Portland's CEI Hub on the Willamette River
Forget vague warnings—we live on a geological fault line, and right next to it is a disaster waiting to happen. The Critical Energy Infrastructure (CEI) Hub, home to nearly all of Oregon's liquid fuel, is situated on soil that liquefies during a major earthquake. The consequence? Massive spills the likes of BP’s 2017 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico but this time in the Willamette. As well as toxic air, and wildfires threatening Forest Park. This isn't fate; it’s a policy choice. The ultimate moral hazard is that fossil fuel corporations pocket the profits, while we—the residents and the environment—are left to bear the catastrophic risk.
The City’s Proposed Draft is meant to fix this, and we have proof that standing up works. Remember the Discussion Draft? Hundreds of you showed up and delivered. Because of sustained pressure from concerned neighbors, active citizens, and advocates like you, the City responded to our concerns and made great changes. We won the fight against new terminals and tank expansions. The City will now require performance bonds for tank replacements, ensuring old, dangerous tanks are demolished rather than just sitting there, waiting to rust. This baseline of safety exists because the community forced the issue.
But we have to look closely at what they didn't fix. The plan calls for only a 20% fuel storage reduction by 2036. That number is an insult to the worsening climate crisis we're already experiencing. Our climate mandate requires a dramatic shift; and Portland’s Comprehensive Plan calls for adoption of strategies that reduce carbon emissions, which justifies aligning with the Oregon Department of Energy’s lowest cost pathway to electrification 70% drawdown needed for our climate goals. Moreover, the draft uses weak language like an undefined "low carbon economy" and includes a new Policy asking us to prioritize the Hub's "economic significance." This framing sets safety up to lose every single time.
The most transparent trap is the Transloading Loophole. The code allows the expansion of fuel-moving infrastructure if it can demonstrate a "public benefit." What exactly is a "public benefit"? Will it be cheaper gas for a weekend joyride? Or perhaps a robust quarterly dividend for shareholders? The draft doesn't say, creating a massive vulnerability that industry lawyers will happily exploit to increase throughput and risk. Furthermore, the lack of equitable action is glaring. A new policy addition encourages agency coordination but fails to mandate consultation with Tribal Nations. Ignoring the voices of indigenous communities who have lived on these lands since time immemorial is a moral and systemic failure.
This is not just policy jargon; it's about life, water, and air. We must dismantle our fossil fuel dependency because the ecological cost of extraction, refining, transport, and use is far too high. We cannot prioritize corporate interests over the safety of the Willamette River and our neighbors.
Your chance to fix these flaws is now! The Planning Commission is holding a public hearing on December 16 at 4:00 p.m. Demand they close the transloading loophole, mandate a 70% reduction to hit our climate targets, and require Tribal consultation. You can register to speak by Monday, December 15, or submit written testimony via the Map App. Use the voice you already proved works!