Oakland, Calif. – Last night, the Oakland City Council took an important step toward banning coal exports from the redeveloped Oakland Army Base. The Council voted unanimously to approve a contract with consulting firm ESA to prepare a report on the health and safety impacts of coal exports.

In response, Brittany King, Conservation Coordinator of the Sierra Club San Francisco Bay Chapter, issued the following statement:

“Thank you to the Oakland City Council for making progress toward protecting the health and safety of Oakland residents by banning coal. Signing a contract now means that it is still possible to get a final decision on this matter before the Council’s upcoming summer recess. After more than a year of waiting, the people of Oakland deserve to know where their Councilmembers stand on this important issue before casting their votes in November. Thanks to the Councilmembers who voted to move forward today, we can keep working toward that goal.

“Now that the City has finalized the contract, its consultant can begin the process of evaluating the thousands of pages of evidence pointing to the significant health and safety impacts of coal exports, submitted by groups and advocates including the Sierra Club. From increased asthma rates to decreased emergency vehicle access, the risks of exporting coal through Oakland are grave. I believe the City Council will make the right call once they have a final outside consultant's report, that clearly outlines the obvious health and safety risks unavoidably posed by coal exports.”

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Background:

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 that would bring coal into 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. Utah officials have stated that they intend to use this capacity to export coal to overseas markets. This development followed a number of public statements by CCIG’s President and CEO, Phil Tagami, that the company had “no interest or involvement in the pursuit of coal-related operations at the former Oakland Army Base.”