The No Coal in Oakland Campaign didn’t know until this past Friday what the City Council would be voting on—a complete ban, some phony mitigation plan, or a choice between competing ordinances. It is a relief that the only option on the agenda is to ban coal completely – the ban we want. But we are not sure we have the votes we need. The council has been quite intimidated at the prospect of a lawsuit from the developers. They need to see the massive support for a ban.
On Monday, June 27 the Oakland City Council will vote on an ordinance to ban coal and pet coke from the marine terminal to be built at the former Oakland Army Base. We need to make it clear that the community supports this ban!
No Coal in Oakland week
Please come on Saturday, June 25, at 1:00 to Oscar Grant Plaza for a rally with speakers and music. It’s crucial that we have a large turnout that day!
And come back on Monday, June 27, for the City Council hearing that begins at 5:00. Come at 4:00 for a rally and a chance to get a seat in the chambers.
Background:
No Coal in Oakland is a grassroots organization campaigning to stop the threat of coal being transported by rail into Oakland for export overseas. Despite the City Council, the Mayor, and numerous other politicians saying they don’t want coal passing through Oakland, the proposal to build a massive coal terminal south of the Bay Bridge on the Oakland waterfront remains on the table.
The project, known as the Oakland Bulk and Oversized Terminal, is being built by a group of developers led by Prologis CCIG Oakland Global LLC. After years of assurances that coal would not be transported through the bulk terminal, in April 2015, community members learned that the developers had secretly cut a funding deal with four Utah counties to export coal through Oakland. In exchange for $53 million in project funding, the developers promised the Utah counties shipping rights to at least 49% of the bulk terminal’s 9-10 million ton annual shipping capacity.
Special City Council Meeting Notice and Additional Information
CITY OF OAKLAND
CITY HALL •1 FRANK H. OGAWA PLAZA • OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA 94612
OFFICE OF THE CITY ADMINISTRATOR
Sabrina B. Landreth
(510) 238-2223
City Administrator
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
Notice is hereby given that the Oakland City Council will hold a public hearing on the following matter:
Conduct and Public Hearing and Upon Conclusion Consider A Report and Recommendation for Options to address Coal and Coke issues, including Introducing
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 CEQA EXEMPTION FINDINGS
And Adopting
A RESOLUTION (A) APPLYING ORDINANCE NO. __________C.M.S. [THE ABOVE ORDINANCE] TO THE PROPOSED OAKLAND OVERSIZED AND BULK TERMINAL LOCATED IN THE WEST GATEWAY DEVELOPMENT AREA OF THE FORMER OAKLAND ARMY BASE; AND (B) ADOPTING CEQA EXEMPTION FINDINGS AND RELYING ON THE PREVIOUSLY CERTIFIED 2002 ARMY BASE REDEVELOPMENT PLAN EIR AND 2012 ADDENDUM
The Oakland City Council is scheduled to hold a public hearing on the above matter at a Special Meeting on MONDAY JUNE 27, 2016 AT 5:00 P.M. in the City Council Chambers of City Hall located at One Frank H. Ogawa Plaza in Oakland, California. All interested persons are invited to attend and be heard.
The City Council Agenda Report, proposed legislation and other agenda-related materials will be available no later than noon on Friday, June 24, 2016 and can be viewed at https://oakland.legistar.com/calendar.aspx
Moreover, copies of the proposed Oakland Bulk and Oversized Terminal’s Basis of Design, as well as some of the previously submitted public comments, are available for review at the City of Oakland Bureau of Planning, 250 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza, Suite 2114, Oakland, CA 94612, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p. m. except Wednesday 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. These documents are also available on the City of Oakland website at:
http://www2.oaklandnet.com/Government/o/CityAdministration/d/NeighborhoodInvestment/OAK038485
If you challenge the proposed legislation in court, you may be limited to raising only those issues/evidence you or someone else raised at the public hearing described in this notice, or in written correspondence delivered to the Department of Planning & Building no later than 4:00 p.m. of the date of the public hearing (as described below), or to the City Council at the hearing.
For further information, please contact Heather Klein at (510) 238-3659. Written comments may be addressed to Heather Klein via email at OBOT@oaklandnet.com, via facsimile at (510) 238-4730, or via U.S. mail at City of Oakland, Department of Planning & Building, Bureau of Planning, 250 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza, Suite 2114, Oakland, California, 94612.
Office of the City Administrator
June 17, 2016
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