Portland City Council Passes Long Awaited Amendment Package Initiating Fuel Reduction Plan at CEI Hub, Increased Safety, Transparency

On Thursday, October 1, Portland City Council approved an amendment package to increase safety and transparency at Portland's Critical Energy Infrastructure (CEI) Hub with a data-driven fuel reduction program. The amendments were developed with community advocates and sponsored by Councilors Mitch Green, Elana Pirtle-Guiney, Olivia Clark, Sameer Kanal, and Tiffany Koyama Lane.

The CEI Hub is located along the Willamette River north of downtown, near Forest Park in the Linnton neighborhood in District 4 adjacent to North Portland in District 2. This stretch of industrial land contains bulk fuel terminals that store and distribute 90% of Oregon's liquid fuel.

Experts and advocates have been sounding the alarm for years, demanding across Districts that City Council legislate actionable steps to prevent unimaginable harm.

The CEI Hub is located on liquefiable soils in an area subject to natural hazards, posing significant risk in the event of an earthquake, flood, or fire. Train derailment for fuels transported by rail is also a threat to the river and surrounding neighborhoods.

City staff from the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability (BPS) spent more than a year incorporating feedback from industry and community stakeholders for the CEI Policy Project and the future of fuel storage for the region. BPS' original proposal was introduced to the Planning Commission, where it received additional feedback, before going to City Council for consideration.

The co-sponsors appreciate the work of BPS staff and the Planning Commissioners, and the ambition of the proposal, but see an opportunity to push the City even further for safety and transparency. The amendments package, titled Green/Pirtle-Guiney/ Kanal/Clark/Koyama Lane 2, amends Title 33 (Zoning Code), Title 17 (Public Improvements), and the Comprehensive Plan with necessary framing language about the CEI Hub and changes to key words to strengthen its charge to address health, safety, and environmental needs. The zoning code changes expand neighborhood contact steps and review processes for fuel storage and transloading capacity expansion. The Title 17 amendments establish a directive for the fuel reduction program and additional reporting requirements.

"The CEI Hub is a top public safety issue for Portlanders. Today, we took a major step forward in addressing the environmental and safety concerns at the CEI Hub that neighborhood advocates and experts have been raising the alarm on for years," Councilor Mitch Green said. "Our amendments significantly improve both the safety at the hub, our commitment to our environmental and climate goals, while also modeling how to do community-driven policy making. I'm thankful for the advocates, City staff, and co-sponsors who dedicated hundreds of hours to pass a long-awaited package to protect our communities and strengthen accountability."

"I've been advocating for a safer CEI Hub for years – as a Northeast Portland resident, at the State level, and now, as a Portland City Councilor," Councilor Elana Pirtle-Guiney said. "Too much time has gone by while leaders debate the issue, and we must ensure we don't miss another opportunity to act – the exact type of action that our new form of government was designed for. The CEI Hub is in the least safe location possible, and we must reduce the total amount of fuels stored here."

"I really just want to say: It's about time," Councilor Koyama Lane said. "I know we're coming in late on this. Experts and advocates have been fighting for these protections for years. I'm so grateful for them, and for my colleagues who are treating this with the seriousness it deserves. I also recognize we still have a lot more to do to keep our communities and our beautiful environment safe."

"The CEI Hub represents a potential disaster of enormous scale to the entire region. Inaction is not an option," Council Vice President Clark said. "I especially want to thank the tireless advocates in Linnton, an isolated community on the edge of District 4, for championing the stronger safety and resiliency standards that we passed today."

"Today's vote reflects what can be achieved when we co-create policy with communities," Councilor Kanal said. "These amendments strengthen the CEI Hub Project Plan, increase accountability, and put us on a path to meaningfully reduce environmental and safety risks for North Portlanders."

On September 24, more than 60 people signed up for verbal testimony for the CEI Hub Policy Project ordinances, urging Council to pass the amendments that increase safety and reduce risk. 

BPS will now reconcile the amendment package with the underlying ordinances before they return to Council for a final vote.