Portland City Council Community Forum, Zenith Oil-by-Rail: 7/15

SPEAK UP: July 15 Portland City Council Community Forum, Zenith Oil-by-Rail

By Kate Murphy, Community Organizer 

Can you join me on Monday, July 15, for a Portland City Council community forum about Zenith Energy’s tar sands crude oil terminal in Northwest Portland? Elected officials need to hear from you. Zenith’s operations threaten the health and safety of communities in Portland and throughout the region. This important meeting is the first formal opportunity to publicly share your concerns with the Portland City Council and demand action to stop dangerous crude-oil-by-rail.

• What: Portland City Council Forum on Zenith Energy 
• When: Monday, July 15, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
• Where: University of Portland, Buckley Center Auditorium, 5000 N Willamette Blvd., Portland, OR 97203
• RSVP on Facebook

Your voice matters. Please arrive early to sign up to give testimony. Can’t make it? Watch the livestream on the Portland City Council website. 

Top Three Things to Know About Zenith

1. In December 2017, Zenith Energy bought an old asphalt and crude oil terminal located in Northwest Portland. Within months of purchasing the terminal and without public input, Zenith Energy began importing tar sands crude oil by rail from Canada, storing the oil at the terminal, and loading it onto tankers with destinations including China, South Korea, and California. 
2. Zenith would achieve a four-fold increase in railcar unloading capability, potentially increasing the number of dangerous oil trains passing through Portland each week. Not only is Zenith using old infrastructure permitted to transport asphalt to move tar sands crude oil through Portland, they are expanding the facility by using permits filed by the former owner of the terminal in 2014.
3. Since learning of Zenith’s new tar sands business, thousands of Portlanders have taken action by coming to community forums, calling and emailing the city council, and even taking direct action at the facility itself. Now, we need to keep the pressure on and demand the Portland City Council protect our health, rivers, and safety. 

Please join me on Monday. This educational meeting is an important opportunity to demand the Portland City Council take action on Zenith.