Neighbors call on state commission to intervene in Zenith Energy plans
PORTLAND, Ore. (PORTLAND TRIBUNE) — The Linnton Neighborhood Association and environmental advocacy groups filed a petition with the state on April 8 asking the Oregon Environmental Quality Commission to deny an air emissions permit for Zenith Energy.
The petition comes as the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality prepares for a public comment period on Zenith’s permit application.
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Zenith Energy’s Northwest Portland facility stores and ships fuel. The company has promised to stop storing or transporting crude oil out of the Portland facility by 2027, but neighbors and environmental advocates say Zenith’s recent record shows its promises can’t be trusted.
In March, the Portland city auditor found that Zenith had violated city code in 2022 by lobbying city officials to approve a land use filing without disclosing the lobbying efforts.
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The petition filed Monday, April 8, asks the commission to deny Zenith’s air permit application on the grounds that the city-approved Land Use Compatibility Statement, which is a prerequisite for DEQ approval, is insufficient “due to the extent of coordination between the City and Zenith in undermining the legal sufficiency of the LUCS review and determination.” If the commission won’t deny Zenith’s air permit, the petitioners wrote, they should at least send the Land Use Compatibility Statement back to the city for a new evaluation.
Read more at PortlandTribune.com.
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