Oakland’s Coal Struggle in the Media

The press has become progressively more critical of the plan to export millions of tons of Utah coal each year through Oakland.  Our goal is to make the information on NCIO’s website more reliable than the media reports and we are actively reaching out to reporters to share facts that the developer wants to bury.  Unfortunately, myths like the claim that coal exports will bring a bonanza of jobs and economic development to Oakland still appear in the media despite the facts which you can learn here.

07/08/2021 – KPIX: Despite a Coal Ban in Oakland, Developer Leverages Proposed Facility Against City

08/14/2020 – KPFA: Environmental Justice Activism in Oakland, CA (Ms. Margaret Gordon, Isha Tobias Clarke, Michael Kaufman)

08/11/2020: Salt Lake City Tribune: Will Utah lawmakers bail out beleauguered coal-export terminal?

07/05/2020 – Salt Lake City Tribune: Utah coal counties pledge $20M in state money to help Oakland port get back on track

12/03/2019: East Bay Express: Oakland Coal’s Wheel of Influence

10/23/2019: The Guardian: How fossil fuel execs lobbied black leaders to overturn a California city’s coal ban

4/22/2016 – San Francisco Chronicle editorial: Nations must follow through on climate change

4/21/2016 – The Guardian: Oakland’s coal war pits economic survival against environmental justice

4/11/2016 – East Bay Times: Oakland coal war: health impact debate heads to Sacramento

4/2/2016 – Bay Crossings: “Clean Coal” is a Dirty Lie

4/2/2016 – San Francisco Chronicle editorial: Speak up, Governor, on the Oakland coal train

4/1/2016 – Truthout: Will Oakland become largest West Coast transport center for dirty coal?

3/30/2016 – KALW Your Call: Utah coal stirs up concerns in Oakland

3/27/2016 – The Salt Lake Tribune: Proponents buried coal’s role in Oakland export terminal; now questions remain

3/26/2016 – Deseret News: Coal story: It’s about Utah, California and what lies ahead

3/25/2016 – San Francisco Chronicle: Oakland coal-shipment dustup grows: What will Brown do?

3/25/2016 – San Francisco Chronicle: Developer planning Oakland coal shipment an ally of governor

3/25/2016 – The Davis Enterprise: First oil, now coal: More fears of trains coming through Davis

3/22/2016 – In These Times: Oakland workers join grassroots environmental justice activists to say ‘No to Coal’

3/20/2016 – RP&E Journal: Communities unite to fight coal in Oakland

3/16/2016 – East Bay Express: The Senator against coal

3/14/2016 – KQED: Utah legislators approve bill to get coal to market via new terminal in Oakland

3/11/2016 – Contra Costa Times: Oakland reacts to Utah’s move to invest $53 million in a coal terminal

3/10/2016 – East Bay Express: Utah Lawmakers Voting to Spend Public Funds on Oakland Coal Terminal Took $29,000 from Company that Stands to Profit

2/19/2016 – Oakland Tribune: Oakland: Sen. Hancock introduces four bills to restrict coal exports

2/19/2016 – Oakland Post: Clergy warn of dangers of coal

2/17/2016 – East Bay Express: Coal opponents claim small victory at Oakland City Council

2/16/2016 – CBS: Residents protest plan for coal train from Utah to West Oakland

1/22/2016 – Post News Group op ed: Developer Tagami’s threats are coal smoke and hot air

1/8/2016 –  Oakland Tribune editorial: Tagami should abandon plans to ship coal through Oakland

12/23/2015 – East Bay Express:  It’s time for Jerry Brown to break his silence on coal

12/14/2015 – Los Angeles Times: How Utah quietly made plans to ship coal through California

12/6/2015 – Labor Video Project: ILWU 10’s Muhammad Derrick challenges toxic coal in port Of Oakland

12/2/2015 – San Francisco Chronicle: Oakland making its move in dustup over coal trains

11/25/2015 – Earthjustice Blog: Community groups dismiss Oakland coal exports case while working with City to exclude coal from project

11/24/2015 – Utah Public Radio: Utah mineral impact money could go to CA

11/16/2015 – Sierra Magazine: Big Coal comes to Oakland

11/12/2015 – East Bay Express: Legal battle over coal in Oakland is heating up

11/9/2015 – Oakland Tribune: Can Oakland stop the coal trains?

11/3/2015 – KSL-TV: Utah coal brings Oakland activists to a boil

11/3/2015 – Cache Valley News: Environmental groups oppose Utah money for California coal terminal

11/3/2015 – Public News Service: Enviros oppose Utah money for California coal terminal

11/2/2015 – Washington Times: Environmental groups protest Utah loan to coal terminal

11/2/2015 – Deseret News: Groups want proposed loan for Oakland coal shipping port declared illegal

11/2/2015 – Salt Lake Tribune: California coal terminal not a legitimate use of Utah millions, groups say

10/20/2015 – KALW: Oakland torn between coal cash and good health

10/18/2015 – Wall Street Journal: Oakland Coal Terminal Becomes a Political Flash Point

10/16/2015 – Oakland North: Lawsuit asks for new environmental review of terminal that would ship coal

10/13/2015 – CUNY Murphy Institute Blog: Unprecedented? Unions and community unite to halt plans to build coal export terminal in Oakland, California

10/13/2015 – Grist: With the threat of coal exports, Oakland piles more pollution on a polluted community

10/7/2015 – East Bay Express: Coal Attorneys Investigate Oakland City Council

10/5/2015 – San Francisco Business Times: Environmentalists sue developer and Oakland to block potential coal shipments

10/4/2015 – Contra Costa Times: Environmentalists file lawsuit to stop coal being shipped through Oakland

10/3/2015 – CBS: Oakland sued by environmental group over plan to ship coal through Army Base

10/2/2015 – East Bay Express: Coal opponents file legal action in state court seeking new environmental analysis

9/28/2015 – Care2: East Bay unions don’t want your coal

9/25/2015 – VICE News: Oakland residents say proposed coal exports could worsen public health and climate change

9/22/2015: UC Berkeley Law Blog LegalPlanet: The coal export wars reach Oakland

9/22/2015 – Environment & Energy Publishing: How a major terminal to ship Utah coal to the Far East sneaked into Oakland

9/22/2015 – East Bay Express: Live: Oakland City Council hearing on coal

9/22/2015 – Rockridge Patch: Hearing on coal experts from port draws hundreds

9/21/2015 – SF Bay News: Coal shipments fuel heated Oakland debate

9/21/2015 – CBS: Oakland residents weigh in on proposed coal train terminal

9/21/2015 – NBC Bay Area: Pollution, health concerns over plan for coal exports at Oakland port

9/21/2015 – KQED: Oakland City Council moves to block coal at new port terminal

9/21/2015 – San Francisco Business Times: Developer and activists ready for showdown over coal shipping at Port of Oakland

9/16/2015 – Oakland Tribune: A showdown over coal in Oakland

9/2/2015 – East Bay Express: Environmental groups say Oakland can and should ban coal exports

9/2/2015 – East Bay Express: “Build it green”: Oakland’s Army Base redevelopment should support the community, not greedy men looking to make a profit.

7/30/2015 – KQED: A dustup in Oakland over plan to ship coal through new terminal

7/25/2015 – San Francisco Chronicle: Opponents of Oakland coal shipping target governor’s pal

7/23/2015 – NRDC Switchboard Blog: #CoalFreeOakland: Californians rally for protection from carbon pollution

7/23/2015 – Oakland Post: Rally says: “No Way, No Coal”

7/22/2015 – East Bay Express: Opposition grows against proposed coal exports from Oakland Army Base project

7/22/2015 – KQED Forum: Activists, residents fight plan to ship coal through Oakland

7/21/2015 – CBS: Plan to send coal through Oakland met with protests

7/17/2015 – Inside Bay Area: Oakland City Council to have public hearing on exporting coal

7/17/2015 – CBS: Public will weigh in on bringing millions of tons of coal to Bay Area

7/13/2015 – CBS: Oakland may be backpedaling on keeping coal facility out

7/10/2015 – Oakland Post: Schaaf: “We will not have coal shipped through our city.”

7/6/2015 – KQED: Oakland mayor, port developer in dispute over plan to ship coal

7/1/2015 – CBS: Billion dollar project will bring millions of tons of coal to area next to Bay Bridge toll plaza

6/22/2015 – KQED: Coal train dust worries Richmond residents

5/27/2015 – East Bay Express: Activists work to stop East Bay coal exports

5/20/2015 – Contra Costa Times: Richmond council votes to oppose coal transport in city

5/14/2015 – Post News Group: McElhaney puts damper on Tagami’s coal plan

5/14/2015 – Rising Tide North America: Oakland residents deliver “coal” to developer to protest coal export plan

5/14/2015 – Oakland City Councilmember Lynette Gibson McElhaney e-newsletter: Oakland says “NO!” to coal shipments at the Oakland Army Base

5/8/2015 – Oakland Post: Tagami’s behind-the-scenes deal to bring coal to Oakland draws opposition

4/28/2015 – AllGov: Utah wants to send trainloads of coal to California ports

4/24/2015 – Contra Costa Times: Unlikely partners: Utah investing $53 million to export coal through Oakland port

4/7/2015 – Richfield (Utah) Reaper:  Project could transform local coal market to international

 


For additional information on coal and related struggles, visit the Sunflower Alliance’s Oakland Coal Campaign archive and the Sierra Club Bay Area Chapter’s In the Media webpage.