On Tuesday, March 25 the Berkeley City Council will consider legislation to stop the transport of Fracked Crude Oil through Berkeley. My Council member for district #3, Darryl Moore sent this information today. I hope many can attend the CC meeting. Here's the information from Councilman Moore:
I recently became aware of a plan Phillips 66 has to ship highly hazardous crude oil by rail, in large volumes, along our Union Pacific tracks, to San Luis Obispo. These are the very tracks Amtrak uses, adjoining residences, industries, shopping areas. The record of accidents and explosions of this material is frightening, as you can see in the piece KPIX aired last week:
KPIX Video
Please note that the railroad tracks are only a block from the trendy and very popular 4th Street shopping area. There's more information below the fold:
The Council will consider a host of recommendations I've submitted with my Council colleague, Vice Mayor Maio, for our meeting next week on March 25: COB council item.
Historically, the railroads are exempt from local and state laws as interstate operators, but that must not stop us from fiercely opposing their plans and demanding intervention. We will be adding additional actions to the Council item, gleaned from recent actions taken by other cities and public officials in California and elsewhere.
In the meantime... MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD, urging intervention and protective
action, using the following email addresses:
Sending to "clerk" specify to distribute to all CC members:
Berkeley City Council: clerk
Assemblymember Nancy Skinner: Skinner
Senator Loni Hancock: Hancock
Governor Jerry Brown: Brown
Congresswoman Barbara Lee: Lee
U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer: Boxer
U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein: Toll free Congress: 1-866-338-1015
.
I wish to add that I called Assemblywoman Nancy Skinner again today and said I'd like to know Skinners' current position on Fracking. I think Skinner is feeling quite a lot of pressure on this. There is no longer any information on her website, and the phone receptionist said she would have to get someone else to talk to me. I immediately got the feeling that this was too sensitive a subject to leave to anyone but a more senior staff person. When the new woman came to the phone, she started immediately telling me that Assemblywoman Skinner was previously for the Moratorium... I interrupted by saying I knew she used to be against fracking, but I wanted to know where she stands now. I never got an answer, just dodges. So I can only assume she is still siding for fracking with Governor Brown.
I hope to see lots of East Bay people on Tuesday. If anyone wants to come over to Berkeley by BART, the BOC meetings are just slightly more than 2 blocks from downtown BART. The meetings start at 7:00, but this item is #29 on the agenda, so you don't need to rush, arriving late should be okay. Bring your signs. Onward!!!