In an attempt to involve the Portland City Council in Zenith Energy’s ongoing operations along the Willamette River, two new council members are requesting two formal investigations and a halt to the company’s city approval.
Councilors Angelita Morillo and Mitch Green filed a resolution Friday night in an unprecedented action, despite the fact that the idea had not been subjected to a legal assessment. The council clerk probably won’t certify it until Monday.
The action seemed to put pressure on city employees to postpone Zenith’s land-use certification approval, which might happen as early as next week. Zenith has until next Tuesday to receive a new credential from the city, according to the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality.
The resolution will probably put the new legislative body of the Portland municipal government to the test.
Morillo told The Oregonian/OregonLive that it is our responsibility as elected officials to act as watchdogs over upcoming policy decisions. Before deciding whether to award a land-use certification, the public and we both deserve to see all available information.
Furthermore, the evidence in front of us doesn’t seem particularly clear at the moment, according to Morillo.
Following a work and listening session on Zenith earlier this month, during which council members questioned city employees about the company’s history in Portland, the resolution was passed.
According to Green, the issue is not just about Zenith; it’s also about public trust and the perception that, despite what the city has told the public, there isn’t much internal concern for admitting when that trust has been betrayed.
To continue operating in the city, Zenith would need to seek for a new state air quality permit, which requires the city’s land-use certification.
Although there are eleven companies with petroleum terminals at the large hub on the Willamette, the Houston-based corporation is the only one that has drawn criticism and attention. That’s probably because it’s pending state approval, but there are also worries about its multiple infractions, such as building for months without a permission and breaking local ordinance by pleading with Portland authorities to approve the land-use paperwork.
According to the motion, Mayor Keith Wilson would be required to look into any possible infractions of Zenith’s franchise agreement with the city and report back to the council within ninety days.
Additionally, it would order the council or a committee of council members to look into whether municipal employees purposefully made misleading statements in any correspondence with the public or city leaders, including during the most recent council work session.
It would mandate that all correspondence between Zenith and city workers be made public by the city attorney and city staff.
Additionally, it would aim to postpone Zenith’s pending land-use application as well as any other permits or applications until after the two investigations are finished. The resolution does not aim to alter the city’s decision-making process regarding land-use permits.
After first rejecting Zenith’s land-use certification in 2021, the city changed its mind and approved the corporation a year later. The state Department of Environmental Quality, however, requested in December that Zenith obtain a fresh land-use compatibility statement from the city by February 4. Additionally, Zenith was penalized $372,600 by the EPA for using a leased port close to its terminal without authorization.
According to city officials, Zenith’s presence in Portland is essential to meeting the city’s goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. By 2027, Zenith intends to completely switch to discharging and storing renewable fuels.
Unless the council takes legislative action, Donnie Oliveira, interim deputy city administrator for community and economic development, stated last week that his staff would approve Zenith’s land-use certification because it is an outright approved use, provided that staff’s thorough research supports it.
Oliveira sent out the following email on Friday: No action today as staff are currently reviewing.
According to Morillo, the resolution satisfies public requests for additional details regarding the city’s interactions with Zenith.
According to Morillo, we have hundreds, if not thousands, of emails from people of the community pleading with us to look into this Zenith decision. The community has actually been in charge of this process from the start. It isn’t truly intended to discipline employees.
As with the 150 other land-use compatibility statements the city typically analyzes each year, city employees have insisted that the decision regarding the land-use credential should be made only on an administrative basis.
However, the city’s approval procedure for Zenith has been far from normal in the past, according to environmental groups and some city dwellers.
They have claimed that the company’s presence in Portland is much more significant for safety reasons, citing the possibility of all fuels—including renewable fuels—spilling into the river in the event of a significant earthquake. This claim appears to be supported by the newly elected city council.
Additionally, activists claim that Zenith and city officials met in secret to reach a compromise without consulting or involving the public.
A majority of the 12-member council might be able to accept the motion given the newly elected council’s progressive stance and the harsh public criticism of Zenith.
When the resolution would be presented to the entire council, whether it would be sent to a committee for additional deliberation, and how that would affect the city staff’s judgment regarding Zenith’s land-use proposal are all unclear.
Council President Elana Pirtle-Guiney stated, “I am excited for my colleagues to have a chance to review this proposal and hear from Portlanders when committees start meeting in February.”
Gosia Wozniacka discusses a variety of environmental topics, including climate change, environmental justice, and the switch to sustainable energy. You may contact her at 971-421-3154 or [email protected].
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