again fought its passage.
The Land Use Board of Appeal, a state agency with the final say on controversial local land use decisions, said the city had more work to do to prove the zoning code change was consistent with its land use policies.
