Petitioners seek more support at final farmer’s market
Opponents of the Valero Crude-by-Rail Project say they have gathered more than 1,000 signatures on a petition against the refinery’s application and plan to return Thursday to the Benicia Certified Farmers Market in hopes of gathering more names.
Pat Toth-Smith, a member of Benicians for a Safe and Healthy Community, said the organization has been staffing a table at the market since it opened in spring, and members will be doing the same thing Thursday that they have all season long.
“More people are finding out about this issue, and people want more information,” she said.
Toth-Smith said the organization’s petition “is basic.”
She said it asks that the undersigned be counted as opposing the shipment either of sweet Bakken shale crude or sour Canadian tar sands oil by train into Benicia, the Bay Area or communities along rail lines both before and after Benicia.
She said the petition also cites as concerns derailments, fires and explosions associated with increased crude oil rail traffic.
Project supporters have been collecting signatures of their own, too, and have delivered them, 100 or more at a time, during city public meetings. Requests to contribute to this story weren’t answered by press time.
Valero Benicia Refinery applied early in 2013 to extend existing Union Pacific Railroad tracks into its property, in addition to other infrastructure changes, so the refinery could substitute delivery of crude oil by train for the equivalent of oil currently brought in by transoceanic tanker ship.
The refinery has said in statements supported by a Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) that bringing the oil by rail would reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the Bay Area because any emissions released by trains would be more than compensated by reduction in emissions from those ships.
But opponents worry that gases emitted uprail of Benicia wouldn’t have the offsetting benefits, and have cited explosions and fires associated with derailments as more crude is delivered from North American sources by rail.
The city agreed last year with those who said a mitigated negative declaration would be an insufficient environmental document under the California Environmental Quality Act, and ordered the more extensive analysis, the Environmental Impact Report. A draft of that report was issued in June and has been circulated for public evaluation.
The city Planning Commission had three lengthy hearings during which more public comment was accepted, and after the panel extended the deadline for comments California Attorney General Kamala Harris also weighed in, criticizing the DEIR.
Responses to public comments are being written before the city releases the final environmental report for a vote on its certification as well as the refinery’s use permit request.
Despite coverage of several Bay Area marches against crude-by-rail projects, public meetings by proponents and opponents and Benicia’s own hearings on the project, Toth-Smith said at each farmers market day someone has approached members of Benicians for a Safe and Healthy Community to say they hadn’t heard of the proposal.
However, she said, more residents are noticing both pro and con yard signs.
“People in Benicia are very smart and well-educated, and they know what they want to do,” she said. “Some people are cautious. They peruse everything they can. People take the process seriously, and I’m thrilled. It’s important people explore everything. People love Benicia and want it to stay like it is. That’s the main worry.”
She insisted that objections to the project didn’t mean opponents don’t like Valero.
“It’s about the transportation,” she said. “Valero is a good neighbor.”
Andres Soto, another member of the local organization, agreed that transport by rail is the main concern. But he also said there are problems with the DEIR.
“Some are demanding recirculation (of the document),” he said. “They must see their ship is on the rocks.”
He said the group’s table at the farmers market has been important for reaching out to Benicians, who make up the bulk of the signatures the petition has gathered. He said he sees the petition “as a barometer of sentiment of the Benicia community.”
Soto said his organization is distributing yard signs and keeping a tally of those he said were stolen by project supporters — more than 35 so far.
He noted that the Planning Commission hearings on the DEIR drew so many people that the Council Chamber at City Hall was full, and overflow seating had to be arranged in the building’s outdoor patio, Commission Room and conference rooms.
If 300 show up at one of those meetings, “that’s a lot of people,” he said. But 300 is a tenth of a percent of the city’s nearly 30,000 residents.
Soto said there are some residents “who don’t know; they’re not really plugged in.” That’s one of the reasons his organization will keep up its petition campaign after the farmers market concludes its season. Thursday’s market is the last until spring.
“What’s important to Benicia people is if there is a catastrophic event, who is on the hook for the toxic cleanup?” he said. They also want to know who would be responsible for the economic impact of an explosive derailment, or how it would affect the value of their homes.
High school students also have signed the petition, telling him they’re concerned about global warming and the environmental impact of production of both Bakken and tar sands crude.
He said he objects to those who are trying to use “scare tactics” such as suggesting the refinery might leave if the project isn’t approved, “especially after Attorney General Kamala Harris’s letter” in which she pointed out what she considers deficiencies in the document.
“People who wrote the draft EIR did a shabby, shabby job,” Soto said.
“It’s scandalous.”
Sharing is caring!
Many thanks to the faithful Farmers’ Market volunteers, Pat, Michele, Sam, Kathy, Judi, Christine, Kat, Andres, Genevieve, Isis, Rebekah, Karen, Diana … and others. (I thought I’d say something nice here before the bickering starts….) To sign the petition, go to http://tinyurl.com/SafeBeniciaPetition. For more information, go to SafeBenicia.org.
“More people are finding out about this issue, and people want more information,” she said.
About a month or two ago I saw mention of the Herald being the prime source for printed news for folks in Benicia. Yet, in another column (specifically about a council meeting about the the rail project) there was reference to the fact that a surprising number of people had never even heard about the project. If the Herald is ineffective in getting the story out, perhaps it is time to get a un-biased team to go door to door to talk to people and/or hand out flyesr. Perhaps then an a on-line poll can be set up in order to get a real reflection of what the people of Benicia think about this project. It probably does not matter that much. But, at least it will go beyond hearing/seeing repeatedly from the usual small agenda-driven groups of pro-project folks and anti-project folks.
The poll could be as easy as setting something up on Survey Monkey.
http://svy.mk/1zL3RW2
To sign the petition, go to …
I liked the flaming tank cars graphic at the petition site, Roger. Nice touch.
It is refreshing that the petition promoters are keep the debate civil and not using any scare tactics to help sway public opinion.
More crude-by -rail news our “little city” can use…
“I love the smell of the emissions.”
—Sarah Palin, 2011
From the above article:
“People love Benicia and want it to stay like it is. That’s the main worry.”
And:
“What’s important to Benicia people is if there is a catastrophic event, who is on the hook for the toxic cleanup?” he said. They also want to know who would be responsible for the economic impact of an explosive derailment, or how it would affect the value of their homes.”
“High school students also have signed the petition, telling him they’re concerned about global warming and the environmental impact of production of both Bakken and tar sands crude.”
From the article below:
“Huge fire in West Virginia after oil train derails, sending tanker into river
Around 200 people evacuated from scene of crash south-east of Charleston as rescuers fight to reach one house set ablaze.”
“A train carrying more than 100 tankers of crude oil derailed in southern West Virginia on Monday, sending at least one tanker into the Kanawha River, igniting at least 14 and sparking a house fire, officials said.”
A witness, David McClung, said he felt the heat from one of the explosions at his home about a half mile up the hill. His brother in law was outside at the time of the derailment and heard a loud crack below along the riverfront, then went inside to summon McClung, his wife and their son.
One of the explosions that followed sent a fireball at least 300ft into the air, McClung said.
“We felt the heat, I can tell you that,” McClung said. “It was a little scary. It was like an atomic bomb went off.”
http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/feb/16/train-crude-oil-derails-in-west-virginia
More crude-by -rail news our “little city” can use…
“I love that smell of the emissions.”
—Sarah Palin, 2011
From the above article:
“People love Benicia and want it to stay like it is. That’s the main worry.”
And:
“What’s important to Benicia people is if there is a catastrophic event, who is on the hook for the toxic cleanup?” he said. They also want to know who would be responsible for the economic impact of an explosive derailment, or how it would affect the value of their homes.”
“High school students also have signed the petition, telling him they’re concerned about global warming and the environmental impact of production of both Bakken and tar sands crude.”
From the post below: an update on the crude –by-rail fire and explosion for our appointed and elected leaders to seriously comprehend…
State of emergency declared in West Virginia after train derails, explodes
“A train derailment Monday afternoon in West Virginia caused multiple explosions and a massive fire, and the CSX-owned train is leaking crude oil into the Kanawha River, officials said.”
“Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin declared a state of emergency about 6 p.m. Eastern time.”
Nearly three hours after that declaration, the fire was still burning, and 1,000 people had been evacuated, according to Lawrence Messina, the state’s public safety spokesman.”
“At least one home near the derailment in Fayette County caught fire and was destroyed, Messina said.”
“The derailment happened about 1:20 p.m. Eastern time as the 109-car train carrying Bakken crude oil was going from North Dakota to Yorktown, Va., Messina said. As many as 15 train cars were involved in the derailment and fire, he said.”
http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-train-derailment-west-virginia-20150216-story.html
More crude-by-rail news the community can use—
“I love that smell of the emissions.”
—Sarah Palin, 2011
From the above article:
“People love Benicia and want it to stay like it is. That’s the main worry.”
And:
“What’s important to Benicia people is if there is a catastrophic event, who is on the hook for the toxic cleanup?” he said. They also want to know who would be responsible for the economic impact of an explosive derailment, or how it would affect the value of their homes.”
“High school students also have signed the petition, telling him they’re concerned about global warming and the environmental impact of production of both Bakken and tar sands crude.”
From the post below: an overview (more detailed information) on our “fossil fuel follies” for our appointed and elected leaders to seriously comprehend…
“Exploding Trains, No New Regulations, Record Industry Profits: The Oil-by-Rail Story”
“A month ago there was a close call for the oil-by-rail industry. As part of the Cromnibus bill that President Obama signed in December, new oil-by-rail regulations were supposed to be finalized and implemented by regulators by January 15th.”
“Two days before that deadline, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), the agency responsible for new regulations, posted new documents on their website related to recent meetings between PHMSA and various oil and rail industry lobbyists.”
“They did not issue a press release about these meetings, unlike the meetings a year ago when the industry volunteered to try improving its safety record and there was plenty of publicity.”
“And then it was announced that new regulations would once again be delayed, this time until May 2015.”
“Since that delay an ethanol train has derailed resulting in burning rail cars and ethanol spilling into the Mississippi River. An oil train derailed and caught fire in Gogama, Canada. And another oil train of Bakken crude oil derailed, exploded, and leaked oil into the Kanawha River near Mount Carbon, West Virginia.”
“However, it would be unfair to claim that the oil and rail industries have done nothing in the time since Lac-Megantic.– Industry lobbyists and lawyers have worked constantly to weaken and delay any new regulations. –At the same time the amounts of oil moved by rail have rapidly increased, along with industry profits.”
http://www.desmogblog.com/2015/02/18/exploding-trains-no-new-regulations-record-industry-profits-oil-rail-story#disqus_thread
Both sides are using scare tactics. The pro-bomb-train folks are trying to scare the public that Valero will up and leave if it doesn’t get its way. The anti-bomb-train folks are legitimately scared by a catastrophically high-risk proposal that is also environmentally dirtier than any other way of producing energy. A “civil debate” does not preclude analysis of frightening realities.
LOL.
You’re on a roll today Roger, thanks for the laugh.
Fact: there have been 6 notable crude oil train derailments with explosions in the US & Canada in the last 15 months. See http://safebenicia.org/crude-oil-train-explosions-2013-2014/
Fact: Derailments are common. So far in North America in 2014, we have seen an average of one bomb train derailment every 4 days (includes trains hauling one or more cars of crude oil, fuel oil, ethanol, methanol, propane, butane, liquified natural gas (methane), vinyl chloride, ammonium nitrate or high-nitrogen fertilizer such as anhydrous ammonia, phosphoric acid or some other highly volatile or especially toxic or caustic cargo). See http://safebenicia.org/bomb-train-derailments-in-2014/
A courageous response to such threats might include recognition of danger and action to stop it.
“one bomb train”
1) Sorry Roger, using that term, as you have done several times, is not a moderate position. It is one of alarmism, pure and simple, and frames the argument in a very biased manner.
2) Why is a shut down of Valero a scare tactic? No one will be killed or physically injured, if Valero closes.
If you took a vote amongst the petitioners and asked the following question:
“There is a real possibility that the Valero refinery could shut down in the future. Should Benicia commission an immediate study, at a cost of $350,000, to address the issue of life after Valero, so as to be prepared for this occurrence?”
That would pass in a NY minute. If one believes Mr. Cook, the refinery will be obsolete in 10 years anyway.
News Flash: The refinery is not going to be closed in our lifetimes.
Will it be one person one vote i.e. Democracy or one$$$ dollar$$$- one vote -i.e Plutocracy.
From the above article:
“More people are finding out about this issue, and people want more information,” she said.
From the article below, more information/news about what other communities are doing to protect themselves against large “corporations trying to trample democracy.”
‘We Will Only Get Louder’: Dozens of Communities Vote to Boot Big Money from Politics”
“Huge margins back up claim that ‘nearly all Americans share the sentiment that corporations should not have the same rights as people'”
As they headed to the polls to vote in what turned out to be the most expensive midterm election in history—one in which outside money from undisclosed sources played an outsized role and the number of small individual donors shrank—voters across the country made clear their desire to end corporate personhood and get big money out of politics.
“It is time for Congress to pass the We the People Amendment and send it to the states for ratification. The leadership of both parties need to realize that their voters are clamoring for this amendment, and we are only going to get louder.”
—Kaitlin Sopoci-Belknap, Move to Amend
“According to Wisconsin Move to Amend, the state chapter of the national coalition working to overturn Citizens United, residents of 12 Wisconsin communities voted in favor of amending the U.S. Constitution to reflect that”:
1.” Only human beings—not corporations, limited liability companies, unions, nonprofit organizations, or similar associations—are endowed with Constitutional rights; ”
and
2. “Money is not speech and, therefore, regulating political contributions and spending is not equivalent to limited political speech.””
Fair questions: What will Benicia (and its city council) do? Solano County and its Board of Supervisors?
http://www.commondreams.org/news/2014/11/05/we-will-only-get-louder-dozens-communities-vote-boot-big-money-politics
Recent Benicia Valero derailments in our Industrial Park include one on 9/7/14, another on 5/17/14 and another on 11/4/13. Do the math: that’s 3 derailments in 10 months! These were minor incidents, no spills, no injuries. But it is not reassuring to anticipate daily 100-car trains full of volatile Bakken crude oil backing into the refinery to unload.
Rev. Straw check out the stabilizers at Bakken before you talk about derailments.
Rev. Straw which rail cars will carry the crude to Benicia? Do you know? It will not be the Dot-111. How about the stabilizers at the Bakken shale area. Are you aware of that? I doubt that you are. I could go on and on. But nothing will stop you and the group from your agenda driven anti fossil fuel idealogy. I would think you are also for MCE? By the way after I did ask for info from some of the Farmers Market booth folks that was fals you immediatly changed the folks at the booth. Sorry Rev. Straw your group does give out scare tactics and are not very well informed.
Bob,
On a side note:
Berkshire Hathaway A-stock is down slightly at 208K per share, but that is up 265% since Warren’s buddy 0bama took office. Not a bad gain for those who have profited from Bakken and rail carrying crude trains.
I recall Constance mentioned that she has investments in B-H (though likely it is the B-stock), that stock is up even more at 271%.
Dang, I wish I had gotten on the oil-rail train back in 2009.