More than a decade ago, Oakland, California, residents first got wind of a plan to export coal through their city. The coal would move through a proposed bulk commodity export terminal. Initially, developers reassured residents that the facility wouldn’t export coal. But it soon became clear that wasn’t the case. Community members and environmental groups have been organizing against the plans ever since.
Then in June, the project got a major boost: President Trump announced that he would provide $75 million to support construction of the project, part of a larger influx of cash for the United States’ dying coal industry. The announcement injected new life into the terminal, and also into the opposition.
No Coal in Oakland coordinating committee member Margaret Rossoff and West Oakland Environmental Indicators Project Executive Director Veronica Eady join Terra Verde host and Earth Island Journal Managing Editor Zoe Loftus-Farren to discuss where things stand.