By Devorah Ancel
Benicia residents and communities across California and the nation can finally breath a sigh of relief. Yesterday evening, after several years of debate and strong push-back from residents throughout California, the Benicia City Council voted unanimously to reject Valero’s hazardous and ill-conceived crude-by-rail-terminal project. The proposed project would have brought two 50-tanker trains to the city each day carrying 3 million gallons of volatile Bakken and tar sands crude. The decision was preceded by the federal Surface Transportation Board’s ruling rejecting Valero’s claim that the City was preempted by federal law and therefore lacked the authority to deny the project.
For almost three years, the Sierra Club and its partners have been opposing the project. The Sierra Club sent action alerts that garnered more than 1,100 written comments to the City. The Redwood Chapter’s Solano Group worked closely with environmental justice communities directly affected by the project, raising awareness and encouraging participation at public engagement events. These efforts helped turn out hundreds of individuals to public hearings. The SF Bay Chapter sent many supporters to stand in solidarity with our neighbors to the north. Sierra Club attorneys worked with technical experts to submit legal comments during multiple rounds of Environmental Impact Report circulation, and provided oral testimony in opposition to the City attorney’s position that Benecia lacked the authority to deny the project. The Sierra Club intervened as a formal party in the Surface Transportation Board proceeding advocating for the authority of cities and local governments to make critical decisions about these hazardous projects slated for their communities. In addition to its community partners, the Sierra Club galvanized the support of local governments to participate in the Board proceeding and weigh-in with the Benicia City Council.
The Surface Transportation Board’s ruling affirmed the Sierra Club’s position upholding the authority of local government to reject these hazardous projects. As a result, City of Benicia Council members felt empowered to confront Big Oil and deny the project unanimously.
Indeed, the Surface Transportation Board decision extends far beyond the Valero project. As other local government entities like San Luis Obispo County are faced with similar project decisions, they too will be empowered to stand against oil industry interests and do what’s right for their communities: say NO to dangerous crude by rail once and for all.
Photo: The crowd at the September 20th Benicia City Council vote, courtesy of Stand.earth.