Bay Area

Opinion: Let’s Set the Record Straight: Coal is Already Shipped Through Oakland and It Is Safe

Published

4 years ago

November 21, 2019

Let’s set the record straight. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has authorized the shipment of millions of tons of coal throughout the Bay Area for years. These shipments include coal cars running through the city of Oakland, through Jack London Square, the Army Base and other rail points. Over the many years that this has occurred, there have been no reported adverse health effects, nor have there been reports of unhealthy levels of coal dust registered on any of the air monitors operating in West Oakland.

For these reasons and many more, I state unequivocally that the Op Ed in the Post on Nov. 7, ‘We Still Object to Coal’, disregards science, the truth and the welfare of the citizens of Oakland! There are no inaccuracies in the “ITS” (Insight Terminal Solutions) Post article of Oct. 31, ‘Bulk Commodity Terminal Operator Agrees to “Oakland Protocol” Phase-in Plan to Ban Coal’. To the contrary, the inaccuracies are in the article by opponents of the multi-commodity bulk terminal.

But you need not take my word for it. Renowned local physicians Dr. Washington Burns and Dr. Geoffrey Watson, who have dedicated their lives to caring for Oakland’s underserved residents, state without equivocation that coal does not pose a health threat to Oakland residents; neither as it is currently shipped and certainly not under the process that will be used by ITS. As well, when the case was brought before the federal court on Oakland’s frivolous argument that coal was dangerous, Ninth Circuit Judge Vincent Chhabria ruled that the City failed to produce “evidence that the proposed coal operations would pose a substantial health or safety danger.”

The new state-of-the-art Oakland Protocol process is safe. ITS will use covered railcars and a fully encapsulated delivery system that eliminates the possibility of coal dust release. The terminal is also good for Oakland and the community. It will bring hundreds of millions of dollars in city revenue and community benefits.

Building the terminal also has the benefit of using coal to eliminate coal. Under the provisions of the 5-3-0 plan, 5 million tons of coal a year would be shipped through the terminal for the first 10 years of operation, and 3 million tons per year for the next 10 years, no more coal would be shipped through the ITS facility for the remainder of the 66- year lease. This would amount to a 92 percent reduction, and eliminate an estimated 900 million tons of coal, that would otherwise legally be allowed to be shipped through the terminal in accordance with the ruling of the federal judge. Coal will help pay the cost to build the terminal, but it will also be eliminated in 20 years.

The opposition author also suggests that shipment in covered cars is dangerous because of the potential for spontaneous combustion. This is nonsense! Rail cars have been covered for decades, enclosing various commodities, including coal. Coal is transported along the Mississippi River in covered containers, and by sea in covered containers without combustion or other danger. The manufacturer that ITS will use, Eco-Fab, has been covering rail cars in Europe since the 1970s without incident. This claim of potential spontaneous combustion, like the safety issue, is made up to advance the world view of coal opponents. It has nothing whatsoever to do with what will happen in Oakland

Failure to issue permits to build a terminal will have devastating legal implications for Oakland. The city will have to repay the state of California over $242 million that the state advanced for development. The city will owe $500 million in damages to California Capital Investment Group for wrongfully denying the development and not issuing the appropriate permits. The terminal, under its signed 66-year lease with the city, has secured all CEQA permits to operate a multi-commodity terminal that can handle upwards of 15 million tons annually, all of which could be coal per our lease if the city forces the owners to go through a long and costly legal challenge. If the city fails to act, it could jeopardize the option of phasing out coal under the 5-3-0 plan.

More to the point however, the City would needlessly lose out on hundreds of high paying jobs, invaluable job training and additional revenue streams that, over the life of the lease, could total hundreds of millions of dollars. These dollars could be earmarked specifically for the City’s most underserved and needy citizens.

Thus, the truth is the risk of perpetuating this fraud by the City of Oakland is stunning. It has been this author’s observation that citizens in Oakland, particularly those who would most benefit and who are most underserved, in fact very much desire to see this terminal built.

See the article by Pastor LJ Jennings, entitled ‘Our Community, Our Voice, We Speak for Us!’ in the Oakland Post.

John Siegel

Posts by John Siegel

Up Next

Annual Thanksgiving Dinner and Coat Giveaway

Don't Miss

City Auditor Says Mayor Schaaf Misused City Money and Resources to Fund Oakland Promise

John Siegel

Click to comment

Alameda County

DA Pamela Price Stands by Mom Who Lost Son to Gun Violence in Oakland

Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018.

Published

2 days ago

April 22, 2024

Oakland Post

District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones

Publisher’s note: Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018. The photo was too small for readers to see where the women were and what they were doing. Here we show Price and Jones as they complete a walk in memory of Scott. For more information and to contribute, please contact Carol Jones at 510-978-5517 at morefoundation.help@gmail.com. Courtesy photo.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Bay Area

State Controller Malia Cohen Keynote Speaker at S.F. Wealth Conference

California State Controller Malia Cohen delivered the keynote speech to over 50 business women at the Black Wealth Brunch held on March 28 at the War Memorial and Performing Arts Center at 301 Van Ness Ave. in San Francisco. The Enterprising Women Networking SF Chapter of the American Business Women’s Association (ABWA) hosted the Green Room event to launch its platform designed to close the racial wealth gap in Black and Brown communities.

Published

4 days ago

April 20, 2024

Oakland Post

American Business Women’s Association Vice President Velma Landers, left, with California State Controller Malia Cohen (center), and ABWA President LaRonda Smith at the Enterprising Women Networking SF Chapter of the ABWA at the Black Wealth Brunch.

By Carla Thomas

The Enterprising Women Networking SF Chapter of the American Business Women’s Association (ABWA) hosted the Green Room event to launch its platform designed to close the racial wealth gap in Black and Brown communities.

“Our goal is to educate Black and Brown families in the masses about financial wellness, wealth building, and how to protect and preserve wealth,” said ABWA San Francisco Chapter President LaRonda Smith.

ABWA’s mission is to bring together businesswomen of diverse occupations and provide opportunities for them to help themselves and others grow personally and professionally through leadership, education, networking support, and national recognition.

“This day is about recognizing influential women, hearing from an accomplished woman as our keynote speaker and allowing women to come together as powerful people,” said ABWA SF Chapter Vice President Velma Landers.

More than 60 attendees dined on the culinary delights of Chef Sharon Lee of The Spot catering, which included a full soul food brunch of skewered shrimp, chicken, blackened salmon, and mac and cheese.

Cohen discussed the many economic disparities women and people of color face. From pay equity to financial literacy, Cohen shared not only statistics, but was excited about a new solution in motion which entailed partnering with Californians for Financial Education.

“I want everyone to reach their full potential,” she said. “Just a few weeks ago in Sacramento, I partnered with an organization, Californians for Financial Education.

“We gathered 990 signatures and submitted it to the [California] Secretary of State to get an initiative on the ballot that guarantees personal finance courses for every public school kid in the state of California.

“Every California student deserves an equal opportunity to learn about filing taxes, interest rates, budgets, and understanding the impact of credit scores. The way we begin to do that is to teach it,” Cohen said.

By equipping students with information, Cohen hopes to close the financial wealth gap, and give everyone an opportunity to reach their full financial potential. “They have to first be equipped with the information and education is the key. Then all we need are opportunities to step into spaces and places of power.”

Cohen went on to share that in her own upbringing, she was not guided on financial principles that could jump start her finances. “Communities of color don’t have the same information and I don’t know about you, but I did not grow up listening to my parents discussing their assets, their investments, and diversifying their portfolio. This is the kind of nomenclature and language we are trying to introduce to our future generations so we can pivot from a life of poverty so we can pivot away and never return to poverty.”

Cohen urged audience members to pass the initiative on the November 2024 ballot.

“When we come together as women, uplift women, and support women, we all win. By networking and learning together, we can continue to build generational wealth,” said Landers. “Passing a powerful initiative will ensure the next generation of California students will be empowered to make more informed financial decisions, decisions that will last them a lifetime.”

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Bay Area

MAYOR BREED ANNOUNCES $53 MILLION FEDERAL GRANT FOR SAN FRANCISCO’S HOMELESS PROGRAMS

San Francisco, CA – Mayor London N. Breed today announced that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has awarded the city a $53.7 million grant to support efforts to renew and expand critical services and housing for people experiencing homelessness in San Francisco.

Published

4 days ago

April 20, 2024

Oakland Post

Mayor London Breed

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Wednesday, January 31, 2024

Contact: Mayor’s Office of Communications, mayorspressoffice@sfgov.org

***PRESS RELEASE***

MAYOR BREED ANNOUNCES $53 MILLION FEDERAL GRANT FOR SAN FRANCISCO’S HOMELESS PROGRAMS

HUD’s Continuum of Care grant will support the City’s range of critical services and programs, including permanent supportive housing, rapid re-housing, and improved access to housing for survivors of domestic violence

San Francisco, CA – Mayor London N. Breed today announced that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has awarded the city a $53.7 million grant to support efforts to renew and expand critical services and housing for people experiencing homelessness in San Francisco.

HUD’s Continuum of Care (CoC) program is designed to support local programs with the goal of ending homelessness for individuals, families, and Transitional Age Youth.

This funding supports the city’s ongoing efforts that have helped more than 15,000 people exit homelessness since 2018 through City programs including direct housing placements and relocation assistance. During that time San Francisco has also increased housing slots by 50%. San Francisco has the most permanent supportive housing of any county in the Bay Area, and the second most slots per capita than any city in the country.

“In San Francisco, we have worked aggressively to increase housing, shelter, and services for people experiencing homelessness, and we are building on these efforts every day,” said Mayor London Breed. “Every day our encampment outreach workers are going out to bring people indoors and our City workers are connecting people to housing and shelter. This support from the federal government is critical and will allow us to serve people in need and address encampments in our neighborhoods.”

The funding towards supporting the renewal projects in San Francisco include financial support for a mix of permanent supportive housing, rapid re-housing, and transitional housing projects. In addition, the CoC award will support Coordinated Entry projects to centralize the City’s various efforts to address homelessness. This includes $2.1 million in funding for the Coordinated Entry system to improve access to housing for youth and survivors of domestic violence.

“This is a good day for San Francisco,” said Shireen McSpadden, executive director of the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing. “HUD’s Continuum of Care funding provides vital resources to a diversity of programs and projects that have helped people to stabilize in our community. This funding is a testament to our work and the work of our nonprofit partners.”

The 2024 Continuum of Care Renewal Awards Include:

$42.2 million for 29 renewal PSH projects that serve chronically homeless, veterans, and youth
$318,000 for one new PSH project, which will provide 98 affordable homes for low-income seniors in the Richmond District
$445,00 for one Transitional Housing (TH) project serving youth
$6.4 million dedicated to four Rapid Rehousing (RRH) projects that serve families, youth, and survivors of domestic violence
$750,00 for two Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) projects
$2.1 million for three Coordinated Entry projects that serve families, youth, chronically homeless, and survivors of domestic violence

In addition, the 2023 CoC Planning Grant, now increased to $1,500,000 from $1,250,000, was also approved. Planning grants are submitted non-competitively and may be used to carry out the duties of operating a CoC, such as system evaluation and planning, monitoring, project and system performance improvement, providing trainings, partner collaborations, and conducting the PIT Count.

“We are very appreciative of HUD’s support in fulfilling our funding request for these critically important projects for San Francisco that help so many people trying to exit homelessness,” said Del Seymour, co-chair of the Local Homeless Coordinating Board. “This funding will make a real difference to people seeking services and support in their journey out of homelessness.”

In comparison to last year’s competition, this represents a $770,000 increase in funding, due to a new PSH project that was funded, an increase in some unit type Fair Market Rents (FMRs) and the larger CoC Planning Grant. In a year where more projects had to compete nationally against other communities, this represents a significant increase.

Nationally, HUD awarded nearly $3.16 billion for over 7,000 local homeless housing and service programs including new projects and renewals across the United States.