Laura Streib — Candidate for City Council, District 2
Endorsed: Full 350PDX Climate Justice Platform 2024 (Zenith, CEI Hub, Portland Harbor, PCEF, Shade Equity, No Freeway Widening, Building Emissions, Transit, Walking & Rolling, Climate Governance, and Divest from Fossil Fuels)
Candidate statement:
The Critical Energy Infrastructure (CEI) Hub is of HUGE importance to my community, as my house is less than a block away from a railroad “cut” where these chemicals are transported. The CEI hub is across the Willamette from my neighborhood. I would revisit the Zenith permit that was approved without public transparency by the current council. I would curb/limit new permits. I would work with our new council in tandem with environmental partners like Willamette River Keepers, County, State, and Federal agencies to create a quick paced action plan to move our CRITICAL ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE out of the unstable earthquake region. A safer location must be identified and acted upon with haste for the safety of all Portlanders. Preventive infrastructure is key to our current and future livability.
My next big area of concern is our shade equity and heat islands throughout Portland. While several of the biggest heat islands are not in my district, it still affects us all. We need to work with nonprofit partners like Friends of Trees to reach our million tree goal in the next 10 years. AND we need to maintain our trees once they have been planted. There’s no sense in feeling proud that we planted trees if they just die in less than a year from lack of care.
I feel that as an elected official, we need to steward our resources, both our money, time, people and natural resources to benefit the people living here.
Will you ensure the Portland Clean Energy Fund (PCEF) remains climate-focused in line with what voters intended?
Yes