Category Archives: Benicia Planning Commission

Benicia City Council, Benicia Planning Commission, Blast zone, Climate Change, Crude By Rail, Fossil fuels, Local Regulation, Public Comment, Public Health, Public permitting, Public Safety, Take Action, Valero Benicia Appeal, Valero Benicia Refinery, Valero Crude By Rail

CREDO ACTION: Urge the BenIcia City Council to reject Valero’s dangerous oil train plan

From an email by CREDO Action, by Elijah Zarlin

Urge the BenIcia City Council to reject Valero’s dangerous oil train plan.

Dear … ,

CREDO_Action_NoMoreToxicExplodingPollutingOilTrainsValero Energy Corporation is trying to build an oil train terminal at its refinery in Benicia, which, if approved, would bring massive trains loaded with 2.5 million gallons of toxic, explosive crude through highly populated areas from the Nevada border, through Sacramento and into the Bay Area. (source 1: see note below)

Last month, the Benicia Planning Commission rejected the plan as a danger to the health, safety and welfare of Benicia and uprail communities.

But Valero appealed the decision. On April 4th, the Benicia City Council will make its final decision on the proposal. We need to show up in force to speak out against the danger of oil trains in our communities. Can you be there?

Stop Valero’s Oil Trains: Rally and City Council Hearing
Monday, April 4, 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Benicia City Hall, 250 East L Street, Benicia, CA 94510
RSVP to speak out against oil trains.

Busses are being organized from Sacramento. Click here for more information.

The oil train blast zone puts millions of Californians at risk. In the Sacramento area alone more than 200,000 people live within the potential impact zone of an oil train disaster.

And at a time when our planet is breaking temperature records every month, doubling down on more fossil fuel infrastructure should be an absolute non-starter.

We need to do everything in our power to urge the Benicia City Council to reject this proposal for the sake of public safety in our communities, and our fight against climate change.

RSVP to speak out against Valero’s oil train plan on April 4th.

Thanks for fighting oil trains.

Elijah Zarlin, Director of Climate Campaigns
CREDO Action from Working Assets

Source 1: “Oil Train Blast Zone,” Stand.Earth
Benicia City Council, Benicia Planning Commission, Blast zone, Crude By Rail, Explosion, Oil trains, Public Health, Public Safety, Take Action, Valero Benicia Refinery, Valero Crude By Rail

SIERRA CLUB NATIONAL TAKE ACTION: Protect California’s communities from explosive Benicia oil trains

Repost from the Sierra Club
[Editor:  Take action on the Sierra Club page.  – RS]

Take action: Protect California’s communities from explosive oil trains

Aftermath of the tragic 2013 crude-by-rail explosion in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, which took 47 lives.

Last month, decision-makers voted unanimously to reject a proposed crude-by-rail project at the Valero oil refinery in Benicia because it “would be detrimental to the public health, safety, or welfare” of Benicians and communities along the oil train routes. It was the right decision — projects like these, which put more than five million Californians within the blast zones of explosive oil trains, are not worth the risk.

But the oil company behind this project is appealing this decision to the Benicia City Council — so we need to speak out to protect communities like Benicia, Truckee, Davis, and Sacramento, that would be put at risk if this project moves forward.

This is an all-hands-on-deck moment to stop this dangerous crude-by-rail project once and for all. Take a moment (click here) to urge the Benicia City Council to listen to the public and the city’s own Planning Commission and say NO to Big Oil!

(TIP: If you personalize your message to the City Council with why you care about this issue, your public comment will carry more weight.)

 

Benicia Planning Commission, Crude By Rail, Local Regulation, Public Health, Public Safety, Valero Benicia Refinery, Valero Crude By Rail

VIDEO: Closing comments of Planning Commissioners and their unanimous vote on February 11, 2016

This is a video clip of the closing comments of each of the Benicia Planning Commissioners followed by their unanimous vote on February 11, 2016.  This clip runs for about 1:20 minutes.  (On the City’s longer and unindexed video, this clip begins at 3:38:30 on 2/11/16 and runs to the end. Note that the video archive of the entire meeting can be found on the City of Benicia website at ci.benicia.ca.us/agendas.)

Benicia Planning Commission, Crude By Rail, Local Regulation, Public Health, Public Safety, Valero Benicia Refinery, Valero Crude By Rail

VIDEO: The public speaking against Valero crude by rail

Repost of YouTube VIDEO By Constance Beutel

Public Comments opposed to Valero’s Crude by Rail Project

On February 9th and 10th during the Benicia Planning Commission hearings on the Final Environmental Impact Report for Valero’s Crude by Rail proposal, the public spoke. This video contains extracts of those who opposed the project.

This 1½-hour segment shows many, but far from all of the nearly 50 who spoke against Valero’s dangerous and dirty oil train proposal on Feb. 9-10.  The video begins with the formal presentation of Benicians For a Safe and Healthy Community, by Marilyn Bardet and Andrés Soto.

The full video of all four Feb. 8-11 Planning Commission meetings can be found at the City’s website, Agendas & Minutes.