Safer Critical Energy Infrastructure (CEI) Hub

Context

What is the CEI Hub?

The Critical Energy Infrastructure (CEI) Hub is a six mile stretch of industrial-zoned properties along the lower Willamette River. Over 350 million gallons of liquid fuels and other toxic materials are transported to and from the hub, stored in large bulk storage tanks. This includes over 90% of the liquid fuel used in Oregon. The tanks are located on unstable soils in a dangerous seismic zone, and in a wildland-urban interface fire zone that is also a railroad corridor. An accident in the CEI Hub would prove catastrophic to the ecological and social systems in Portland and the region, and would have economic consequences statewide.

Principles:

• Flammable and toxic materials should not be transported to/from or stored on seismically unstable soils.
• Portland should pursue projects that further the City’s commitment to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 without violating the City’s commitment to equity or its duty to protect public and environmental health.
• The public should be informed about the dangers posed by the CEI Hub and how to protect themselves.
• Portland should do no harm; the City should not take actions that would increase dangers posed by the CEI Hub.
• Mechanisms should be put in place to ensure that industry bears the costs of inevitable disasters.

Successes & Progress

The 2025 City Council hosted two relevant work sessions related to the CEI Hub in the first quarter of the year: a Renewable Fuels Presentation at a Climate and Land Use Committee Meeting on February 27, 2025, and a Critical Energy Infrastructure Work Session on March 17, 2025. 

In May 2025, the City’s Bureau of Planning and Sustainability began the Critical Energy Infrastructure Hub Policy Project, after receiving funding for the project from FEMA. 350PDX has been engaged in this policy project since it began. Over 800 comments were generated regarding the CEI Hub Policy Project Discussion Draft, with overwhelming support for “Alternative 4 and more,” a stronger drawdown than the Discussion Draft proposed. The Bureau of Planning and Sustainability offered a Proposed Draft to the Planning Commission that included a limited drawdown of fossil and liquid fuels at the hub, and the Planning Commission recommended this Proposed Draft with amendments—retaining the drawdown—to the City Council on March 10, 2026.

In the 2026 Legislative Session, Oregon lawmakers passed HB 4100, which now requires owners of bulk fuel terminals (primarily in the CEI Hub) to prove they can cover cleanup costs for oil spills or disasters via financial assurances, such as bonds or insurance. This new Oregon law aims to protect taxpayers and local ecosystems from the risks of catastrophic spills.

Actions

1. Establish a City Council CEI Hub Committee or Volunteer Commission: 
   • City Council should establish a standing CEI Hub committee or volunteer commission charged with holding public hearings on CEI Hub dangers and options for prevention and risk mitigation.
   • A public report and recommendations for action should be generated, including funding recommendations. 
   • The needs and concerns of all impacted groups must be considered.
2. Create a Cascadia Subduction Zone ordinance:
   • This idea was presented to the Climate, Resilience, and Land Use Committee on January 15, 2026, Document Number 2026-023.
   • The proposed ordinance states: “All City Bureaus, particularly but not limited to the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability, will address the potential impacts of the Cascadia Subduction Zone Earthquake as a foundational part of all City planning, focusing on what the City can do in the immediate, mid-and-long term to mitigate harms to its residents and communities, damage to infrastructure and economy, and degradations to its environment.”
3. Pass and/or Oversee Implementation of a Significant CEI Hub Drawdown:
   • The City Council may pass the CEI Hub Policy Project before the end of 2026. If this process goes into 2027, however, we expect new city councilors to support a significant drawdown of fossil and liquid fuels stored at the CEI Hub, with an efficient timeline, rigorous reporting requirements, and onerous penalties for noncompliance.
   • Once the CEI Hub Policy Project passes, City Councilors must ensure the policy is being followed and companies are drawing down the amount of liquid fuels stored at the hub.
   • Develop a culture of accountability: strictly enforce the CEI Hub policy and hold companies accountable if they are not complying, including revoking permits.
4. Work with Other Governments: City Council should authorize a liaison or task force to work in conjunction with county, regional, state, federal, and tribal governments to develop prevention and risk mitigation measures, including risk bonding, monitoring and relocation, that are beyond the purview of the city to accomplish alone.
5. Provide Public Education and Disaster Preparation: 
   • Information about the dangers posed by the CEI Hub should be part of emergency and disaster preparedness programs for both the public and emergency responders.
   • All public programs should be developed with an equity lens to inform residents and businesses how to prepare for and respond to a CEI Hub disaster.
   • Secure targeted funding for staffing to plan, implement, and maintain emergency plans.
   • Establish an early warning system for incidents and hazards associated with the CEI Hub.
   • Establish dependable evacuation and access routes within the CEI Hub and surrounding neighborhoods.
   • Increased, reliable funding for the Portland Bureau of Emergency Management. 
6. Overlay Zones: The City should create three overlay zones for sensitive industrial areas. All properties have what the City designates as a “base zone.” CEI Hub properties are base-zoned Heavy Industry. In addition, Portland zoning code includes provisions for “overlay zones.” An overlay zone establishes additional land use regulations on top of the base zone regulations in order to address a specific concern(s) (see 400s Overlay Zones).
   • Create a Stable Soils overlay zone for all lands zoned Heavy Industry, that prohibits storage of any flammable or toxic materials from being located on liquefaction or other unstable soils. The overlay must be required for new owners, change in a business’ operations, or new facilities.
   • Create a Public Health overlay zone for all lands zoned Heavy Industry that prohibits any activities that threaten the health of people, the river, or fish within a two-mile radius. The overlay must be required for new owners, change in a business’ operations, or new facilities.
   • Create a Riparian corridor overlay zone for all lands zoned Heavy Industry along the Willamette River. Require a minimum 170-foot buffer zone between the river and industrial lands (a horizontal distance of 170 feet measured landward of the Ordinary High Water Mark) consistent with the 2025 Flood Hazard Areas Code and Oregon’s Willamette Greenway Goals.

Important Stakeholders

• CEI Hub Task Force
• Risky Business
• 350PDX
• Tank the Tanks
• Frog Ferry
• Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility
• Braided River Campaign
• Breach Collective
• Portland Clean Air
• XR PDX
• Mobilizing Climate Action Together [MCAT]
• Climate Jobs
• Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon
• Columbia Riverkeeper
• Portland Harbor Community Coalition
• Portland Harbor Community Advisory Group
• EcoFaith Recovery

Case Studies

Cutter, Susan L., Jerry T. Mitchell, and Michael S. Scott. “Revealing the Vulnerability of People and Places: A Case Study of Georgetown County, South Carolina.” Annals of the Association of American Geographers 90, no. 4 (March 2010): 713–737. DOI: 10.1111/0004-5608.00219.

“Local Policies for Environmental Justice: A National Scan.” The New School: Tishman Environment and Design Center. Natural Resources Defense Council. February 2019.

“Public Health Development Standard.” Beyond Toxics. 2024. 

• Eugene, OR has adopted a public health overlay zoning policy.

“The CEI Hub poses grave dangers to our city, state and region.” Letter from 47 neighborhood associations and 37 community organizations to City Council and Mayor Wilson. April 2026.

Citations

“About the Critical Energy Infrastructure (CEI) Hub Policy Project.” Bureau of Planning and Sustainability. City of Portland.

“CEI Hub Seismic Risk Analysis summary.” Office of Sustainability. Multnomah County.

“City Council Work Session: Critical Energy Infrastructure Hub.” Portland City Council. City of Portland. March 17, 2025.

“Climate, Resilience, and Land Use Committee Agenda.” City of Portland. February 27, 2025.

“Discussion of Cascadia Subduction Zone policy.” City of Portland. Climate, Resilience, and Land Use Committee. January 15, 2026.

“Flood Hazard Areas.” Portland City code, Chapter 24.50. City of Portland.

Fore, Karmen and Michael Mills. “Critical Energy Infrastructure Hub Assessment Findings.” Portland State University. May 2019.

Garcia, Isabella. “Cleaning Up Portland’s Anticipated Oil Spill Could Cost $2.6 Billion, Report Finds.” Portland Mercury. February 7, 2022.

Macuk, Anthony. “Portland neighbor groups urge officials to address Oregon fuel hub’s earthquake vulnerabilities.” KGW News. April 16, 2024.

Smith, Scott. “Overview of CEI Hub and CSZ Earthquake.” Oregon Department of Environmental Quality. July 2022.