City Hall has refused to meet with community

After public testimony in the February 9 council meeting, Commissioner Rubio broke her silence and directly addressed activists in attendance. “As Commissioner Ryan made clear last year, Zenith will be expected to maintain compliance with full transparency and to ensure the agreements are actualized,” she said. Activists reflexively laughed in unison, knowing that Zenith has at no point been transparent in their business dealings with Portland. In a February 15 email to me, Rubio’s office dodged questions, but wrote in a prepared statement that “the city cannot create a special procedure for one application,” then passed the buck to DEQ, state, county, and federal government. “I welcome more energy-sector innovation to demonstrate to us, and follow through on, a shift away from fossil fuels and toward cleaner fuels,” she stated. “Our time to act is closing. Our time to act together is now.”

Moberg says it is reasonable to argue that Zenith’s current and proposed activities pose too great a risk to public and environmental health. “People are genuinely scared for our families’ lives, watching Zenith oil trains weave through our neighborhoods daily,” she said. She also recognizes that there is an inherent tension between the severity of the problem and the minutiae necessary to dismantle it. “Yeah, maybe the LUCS isn’t the greatest tool ever. Maybe it’s boring. But Portland’s stuck with 90% of the petrol-based fuels in the state on our riverfront, and Zenith is going to be status quo doing that work. It does sound boring, but it’s also just outrageous—especially in a progressive city like Portland.”