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Tesoro Savage Vancouver Energy Distribution Terminal of 29 Playing With Fire: Public Testimony by Herman M. Frankel, M.D. (January 15, 2016)

<TesoroSavageTestimony5.docx>

Date: January 15, 2016 From: “Herman M. Frankel, M.D.” <[email protected]> To: TS “EFSEC” public comment website <https://ts.efsec.wa.gov> C: Project Manager “Sonia E. Bumpus” <[email protected]> Cc: Governor Jay Inslee, Office of the Governor, PO Box 40002, Olympia, WA 98504-0002 Cc: Washington Counsel for the Environment “Matthew Kernutt” <[email protected]> Subject: Proposed Tesoro Savage Vancouver Energy Distribution Terminal

Tesoro Savage Vancouver Energy Distribution Terminal Washington State Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council (EFSEC)

Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS)

Tesoro Savage: Playing With Fire Public Testimony by Herman M. Frankel, M.D.

Director, Portland Health Institute January 15, 2016

[Note: This formal written testimony is preceded by a list of main points, and is followed by a listing of cited government sources.]



Main Points (Part 1 of 3)

After contentious partisan negotiations, on December 15, 2015 Congress passed the $1.8 trillion omnibus “Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016” and lifted the 40-year US ban on crude oil exports. The health effects of air quality deterioration due to increased vehicle delays near railroad/street crossings that would be obstructed by Project-related oil-carrying unit trains, whether or not those delays exceed the rate of 90 hours daily calculated before the ban on crude oil exports was lifted, may prove to be significant. Heavy oil trains deform and damage existing tracks. Deformed or damaged tracks cause derailments. When derailed, tank cars, known to be insufficiently robust, are prone to rupture. In a majority of the 31 crashes that have occurred on oil trains in the US since 2013, their contents spilled, burned, or exploded. A review of US oil train crashes 2013 puts failure of defective track at the heart of the growing safety problem; and continuing damage to tracks increases the risk of future oil train derailments. Sarah Feinberg, chief of the Federal Railroad Administration, has observed that “preventing accidents that result from defective track involves finding a needle in every haystack along thousands of miles of track.” Based on data regarding the oil train system as it currently exists, and on the current volume of oil train traffic, the US Department of Transportation expects an annual average of ten dangerous wrecks due to oil train derailments in the next two decades, causing at least $4.5 billion in damages over this period.



Main Points (Part 2 of 3) Warming of the climate system is unequivocal. The atmosphere and ocean have warmed, the amounts of snow and ice have diminished, sea level has risen, and the concentrations of greenhouse gases have increased. The atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide have increased to levels unprecedented in at least the last 800,000 years. Carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations have increased by 40% since pre-industrial times, primarily from fossil fuel emissions and secondarily from net land use change emissions. Increasing fossil fuel burning increases atmospheric CO2 and global warming. Global warming causes rising sea levels, increases in intense rainfall events, decreases in snow cover and sea ice, more frequent and intense heat waves, increases in wildfires, longer growing seasons, and ocean acidification. The US Department of Defense sees climate change as a “threat multiplier,” intensifying the challenges of global instability, hunger, poverty, conflict, infectious disease, and terrorism. The Advisory Group on Climate Change and Human Mobility of the UN Office of the Human Rights Commissioner calls upon all countries to acknowledge the occurrence of climate migration (i.e., forced internal and cross-border displacement as an adaptation strategy in the context of climate change), and to take measures to reduce and prevent its occurrence.



Main Points (Part 3 of 3)

A flourishing and well-funded climate-denial industry – manifest, for example, in the Exxon scandal – is itself a contributing cause of ongoing global warming because it influences many government decision-makers to oppose climate-control initiatives, and pays speakers and researchers to influence people’s thinking.

In the face of opposition, state and local leaders concerned about such consequences of anthropogenic climate disruption as floods, droughts, forest fires, and ocean acidification work tirelessly to move beyond endless debate and to enact real world solutions.

Our planet and our democracy need massive and sustained public support for government decision-makers and media organizations committed to protecting the public good, rather than to protecting the well-being of fossil fuel corporations.



Tesoro Savage Vancouver Energy Distribution Terminal

Washington State Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council (EFSEC) Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS)

Tesoro Savage: Playing With Fire

Public Testimony by Herman M. Frankel, M.D. January 15, 2016

Thank you for the opportunity to submit testimony about the Washington State Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council’s (EFSEC’s) Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Tesoro Savage Vancouver Energy Distribution Terminal (1). 1. http://www.efsec.wa.gov/Tesoro%20Savage/SEPA%20-%20DEIS/DEIS%20PAGE.shtml With documentation primarily from government sources, I shall comment on the following: A. Context, including the possibility that approval and implementation of the present proposal will result in an even greater increase in oil train traffic than projected, and even greater increases in local emission of carbon dioxide and particulate matter B. Ways in which the damage to railroad tracks caused by increases in oil train traffic results in derailments, rupture of insufficiently robust railroad cars, spills, fires, and consequent harm to people, property, and environment C. Contributions of this project to global warming, droughts, floods, decreased food production, increased food costs, destabilization of weak states, increases in political conflict, war, terrorism, and desperate migration; and prevention of these consequences

Migrants arrive at the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing the Aegean Sea from Turkey. Dashka Slater. Fleeing an Angry Climate: Governments are not ready for the coming flood of climate migrants. Sierra. January/February 2016, pp. 22-24. http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/2016-1-january-february/grapple/fleeing-angry-climate

http://www.efsec.wa.gov/Tesoro%20Savage/SEPA%20-%20DEIS/DEIS%20PAGE.shtml

http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/2016-1-january-february/grapple/fleeing-angry-climate



A. Context

I understand the following from the Draft Environmental Impact Statement, which the EFSEC “developed using submittals from the Applicant and their consultant(s) in combination with additional analysis performed by EFSEC staff, its contractors and independent consultant”:

“The Applicant (Tesoro Savage Petroleum Terminal LLC, also known as Vancouver Energy) has applied for a Site Certification Agreement to construct and operate a new crude oil terminal capable of receiving an average of 360,000 barrels of crude oil per day. At the Proposed Facility, the crude oil will be unloaded from trains, stored on-site, and loaded onto marine vessels at a marine terminal located at the Port of Vancouver in Clark County, WA. Marine vessels would deliver crude oil to refineries primarily located on the US West Coast.”

While EFSEC staff was developing the DEIS, oil industry representatives continued to be engaged in an intensive multi-year program of lobbying Congress and the president to end a 40-year ban on crude oil exports. Contentious partisan Congressional negotiations leading to the December 15, 2015 passage of the $1.8 trillion tax and spending omnibus bill resulted in the lifting of this ban (2, 3, and Appendix A), in exchange (according to White House spokesman Josh Earnest) for continuation of Planned Parenthood funding, the Dodd-Frank financial law, and admission of Syrian refugees to the US. The lifting of the ban may well lead to an increase in the number of tank cars of crude oil transported, unloaded, stored, and reloaded onto marine vessels daily, and, ultimately, to even greater local environmental risk and damage, and atmospheric CO2 emission, than projected. 2. http://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/article/Lifting-of-oil-export-ban-opens-news-horizons-to-6718939.php 3. http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2015-12-16/congress-reaches-fiscal-deal-that-ends-u-s-crude-oil-export-ban Regarding emission of carbon dioxide and particulate matter due to rail-caused vehicle delays at train crossings, the Draft Environmental Impact Statement suggests the following (Page 3.2-25):

The addition of eight trains per day would result in an increased delay of approximately 41 minutes per crossing per day . . . The total combined vehicular delay would be 90 hours each day . . . experienced at 200 roadway-railroad at-grade crossings. . .Vehicles idling while delayed at these crossing locations would temporarily increase emissions. However, the increase in emissions would be anticipated to be less than significant.

It is possible that drivers and their passengers, people who live or work nearby, children and their parents and grandparents and pediatricians, seniors and people with chronic illness and their physicians, and local and regional public health professionals might find the health effects of an increase in emissions to be less than significant. This may prove to be the case even if the lifting of the ban on exporting crude oil – or any other change – resulted in a greater-than-projected increase in the number or length of oil trains than projected; but in either case, the health effects may well prove to be distressing.

http://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/article/Lifting-of-oil-export-ban-opens-news-horizons-to-6718939.php

http://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/article/Lifting-of-oil-export-ban-opens-news-horizons-to-6718939.php

http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2015-12-16/congress-reaches-fiscal-deal-that-ends-u-s-crude-oil-export-ban

http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2015-12-16/congress-reaches-fiscal-deal-that-ends-u-s-crude-oil-export-ban



B. Local environmental risks and damage resulting from rail transport of crude oil In Section 3.2-8, the DEIS notes the following:

“Integration of the trains delivering crude oil to the proposed Facility into the normal ebb and flow of train volume on the Class 1 rail system does not involve any construction or modification of the rail system.”

Without any construction or modification of the rail system, the US Department of Transportation (4) expects an annual average of ten dangerous wrecks due to oil train derailments in the next two decades, causing at least $4.5 billion in damages over this period. 4. http://www.homelandsecuritynewswire.com/dr20150226-cost-of-derailments-of-oilcarrying-trains-over-the-next-two-decades-4-5-billion Here’s an example (5) of the consequences of one such wreck:

Feb. 16, 2015: A freight train carrying 107 tankers of Bakken crude oil derailed in southern West Virginia near the Kanawha River last Monday, shooting a huge fireball and smoke into the sky. Some 27 rail cars derailed and 19 tankers caught fire or exploded. Part of the derailed train slammed into a home in Fayette County. Hundreds of residents were evacuated while the tanker fires were allowed to burn out. Two water treatment plants were closed due to risk of contamination from oil spills. First responders worked all week to control the fires and contain the spills to prevent oil from getting into the watershed.

Here’s another (5, again):

April, 30, 2014: A train carrying crude oil derailed in Lynchburg, Virginia along the James River. Several tanker cars exploded and caught fire, causing huge flames and thick black smoke. Three tankers leaked oil into the river.

5. Kate Evans. Train derailments a concern for towns along rail lines. Morgan Messenger (Berkeley Springs, Morgan County, WV) Feb. 25, 2015. http://www.morganmessenger.com/news/2015-02-25/Front_Page/Train_derailments_a_concern_for_towns_along_rail_l.html

http://www.homelandsecuritynewswire.com/dr20150226-cost-of-derailments-of-oilcarrying-trains-over-the-next-two-decades-4-5-billion


http://www.morganmessenger.com/news/2015-02-25/Front_Page/Train_derailments_a_concern_for_towns_along_rail_l.html

http://www.morganmessenger.com/news/2015-02-25/Front_Page/Train_derailments_a_concern_for_towns_along_rail_l.html



On July 23, 2014, the US Department of Transportation released this statement: (6)

The volume of crude oil being produced and shipped by rail in North America simply did not exist that long ago. As the facts have changed on the ground so rapidly in the past few years, we must also change how we move this energy.

Noting the July 6, 2013 derailment of a 74-car train carrying Bakken crude in Lac-Mégantic, Quebec, killing 47 people and forcing thousands from their homes as fire from the derailed train engulf and destroyed most of the town’s downtown core (7), the DOT announced its plan to develop new safety rules. These rules would be designed to enhance tank car standards (by improving the design of tank cars built after October 1, 2015, the most comprehensive of which would require thicker, more puncture-resistant shells, enhanced braking, and rollover protection); to establish new operational requirements for High-Hazard Flammable Trains (HHFTs) (including enhanced braking, speed restrictions, route risk assessments incorporating 27 different factors, and advanced notification of State Emergency Response Commissions); and to put in place a higher standard for classifying and testing mined gases and liquids, observing, for example, that “compared to other crude oils, Bakken crude is on the high end of volatility.” (6, again) 6. https://www.transportation.gov/fastlane/proposed-rulemaking-increases-rail-safety-crude-other-flammables 7. http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2015/11/12/lac-megantic-derailment-charges-see-accused-plead-not-guilty.html (The [Toronto] Star)

July 6, 2013: A 74-car train carrying Bakken crude derailed in Lac-Mégantic, Quebec.

https://www.transportation.gov/fastlane/proposed-rulemaking-increases-rail-safety-crude-other-flammables


http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2015/11/12/lac-megantic-derailment-charges-see-accused-plead-not-guilty.html

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2015/11/12/lac-megantic-derailment-charges-see-accused-plead-not-guilty.html



The Transportation Safety Board of Canada, like the US Department of Transportation, has concluded that existing tank car standards and existing operational requirements for oil trains are insufficient to protect “people, property and the environment.”

“In recent years, the growth in the transportation of crude oil and ethanol by rail across North America has increased exponentially. . . The Lac-Mégantic derailment in July 2013, and other recent derailments (in Plaster Rock, New Brunswick; and Clair, Saskatchewan), have demonstrated that there can be significant risk to people, property and the environment when trains carrying large volumes of flammable liquids derail. . . The increase in the transportation of flammable liquids—such as crude oil—by rail across North America has created emerging risks that need to be effectively mitigated . . . Flammable liquids must be shipped in more robust tank cars to reduce the likelihood of a dangerous goods release during accidents . . .” (8)

8. Transportation Safety Board of Canada. Transportation of flammable liquids by rail. http://toplocalplaces.com/united-states/novi/organization/brotherhood-of-maintenance-of-way-employes/290792087644965 Further, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada has addressed the question, “Why do the derailments occur?”

Petroleum crude oil unit trains with heavily loaded tank cars will tend to impart higher-than-usual forces to the track infrastructure during their operation. These higher forces expose any weaknesses that may be present in the track structure, making the track more susceptible to failure. (9)

Aerial photo of derailment

Broken rail in joint bars with wheel impact damage on top of joint bar

9. Transportation Safety Board of Canada. Rail Safety Advisory Letter (617– 04/15): Condition of Track Infrastructure on CN Ruel Subdivision. Mar 17, 2015. http://www.tsb.gc.ca/eng/medias-media/sur-safe/letter/rail/2015/r15h0021/r15h0021-617-04-15.asp

http://toplocalplaces.com/united-states/novi/organization/brotherhood-of-maintenance-of-way-employes/290792087644965


http://www.tsb.gc.ca/eng/medias-media/sur-safe/letter/rail/2015/r15h0021/r15h0021-617-04-15.asp



Ralph Vertabedian (10), national correspondent at the Los Angeles Times, addressed the same question: Why are so many oil trains crashing? “An alarming pattern across North America helps explain the significant rise of derailments involving oil-hauling trains over the last three years, even as railroads are investing billions of dollars in improving the safety of their networks. . . . About two-thirds of the accidents resulted in spills, fires or explosions, a record that has already prompted regulators to demand stronger tank cars and other safety measures. . . “A review of 31 crashes that have occurred on oil trains since 2013 puts track failure at the heart of the growing safety problem. “Track problems were blamed on 59% of the crashes, more than double the overall rate for freight train accidents, according to a Times analysis of accident reports. Investigators and rail safety experts are looking at how the weight and movements of oil trains may be causing higher than expected track failures. . . Weight, oil sloshing, and cold temperatures are among the issues that might be exacerbating the problem, according to rail safety experts. (11)

10. Ralph Vertabedian: Bio. http://www.latimes.com/la-bio-ralph-vartabedian-staff.html 11. Ralph Vertabedian. Why are so many oil trains crashing? Track problems may be to blame. LA Times Oct. 7, 2015. http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-crude-train-safety-20151007-story.html On October 9, 2015, the US Federal Railroad Administration announced the results of its investigation of a February 16, 2015 derailment in Mount Carbon, WV that resulted in 27 derailed cars, a fire that ignited immediately and eventually burned for days, and the evacuation of hundreds of local residents. Finding: The cause of the derailment was a broken rail, resulting from a vertical split head rail defect. Actions: FRA will urge closer and more detailed inspections where defects and flaws are suspected, and stronger training for rail inspection vehicle operators; explore the need for rail-head wear standards and potentially require railroads to slow trains or replace a rail when certain conditions pose a safety risk; and require this railroad’s internal rail flaw operators to review previous inspection data alongside real-time data in order to assist in identifying conditions and flaws that have changed or worsened between inspections. (12) 12. Federal Railroad Administration. Federal Railroad Administration Announces Cause of Mount Carbon Derailment, Steps to Prevent Future Accidents (Press Release Number FRA 17-15. Sep 9, 2015 https://www.fra.dot.gov/eLib/Details/L17122 Ralph Vertebian (11, above): “Sarah Feinberg, chief of the Federal Railroad Administration, said the agency is working hard to improve safety, but preventing accidents that result from defective track involves finding a needle in every haystack along thousands of miles of track.

“ ‘We have been incredibly lucky that the accidents have happened mostly in rural areas,’ she said. ‘Some of them have been very close calls.’ ” (11, above)

http://www.latimes.com/la-bio-ralph-vartabedian-staff.html%23nt=byline

http://www.latimes.com/la-bio-ralph-vartabedian-staff.html

http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-crude-train-safety-20151007-story.html

https://www.fra.dot.gov/eLib/Details/L17122



C. Global Warming: Diagnosis, Causes, Consequences, and Prevention

C.1. Diagnosis and causes of global warming (Part1) Excerpted from the 2013 report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 13: Warming of the climate system is unequivocal, and since the 1950s, many of the observed changes are unprecedented over decades to millennia. The atmosphere and ocean have warmed, the amounts of snow and ice have diminished, sea level has risen, and the concentrations of greenhouse gases have increased. Each of the last three decades has been successively warmer at the Earth’s surface than any preceding decade since 1850. In the Northern Hemisphere, 1983–2012 was likely the warmest 30-year period of the last 1400 years. Ocean warming dominates the increase in energy stored in the climate system, accounting for more than 90% of the energy accumulated between 1971 and 2010 (high confidence). It is virtually certain that the upper ocean (0−700 m) warmed from 1971 to 2010 (see Figure SPM.3), and it likely warmed between the 1870s and 1971. Over the last two decades, the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets have been losing mass, glaciers have continued to shrink almost worldwide, and Arctic sea ice and Northern Hemisphere spring snow cover have continued to decrease in extent (high confidence) The rate of sea level rise since the mid-19th century has been larger than the mean rate during the previous two millennia (high confidence). Over the period 1901 to 2010, global mean sea level rose by 0.19 [0.17 to 0.21] m. The atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide have increased to levels unprecedented in at least the last 800,000 years. Carbon dioxide concentrations have increased by 40% since pre-industrial times, primarily from fossil fuel emissions and secondarily from net land use change emissions. The ocean has absorbed about 30% of the emitted anthropogenic carbon dioxide, causing ocean acidification. _____ 13. IPCC (2013). Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Stocker, T.F., D. Qin, G.-K. Plattner, M. Tignor, S.K. Allen, J. Boschung, A. Nauels, Y. Xia, V. Bex and P.M. Midgley (eds.)]. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA. http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/assessment-report/ar5/wg1/WG1AR5_SPM_FINAL.pdf

http://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar5/wg1/

http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/assessment-report/ar5/wg1/WG1AR5_SPM_FINAL.pdf



C.1. Diagnosis and causes of global warming (Part 2) Excerpted from the 2013 report of the US Environmental Protection Agency (14): Since the Industrial Revolution began around 1750, human activities have contributed substantially to climate change by adding CO2 and other heat-trapping gases to the atmosphere. These greenhouse gas emissions have increased the greenhouse effect and caused Earth’s surface temperature to rise. The primary human activity affecting the amount and rate of climate change is greenhouse gas emissions from the burning of fossil fuels.

CO2 is absorbed and emitted naturally as part of the carbon cycle, through plant and animal respiration, volcanic eruptions, and ocean-atmosphere exchange. Human activities, such as the burning of fossil fuels and changes in land use, release large amounts of CO2, causing concentrations in the atmosphere to rise. 14. US Environmental Protection Agency. Causes of Climate Change. http://www3.epa.gov/climatechange/science/causes.html

Factories that burn fossil fuels help to cause global warming. Bruce Forster—Stone/Getty Images global warming (Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11)) The average surface temperature on Earth is slowly increasing. This trend is known as global warming. fossil fuel: burning of fossil fuels. Photograph. Britannica Online for Kids. Web.

7 Jan. 2016. <http://kids.britannica.com/elementary/art-87019>. http://kids.britannica.com/elementary/art-87019/Factories-that-burn-fossil-fuels-help-to-cause-global-warming

http://www3.epa.gov/climatechange/science/causes.html

http://kids.britannica.com/elementary/article-353185/global-warming

http://kids.britannica.com/elementary/art-87019

http://kids.britannica.com/elementary/art-87019/Factories-that-burn-fossil-fuels-help-to-cause-global-warming

http://kids.britannica.com/elementary/art-87019/Factories-that-burn-fossil-fuels-help-to-cause-global-warming



C.1. Diagnosis and causes of global warming (Part 3) Excerpted from “Exxon: The Road Not Taken,” an 8 month investigation reported September 16, 2015 by Inside Climate News (15): In 1979, Steven Knisely, an intern at Exxon Research and Engineering, wrote a detailed in-house memo in which he projected that unless fossil fuel use was constrained, there would be "noticeable temperature changes" and 400 parts per million of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the air by 2010, up from about 280 ppm before the Industrial Revolution. Through much of the 1980s, Exxon researchers worked alongside university and government scientists to generate objective climate models that yielded papers published in peer-reviewed journals. Their research confirmed the emerging scientific consensus on global warming's risks. But in 1989, Exxon leaders began arguing repeatedly that the uncertainty inherent in computer models makes them useless for important policy decisions. Even as the models grew more powerful and reliable, Exxon publicly derided the type of work its own scientists had done, and began a successful campaign – continuing to the present – to stop global action to reduce fossil fuel emissions. ___ 15. Neela Banerjee, Lisa Song, and David Hasemyer. Exxon's Own Research Confirmed Fossil Fuels' Role in Global Warming Decades Ago: Top executives were warned of possible catastrophe from greenhouse effect, then led efforts to block solutions. Inside Climate News. Sep 16, 2015 http://insideclimatenews.org/content/Exxon-The-Road-Not-Taken On October 18, 2016, a month after the release of “Exxon: The Road Not Taken,” presidential contenders Bernie Sanders and Martin O’Malley tweeted support for an investigation of oil giant ExxonMobil for concealing research on fossil fuels’ contribution to climate change. Two days later, Sanders wrote a detailed and widely publicized letter to US Attorney General Loretta Lynch noting, “It appears that Exxon knew its product was causing harm to the public, and spent millions of dollars to obfuscate the facts in the public discourse.” Nine days after that, when asked during a 10/29/15 campaign stop in New Hampshire whether Exxon should be subject to a Defense Department investigation, presidential contender Hillary Clinton said, “Yes, yes they should. There's a lot of evidence [Exxon] misled people.” On October 30, leaders of more than 40 of the country’s largest environmental groups, civil rights organizations, and indigenous peoples movements issued a joint letter calling for an investigation. By October 31, more than 360,000 signatures had been delivered to the Department of Justice. http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/10/20/3714390/bernie-sanders-investigate-exxon-climate-denial/ http://www.sanders.senate.gov/download/sanders-letter-to-ag-lynch-regarding-exxon?inline=file http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/258589-clinton-joins-calls-for-federal-probe-of-exxon http://350.org/the-department-of-justice-must-investigate-exxonmobil/ https://350.org/press-release/doj-delivery/ But the process that Exxon started 26 years ago continues in full strength. As Harvard science historian Naomi Oreskes has shown (16), a flourishing and well-funded climate-denial industry influences a great many decision-makers to oppose climate-control initiatives, and produces paid speakers and paid researchers to influence public thinking. This industry is itself a contributing cause of ongoing global warming. 16. Merchants of Doubt (Bloomsbury, 2011) http://www.merchantsofdoubt.org/index.html

http://insideclimatenews.org/news/15092015/Exxons-own-research-confirmed-fossil-fuels-role-in-global-warming

http://insideclimatenews.org/news/15092015/Exxons-own-research-confirmed-fossil-fuels-role-in-global-warming

http://insideclimatenews.org/content/Exxon-The-Road-Not-Taken

http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/10/20/3714390/bernie-sanders-investigate-exxon-climate-denial/

http://www.sanders.senate.gov/download/sanders-letter-to-ag-lynch-regarding-exxon?inline=file

http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/258589-clinton-joins-calls-for-federal-probe-of-exxon

http://350.org/the-department-of-justice-must-investigate-exxonmobil/

https://350.org/press-release/doj-delivery/

http://www.merchantsofdoubt.org/index.html



C.2. Consequences of global warming (Part 1) Excerpted from the 2010 report of the US National Academy of Sciences (17, 18): Science has made enormous progress toward understanding climate change. As a result, there is a strong credible body of evidence, based on multiple lines of research, documenting that Earth is warming. Strong evidence also indicates that recent warming is largely caused by human activities, especially the release of greenhouse gases through the burning of fossil feels. Global warming is closely associated with other climate changes and impacts, including rising sea levels, increases in intense rainfall events, decreases in snow cover and sea ice, more frequent and intense heat waves, increases in wildfires, longer growing seasons, and ocean acidification. Individually and collectively, these changes pose risks for a wide range of human and environmental systems. While much remains to be learned, the core phenomenon, scientific questions, and hypotheses have been examined thoroughly and have stood firm in the face of serious scientific debate and careful evaluation of alternative explanations. 17. National Academy of Sciences. Advancing the Science of Climate Change. 2010 http://nas-sites.org/americasclimatechoices/sample-page/panel-reports/87-2/ 18. http://www8.nationalacademies.org/onpinews/newsitem.aspx?RecordID=05192010 Report from the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)(19): The Earth's climate is changing at a rate that has exceeded most scientific forecasts. Some families and communities have already started to suffer from the negative side of climate change, forced to leave their homes in search of a new beginning.

For UNHCR, the consequences of climate change are enormous. Scarce natural resources such as drinking water are likely to become even more limited. Many crops and some livestock are unlikely to survive in certain locations if conditions become too hot and dry, or too cold and wet. Food security, already a significant concern, will become even more challenging.

People will have to try and adapt to this situation, but for many this will mean a conscious move to another place to survive. Such moves, or the adverse effects that climate change may have on natural resources, may spark conflict with other communities, as an increasing number of people compete for a decreasing amount of resources.

In addition to working on vital human rights issues relating to population displacement induced by climate change, UNHCR will adapt much of its environment-related planning and work to address the effects of climate change. ___ 19. UNHCR. Climate Change: The Storm Ahead. 2015. http://www.unhcr.org/pages/49e4a5096.html From the UNHCR Advisory Group on Climate Change and Human Mobility (20): The UNHRC Advisory Group on Climate Change and Human Mobility calls upon all countries to acknowledge the occurrence of climate migration (i.e., forced internal and cross-border displacement as an adaptation strategy in the context of climate change), and to take measures to reduce and prevent its occurrence. __ 20. Human Mobility in the Context of Climate Change UNFCCC- PARIS COP-21. Recommendations from the Advisory Group on Climate Change and Human Mobility (November 2015) http://www.unhcr.org/562f79b29.html

http://nas-sites.org/americasclimatechoices/sample-page/panel-reports/87-2/

http://www8.nationalacademies.org/onpinews/newsitem.aspx?RecordID=05192010

http://www.unhcr.org/pages/49e4a5096.html

http://www.unhcr.org/562f79b29.html



C.2. Consequences of global warming (Part 2)

US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel (21, 22): “Rising global temperatures, changing precipitation patterns, climbing sea levels and more extreme weather events will intensify the challenges of global instability, hunger, poverty, and conflict,” he said. “They will likely lead to food and water shortages, pandemic disease, disputes over refugees and resources, and destruction by natural disasters in regions across the globe.”

The U.S. defense strategy refers to climate change as a “threat multiplier,” the secretary said, because it has the potential to exacerbate many challenges, including infectious disease and terrorism. “We are already beginning to see some of these impacts,” he added. 21. John D. Banusiewicz. Department of Defense News October 13, 2014 http://www.defense.gov/News-Article-View/Article/603440 22. Department of Defense. Strategic Sustainability Performance Plan FY 2014. http://denix.osd.mil/sustainability/upload/DoD-SSPP-FY14-FINAL-w_CCAR.pdf Senator Bernie Sanders on climate change adding to the risk of terrorism (22): The reason is pretty obvious: If we are going to see an increase in drought and flood and extreme weather disturbances as a result of climate change, what that means is that peoples all over the world are going to be fighting over limited natural resources. If there is not enough water, if there is not enough land to grow your crops, then you’re going to see . . . people fighting over land that will sustain them, and that will lead to international conflict. Well, what happens in, say, Syria . . . is that when you have drought, when people can’t grow their crops, they’re going to migrate into cities. And when people migrate into cities and they don’t have jobs, there’s going to be a lot more instability, a lot more unemployment, and people will be subject to the types of propaganda that al Qaeda and ISIS are using right now . . .and certainly, without a doubt, climate change will lead to that (23). 23. http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/260210-sanders-doubles-down-climate-change-causes-terrorism

http://www.defense.gov/News-Article-View/Article/603440

http://denix.osd.mil/sustainability/upload/DoD-SSPP-FY14-FINAL-w_CCAR.pdf

http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/260210-sanders-doubles-down-climate-change-causes-terrorism

http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/260210-sanders-doubles-down-climate-change-causes-terrorism



C.2. Consequences of global warming (Part 3) In Washington, Green Governor Jay Inslee Fights Climate Change on Many Fronts 24. http://www.governor.wa.gov/issues/issues/energy-environment/climate-impacts-washington-state The governor talked with foresters who are seeing how insect damage in drought-weakened timber contributes to worsening drought and fires that could cripple the state’s multibillion-dollar forest products industry. According to climate scientists, drier, hotter summers are likely to continue to cause more devastating fires. The 2014 fire season was the largest ever in our state. The Carlton Complex fire alone burned a quarter-million acres of forest in Okanogan County, ranking it as the largest fire ever recorded in Washington history.

A home destroyed by wildfire in Okanogan County If raging forest fires were not enough, seasonal flooding was described as a long-standing issue in communities Inslee also toured. These same communities are seeing more frequent and more dramatic episodes of high water.

Oct. 28, 2014: Washington farmer Susan Ujcic shows Governor Jay Inslee an area of her farm that now regularly floods due primarily to anthropogenic climate disruption. Dahr Jamail. In Washington State, A Green Governor Fights Climate Change on Multiple Fronts. Yes Magazine. Oct 28, 2014 http://www.yesmagazine.org/climate-in-our-hands/washington-state-green-governor-fights-climate-change-multiple-fronts

http://www.governor.wa.gov/issues/issues/energy-environment/climate-impacts-washington-state

http://www.yesmagazine.org/climate-in-our-hands/washington-state-green-governor-fights-climate-change-multiple-fronts




C.2. Consequences of global warming (Part 3) In Washington, Green Governor Jay Inslee Fights Climate Change on Many Fronts

(cont’d)

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20140810/NEWS/308109979

Gov. Jay Inslee, left, with Bill Dewey of Taylor Shellfish Farms is using the story of Washington’s oysters — scientists say a rise in carbon levels has spiked the acidity of the Pacific and is killing off shellfish — to make the case for passing the most far-reaching climate change policies in the nation.

May 13, 2015: Washington state Governor Jay Inslee declared a statewide drought emergency, saying drought conditions due to a lack of snowpack are some of the worst on record. http://thecelestialconvergence.blogspot.com/2015/05/extreme-weather-washington-state.html

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20140810/NEWS/308109979

http://thecelestialconvergence.blogspot.com/2015/05/extreme-weather-washington-state.html



C.3. Prevention of global warming (Part 1) From droughts to super storms, from epic floods to relentless forest fires, the state of Washington has a front-row seat for the adverse effects of a world being transformed by climate change. Tackling greenhouse gas emissions has become a signature initiative for Gov. Jay Inslee, who wants Washington lawmakers to approve what could be some of the nation’s most far-reaching government policies addressing climate change. He has designated anthropogenic climate disruption – ACD – to be the single most important issue for him and his cabinet. “Here we are hopeful because when we see local impacts like flooding in the Chehalis, lack of irrigation in Yakima, ocean acidification hurting the oyster industry here, these are people having to deal with real world issues. . . It’s not an ideological debate. We want real world solutions.” Inslee spent nearly a decade and a half in Washington, D.C., as a congressman, but decided to come back to his home state to do the work he now sees as his legacy. He described the circumstances in the US House of Representatives as “extremely problematic because the climate change deniers are still in charge of that policy” and said he hopes that it is possible to enact “real world solutions” using a bipartisan approach to the problem of ACD. “It’s easy to have an ideological debate in DC, but it’s harder to ignore a real problem here in Chehalis, and I hope that’s going to help us succeed . . . I still have some challenges in my state senate to overcome, and one way or another, we want to find a consensus-driven approach there.” Republicans in the state legislature have been opposing his efforts to work to mitigate the impacts of ACD. But he has pushed forward nonetheless. (25) ____ 25. Dahr Jamail. In Washington State, A Green Governor Fights Climate Change on Multiple Fronts. Yes Magazine. Oct 28, 2014 http://www.yesmagazine.org/climate-in-our-hands/washington-state-green-governor-fights-climate-change-multiple-fronts On April 24, 2105, the Washington Legislature passed a measure to improve the safety of oil transportation due to a sharp increase in the number of oil-carrying freight trains in the state. The compromise bill mandated advance notification to first responders, expands the barrel tax on crude oil and petroleum products to include both rail and marine, and calls upon oil companies to play a part in preventing and responding to spills. But, in Governor Inslee’s words, the bill “does not increase the barrel tax rate which means we will have to continue relying on other sources of funding that are already stretched thin. In addition, the final bill does not include provisions that would allow us to continue strengthening our marine response capabilities in Puget Sound.” (24) 24. AP. Washington Legislature passes, sends governor oil train safety bill. Apr. 24, 2015 http://q13fox.com/2015/04/24/washington-legislature-passes-sends-governor-oil-train-safety-bill/ The work continues: for our grandchildren here, and for grandchildren all over the world.



http://q13fox.com/2015/04/24/washington-legislature-passes-sends-governor-oil-train-safety-bill/



C.3. Prevention of global warming (Part 2) (See Appendix 2) Enewspf. Portland City Council Passes Resolution Opposing New Fossil Fuel Infrastructure http://enewspf.com/2015/11/13/portland-or-city-council-passes-resolution-opposing-new-fossil-fuel-infrastructure/ On November 12, 2015, the Portland (OR) City Council voted 5-0 to pass a landmark resolution opposing all projects that increase the transportation or storage of all fossil fuels in Portland or in its adjacent waterways. This resolution is the most far-reaching of its kind in the country. It encompasses all fossil fuel types; it directs the City to codify the language into law; and it includes strong language around a “just transition” for workers economically dislocated by the city’s change to a clean, sustainable economy.

The resolution is the product of grassroots activists adamantly opposing all new coal, oil and gas projects. “Today’s resolution marks the outcome of grassroots resistance to all new fossil fuel infrastructure going mainstream. For years, groups like Rising Tide, Columbia Riverkeeper and 350PDX have been fighting all new large-scale fossil fuel projects in order to stave off the worst of the climate crisis and protect life on this planet as we know it. This is a huge victory for the movement and for climate stability,” said 350PDX’s climate organizer Mia Reback.

“Portland Mayor Charlie Hales is breaking the climate gridlock at the national and international level, showing us that cities and local governments can lead the way, powered by local grassroots activists,” said Adriana Voss-Andreae, director of 350PDX.

Today’s resolution builds on recent victories cemented by climate justice activists in Portland including: Defeating a proposed propane export terminal in the spring of 2015; blockading Shell Oil’s Arctic icebreaker, The Fennica, for 48 hours in the summer of 2015, galvanizing public attention and support to keep the Arctic off limits to all oil and gas drilling; and recent resolutions to get the City of Portland to divest from fossil fuels and oppose oil trains.

http://enewspf.com/2015/11/13/portland-or-city-council-passes-resolution-opposing-new-fossil-fuel-infrastructure/




C.3. Prevention of global warming (Part 3) (See Appendix 2) Enewspf. Portland City Council Passes Resolution Opposing New Fossil Fuel Infrastructure http://enewspf.com/2015/11/13/portland-or-city-council-passes-resolution-opposing-new-fossil-fuel-infrastructure/ (continued) The resolution is supported by community and environmental groups including 350PDX, Portland Audubon Society, Center for Sustainable Economy, member groups of the Climate Action Coalition, and Columbia Riverkeeper; and by the Columbia River Intertribal Fish Commission, Confederated Tribes of the Grande Ronde, and Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs.

“President Obama was the first president in history to reject a pipeline, the Keystone XL, based on its climate impact, but Portland Mayor Hales is the first mayor in history to reject all new fossil fuel infrastructure in his city on its health, safety and climate impact,” said Daphne Wysham, director of the climate and energy program with Center for Sustainable Economy. “Both leaders understand we have no time to waste: We must say ‘no’ to all new fossil fuel infrastructure if we are to leave 80 percent of proven fossil fuel reserves in the ground as science requires of us and say ‘yes’ to the just transition to a clean economy we all need.”

“This new fossil fuel policy is the result of many years of consciousness-raising activism throughout the Pacific Northwest,” says Nicholas Caleb of CSE. “It’s exactly the type of action we need to respond to the climate crisis and can be replicated throughout the region as we commit to a transition to a clean energy economy.”

Climate leaders around the world are looking to Portland and applauding the resolution. Bill McKibben, global climate leader and co-founder of 350.org, testified in support of the resolutions. “Portland is getting down to brass tacks–’no new fossil fuel infrastructure’ is the right rallying cry for this moment in history, a stand that would galvanize the rest of the planet and demonstrate where the future lies,” said Bill McKibben. “This is an exciting moment!”

“The tides are clearly turning: from the global movement to divest from fossil fuel companies to the tune of $2.6 trillion, to major victories at the national level, such as getting a U.S. president to stop a major fossil fuel infrastructure project for the first time in pulling the plug on Keystone XL, to the local level such as this landmark victory today.” says Voss-Andreae of 350PDX. “It’s a powerful sign that the fossil fuel era is beginning to come to an end and that we are the change we’ve been looking for”.

-xxx- City commissioners were exuberant in praising climate change activists for working together tirelessly to generate and support this and previous resolutions. Without this activism, they made it clear to the people who filled the council chamber and nearby overflow rooms, these accomplishments would not have been possible. In their view, our planet and our democracy need massive and sustained public support for government decision-makers and media organizations committed to protecting the public good, rather than to protecting the well-being of fossil fuel corporations.



http://350.org/



Our planet and our democracy need massive and sustained public support for government decision-makers and media organizations committed to protecting the public good, rather than to protecting the well-being of fossil fuel corporations.




Public Testimony by Herman M. Frankel, M.D. (January 15, 2016)

Government Sources Cited (Part 1 of 3)

(Note: Citations are identified here as they are identified in the text.) 1. Washington State Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council (EFSEC). Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) regarding the proposed Tesoro Savage Vancouver Energy Distribution Terminal http://www.efsec.wa.gov/Tesoro%20Savage/SEPA%20-%20DEIS/DEIS%20PAGE.shtml 4. Homeland Security News Wire. Cost of derailments of oil-carrying trains over the next two decades: $4.5 billion. Feb. 26, 2015. http://www.homelandsecuritynewswire.com/dr20150226-cost-of-derailments-of-oilcarrying-trains-over-the-next-two-decades-4-5-billion 6. Anthony Foxx. Proposed rulemaking promises increased rail safety for crude oil, other flammable materials. Fast Lane: Official Blog of the US Department of Transportation. Jul. 23, 2015. https://www.transportation.gov/fastlane/proposed-rulemaking-increases-rail-safety-crude-other-flammables 8. Transportation Safety Board of Canada. Transportation of flammable liquids by rail. http://toplocalplaces.com/united-states/novi/organization/brotherhood-of-maintenance-of-way-employes/290792087644965 9. Transportation Safety Board of Canada. Rail Safety Advisory Letter (617– 04/15): Condition of Track Infrastructure on CN Ruel Subdivision. Mar 17, 2015. http://www.tsb.gc.ca/eng/medias-media/sur-safe/letter/rail/2015/r15h0021/r15h0021-617-04-15.asp 11. Sarah Feinberg, chief of Federal Railroad Administration, quoted in Ralph Vertabedian. Why are so many oil trains crashing? Track problems may be to blame. LA Times Oct. 7, 2015. http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-crude-train-safety-20151007-story.html 12. Federal Railroad Administration. Federal Railroad Administration Announces Cause of Mount Carbon Derailment, Steps to Prevent Future Accidents (Press Release Number FRA 17-15. Sep 9, 2015. https://www.fra.dot.gov/eLib/Details/L17122









http://www.tsb.gc.ca/eng/medias-media/sur-safe/letter/rail/2015/r15h0021/r15h0021-617-04-15.asp

http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-crude-train-safety-20151007-story.html

https://www.fra.dot.gov/eLib/Details/L17122






(Note: Citations are identified here as they are identified in the text.) 13. IPCC. Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Stocker, T.F., D. Qin, G.-K. Plattner, M. Tignor, S.K. Allen, J. Boschung, A. Nauels, Y. Xia, V. Bex and P.M. Midgley (eds.)]. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA. 2013. http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/assessment-report/ar5/wg1/WG1AR5_SPM_FINAL.pdf 14. US Environmental Protection Agency. Causes of Climate Change. http://www3.epa.gov/climatechange/science/causes.html (Unnumbered) US Senator Bernie Sanders. Letter to US Attorney General Loretta Lynch re Exxon http://www.sanders.senate.gov/download/sanders-letter-to-ag-lynch-regarding-exxon?inline=file 17. National Academy of Sciences. Advancing the Science of Climate Change. 2010 http://nas-sites.org/americasclimatechoices/sample-page/panel-reports/87-2/ 18. National Academy of Sciences. News release: “Advancing the Science of Climate Change. 2010” http://www8.nationalacademies.org/onpinews/newsitem.aspx?RecordID=05192010 19. Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Climate Change: The Storm Ahead. 2015. http://www.unhcr.org/pages/49e4a5096.html 20. UNHCR Advisory Group on Climate Change and Human Mobility. Human Mobility in the Context of Climate Change UNFCCC- PARIS COP-21. Recommendations from the Advisory Group on Climate Change and Human Mobility (November 2015) http://www.unhcr.org/562f79b29.html 21. John D. Banusiewicz. Department of Defense News October 13, 2014 http://www.defense.gov/News-Article-View/Article/603440 22. Department of Defense. Strategic Sustainability Performance Plan FY 2014. http://denix.osd.mil/sustainability/upload/DoD-SSPP-FY14-FINAL-w_CCAR.pdf 24. Governor Jay Inslee. Climate Impacts and Action in Washington. Together, We Can Lead. http://www.governor.wa.gov/issues/issues/energy-environment/climate-impacts-washington-state

http://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar5/wg1/

http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/assessment-report/ar5/wg1/WG1AR5_SPM_FINAL.pdf

http://www3.epa.gov/climatechange/science/causes.html

http://www.sanders.senate.gov/download/sanders-letter-to-ag-lynch-regarding-exxon?inline=file

http://nas-sites.org/americasclimatechoices/sample-page/panel-reports/87-2/

http://www8.nationalacademies.org/onpinews/newsitem.aspx?RecordID=05192010

http://www.unhcr.org/pages/49e4a5096.html

http://www.unhcr.org/562f79b29.html

http://www.defense.gov/News-Article-View/Article/603440

http://denix.osd.mil/sustainability/upload/DoD-SSPP-FY14-FINAL-w_CCAR.pdf

http://www.governor.wa.gov/issues/issues/energy-environment/climate-impacts-washington-state






(Note: Citations are identified here as they are identified in the text.) Appendix A One Hundred Fourteenth Congress of the United States of America. Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 (December 15, 2015): H.R.2029 Page 746 (of 2009 pages) https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-114hr2029enr/pdf/BILLS-114hr2029enr.pdf Appendix B Portland (OR) City Council Resolution No. 37168: Oppose expansion of infrastructure whose primary purpose is transporting or storing fossil fuels in or through Portland or adjacent waterways (Resolution) Download from: http://efiles.portlandoregon.gov/Record/8211533/

https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-114hr2029enr/pdf/BILLS-114hr2029enr.pdf

http://efiles.portlandoregon.gov/Record/8211533/



Appendix A: Repeal of Ban on Export of Crude Oil

Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 (December 15, 2015) https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-114hr2029enr/pdf/BILLS-114hr2029enr.pdf

H.R.2029 Page 746 (of 2009 pages)

DIVISION O–OTHER MATTERS

Title I–OIL EXPORTS, SAFETY VALVE, AND MARITIME SECURITY

SEC. 101. OIL EXPORTS, SAFETY VALVE, AND MARITIME SECURITY (a) REPEAL.–Section 103 of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (42 U.S.C.

6212) and the item relating thereto in the table of contents of that Act are repealed. (b) NATIONAL POLICY ON OIL EXPORT RESTRICTION.–Notwithstanding

any other provision of law, except as provided in subsections (c) and (d), to promote the efficient exploration, production, storage, supply, marketing, pricing, and regulation of energy resources, including fossil fuels, no official of the Federal Government shall impose or enforce any restriction on the export of crude oil.

https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-114hr2029enr/pdf/BILLS-114hr2029enr.pdf



Appendix B: PORTLAND CITY COUNCIL

RESOLUTION No. 37168 Oppose expansion of infrastructure whose primary purpose is transporting or storing fossil fuels in or through Portland or adjacent waterways (Resolution) WHEREAS, the rapid development of fossil fuel resources in the western US and Canada has resulted in numerous facility and infrastructure projects proposed to transport coal, diluted bitumen, natural gas, propane or other fossil fuels through the West Coast; and WHEREAS, fossil fuels pose risks to safety, health, and livability, including mobility of people, other freight, and other commercial vehicles; and WHEREAS, fossil fuel infrastructure poses considerable risks in the event of a major earthquake; and WHEREAS, the extraction and combustion of fossil fuels are significant sources of greenhouse gas omissions and major contributors to climate change and pollution; and WHEREAS, coal contains toxic heavy metals, including mercury, arsenic and lead, and exposure to these toxic heavy metals is linked to cancer, birth defects and other health problems; and WHEREAS, transportation of coal using open top rail cars results in significant volumes of materials escaping during transit, exposing communities to toxic heavy metals in coal dust particulates at levels potentially harmful to adjacent communities, workers, wildlife and nature; and WHEREAS, crude oil, including oil derived from the Bakken shale reservoir, is known to be volatile, highly flammable and to contain elevated levels of benzene, a potent carcinogen; and WHEREAS, extraction of fossil fuels through fracking and tar sands processing, which has become widespread throughout the western United States and Canada, has damaging impacts to human and environmental health and racking increases the potential for earthquakes; and WHEREAS, transporting crude oil, coal and other fossil fuels into Oregon involves traversing challenging mountain passes areas laced with significant earthquake faults and numerous older unsafe bridges lacking appropriate infrastructure maintenance or upgrades, significantly increasing the risks of serious accidents; and WHEREAS, given the record of crude oil and coal or other fossil fuel transport accidents, such as Lac Mégantic in 2013, the 1999 Bellingham pipeline wreck or a coal train derailment, an event could have catastrophic events if it occurred in any of Oregon’s populated areas; and Portland City Council Resolution 37168 (November 12, 2015) Page 1 of 4



37168

WHEREAS, the risks posed by transportation of fossil fuels through the Columbia Gorge are inconsistent with the Gorge’s designation as a National Scenic Area; and WHEREAS, historically, when environmental accidents occur, litigation over damages is drawn out over years, deflecting blame while undercutting timely assistance to affected communities; and WHEREAS, tribal communities in Oregon and Washington have expressed concerns about the safety risks of fossil fuel infrastructure and the related threats to human health, cultural heritage, and environmental quality; and WHEREAS, economic opportunities presented by expanding fossil fuel infrastructure are modest, with few jobs and little value added when compared to the related environmental costs; and WHEREAS, local, regional and global economies are transitioning to low-carbon energy sources, and West Coast businesses are leaders in providing energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies and services; and WHEREAS, the future of the fossil fuel industry is questionable given global action to reduce greenhouse gas omissions; and WHEREAS, climate change, if unchecked, will continue to impact human health, natural systems, and infrastructure, creating new cost for individuals, businesses, and governments; and WHEREAS, the City’s 2015 Climate Action Plan (adopted by Resolution 37135) identifies the need to establish “a fossil fuel export policy that considers lifecycle emissions, safety, economics, neighborhood livability and environmental impacts” (Climate Action Plan, action 3G page 69); and WHEREAS, the City and Multnomah County, working together with many individuals, and community and business partners, have reduced local carbon omissions 14 percent since 1990 while adding population and job; on a per person basis, carbon emissions have decreased 35 percent since 1990; and WHEREAS, the 2015 Climate Action Plan commits the city to continue to advance policies and programs to reduce local fossil use both in the City’s own operations and through community-wide initiatives; and WHEREAS, in September 2015, the Council added fossil fuel companies to the City’s corporate securities Do-Not-Buy list committing the City to hold no financial stake in the 200 largest fossil fuel firms (Resolution 37153); and Portland City Council Resolution 37168 (November 12, 2015) Page 2 of 4



37168

WHEREAS, 27 Oregon and Washington communities have passed resolutions addressing fossil fuel transport and export, and hundreds of public officials, including the governors of Oregon and Washington, state and federal agencies, tribes, health organizations, religious leaders and other community leaders, have recognized the harms presented by fossil fuels to the environment and Northwest communities; and WHEREAS, in 2012, the Council expressed opposition to coal trains traveling through Portland until a programmatic, comprehensive and area-wide Environmental Impact Statement and comprehensive Health Impact Assessment are completed (Resolutions 36959 and 36962); and WHEREAS, The city is continuing to work with utilities to reduce coal and other fossil fuels in Portland’s electricity supply; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the City Council will actively oppose expansion of infrastructure whose primary purpose is transporting or storing fossil fuels in Portland or adjacent waterways; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this Resolution does not restrict

1. improvements in the safety, or efficiency, size and resilience, or operations of existing infrastructure;

2. the provision of service directly to end users; 3. development of emergency back up capacity; 4. infrastructure that enables recovery or re-processing of used petroleum products; or 5. infrastructure that will accelerate the transition to fossil fuel energy sources; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that City bureaus are directed to examine existing laws, including those related to public health, safety, building, electrical, nuisance, and fire codes, and to develop recommendations to address fossil fuels that strengthen public health and safety; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability is directed to develop proposed code changes for Council consideration to advance the policies set forth in this resolution; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that prior to any further council action, the mayor shall schedule (1) a work session to review any proposed code changes and (2) an executive session to review the legal consideration of any proposed code changes; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability shall undertake an analysis of the economic impacts of any proposed Code changes to advance the policies set forth in this resolution, with a particular focus on potential impacts to local blue-collar jobs; and Portland City Council Resolution 37168 (November 12, 2015) Page 3 of 4



37168 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the City and applicable bureaus shall seek and identify opportunities to invest in Portland's ‘human infrastructure’ by supporting programs to retrain our workforce as the city transitions to a clean energy economy; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that City shall consult with its Tribal Government partners, the State of Oregon, local governments, and other key stakeholders including labor, business, environment, neighborhoods and communities of color in advancing this policy; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, notwithstanding anything in this resolution, the Council will exercise its duty as a quasi-judicial land use decision-making body in an impartial manner consistent with City Code and Oregon law. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, this resolution is binding City policy. Adopted by the Council: NOV 12 2015 Mary Hull Caballero Auditor of the City of Portland Mayor Charles Hales Prepared by: M. Armstrong, BPS Date prepared: October 23, 2015 Portland City Council Resolution 37168 (November 12, 2015) Page 4 of 4 <PortlandCityCouncilResolution37168.docx>

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