Federal Judge Denies Motions to Pare Down Developer’s Lawsuit
Yesterday, in the first major court skirmish in developer Phil Tagami’s lawsuit against the City of Oakland, United States District Judge Vince Chhabria indicated he was likely to deny the City’s motion to dismiss a breach of contract claim, he is inclined to allow Sierra Club and San Francisco Baykeeper to intervene as parties in the lawsuit, and he will defer consideration of the would-be intervenors’ arguments for partial dismissal of Tagami’s claim that the City’s ordinance banning coal storage and handling violates the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitut...
Canadian Bank Plays Big Role in Keystone Pipeline, Oakland Coal Terminal
Although “Bank of Montreal” is hardly a household name in the U.S., Bank of Montreal is now playing an outsized role in efforts to build Oakland’s proposed coal terminal as well as the Keystone XL Pipeline newly revived by Trump Administration proclamation.
The Canadian bank’s role in arranging financing for developer Phil Tagami’s coal terminal was first dissected over a year ago in No Coal in Oakland’s earlier post, “Coal’s Frontmen in Oakland: Who Owns TLS?” The article revealed how Jeffrey Holt, a Bank of Montreal investment banker stationed in ...
April 20 Court Date Looms Big In Oakland Coal Struggle
Next Thursday, April 20, U.S. District Court Judge Vince Chhabria will hear the first arguments in the historic courtroom battle between the City of Oakland and local developer Phil Tagami who wants to build a major coal export facility on the West Oakland waterfront.
The City of Oakland, Sierra Club, and San Francisco Baykeeper will face off against Oakland Bulk and Oversized Terminal LLC (OBOT), a corporate shell through which Tagami and his business partners hold a 66-year lease and rights to develop and operate a marine terminal on the West Gateway portion of ...
Labor Tackles Climate Jobs Challenge as Oakland Coal Controversy Goes to Court: “Jobs for Workers, Not for Lawyers”
On Saturday, April 8, the Alameda Labor Council will sponsor a Labor, Climate & Jobs Forum with plenary and workshop sessions devoted to how Unions are addressing climate and environmental challenges by organizing workers and communities. Speakers will include Josie Camacho, executive secretary-treasurer, Alameda Labor Council; Kathyrn Lybarger, president, California State Federation of Labor; Cesar Diaz, State Building and Construction Trades Council; and Carol Zabin, UC Berkeley Labor Center Green Economy Program.
The Forum follows the Labor Council's pathbrea...
First major hearing in coal ban lawsuit: April 20, 2017
Join No Coal in Oakland at the U.S. District Court in San Francisco on the morning of April 20, 2017 to stand up for Oakland's coal ban.
At 10:00 am on that day, Judge Vince Chhabria will hold the first important hearing in developer Phil Tagami’s attempt to overturn the City’s ban on coal storage and handling at the future West Gateway marine terminal, his lawsuit Oakland Bulk and Oversized Terminal LLC v. City of Oakland.
The Court will hear several motions at the hearing.
Of great importance to No Coal in Oakland is a motion by Sierra Club and San Franci...
Utah coal miners, Oakland activists featured in Al Jazeera news segment
On February 3, 2017, Al Jazeera English posted a video segment Global warming fears throw Utah Coal industry into crisis. The segment includes 2016 interview footage of West Oakland Environmental Indicators Project Co-Director Ms. Margaret Gordon, who is also a co-coordinator of No Coal in Oakland. (The segment, also posted to the Al Jazeera English YouTube channel, is embedded below.)
At the opening of the Al Jazeera report, retired coal miner Dennis Ardohain points out names of hundreds of coal miners killed in mine accidents engraved on a monument he helped to ...
Oakland Strikes Back Against Developer’s Lawsuit; City Files Motion to Dismiss
Labor, Faith, & Community Leaders Announce Campaign to Support City of Oakland in High-Stakes Legal Battle with Coal Terminal Developer
Today, the City of Oakland filed a motion to dismiss the high-stakes lawsuit, Oakland Bulk and Oversized Terminal LLC v. City of Oakland, brought by a developer seeking to build a $250 million coal export facility on Oakland's waterfront.
Last summer, the City Council voted unanimously to bar the use of a marine terminal on City-owned land for the storage and handling of coal. If the proposed bulk terminal is used for this ...
Demonstrators Rain on Tagami’s Pro-Coal Parade
Braving rain, a spirited group gathered at the Federal Building in Oakland, including half a dozen young children, a dozen high school students, parents, grandparents and community members to protest Phil Tagami's lawsuit against the City of Oakland.
The first public action against Phil Tagami’s lawsuit was organized by Families Against Fossil Fuels in coordination with the national #DayAgainstDenial. Throughout the country on January 9, demonstrators called on our representatives to reject the climate deniers Trump has nominated.
In early December, Phil ...
Developer Files Federal Suit Seeking to Overturn Coal Ban; Community Vows to Fight Back
On Wednesday, December 7, developer Phil Tagami filed a federal lawsuit seeking to overturn Oakland's ordinance banning storage, handling, and transhipment of coal through a new terminal to be built on the Oakland waterfront near the Bay Bridge toll plaza.
The lawsuit against the City of Oakland was filed on behalf of Tagami's shell company Oakland Bulk and Oversized Terminal LLC (OBOT LLC). Tagami's complaint is online here. A letter sent to the City is here. And a press release issued by Tagami's local lawyer is here.
No Coal in Oakland will be updating this ...
West Side Missionary Baptist Church Honored for Role in No Coal Campaign
West Side Missionary Baptist Church and its pastor, Rev. Ken Chambers, were honored for their outstanding contributions to the No Coal in Oakland campaign at California Interfaith Power & Light’s 10th annual awards ceremony on November 15. CIPL is an interfaith group responding to climate change, with members from Islamic, Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Buddhist, Unitarian, and many other spiritual traditions. At this year’s annual awards ceremony, attendees shared food, offered prayers, and celebrated climate care and advocacy work being done by congregations ...