The most important thing you can do right now to stop Zenith is to write to Mayor Keith Wilson. He must feel the community pressure from us to ensure he does the right thing and prevents a rushed LUCS approval. Mayor Keith Wilson has the power to step in here, to not only ensure that this permit is denied, but also to make sure that a decision on this happens with a full public process via City Council, rather than a repeated “backroom deal” such as what we saw in 2022. It’s time for transparency, a public process, for Portland voters to be listened to and respected, and for this out-of-state fossil fuel company to be held accountable!

What’s the current status of Zenith Energy?

Update as of January 30, 2025: We demanded a dedicated City Work Session on Zenith Energy and the City listened! On Tuesday, January 21, the City held a Work Session and a Community Listening Session all on the current situation with Zenith Energy. During the listening session, 40 people testified, with all but one on our side! Here are recordings of the Work Session and the Listening Session. Afterwards, we compiled a document fact-checking the claims made by City Staff during the work session.

Update as of January 3, 2025: We started the new year off right by showing the power and determination of our movement to stop Zenith by showing up to the first City Council meeting of the year!

Update as of December 9, 2024: Oregon DEQ announced the results of their surprise inspection at the Zenith Energy terminal. Because of the company’s illegal use of the McCall Dock for transloading fuels without proper permits, DEQ is fining Zenith Energy $372,600 and requiring the company to obtain a new Land Use Compatibility Statement (LUCS) permit from the City of Portland. To continue its application for an air quality permit with the State of Oregon, Zenith is now required to obtain this LUCS from the City within 60 days, or by February 4, 2025. During this time, the comment period remains on pause. This is a significant setback for the company, and the right move by DEQ to (finally) hold this company accountable in a meaningful way. Read more about this from DEQ and from Street Roots.

This news follows the big announcement DEQ made on November 14, 2024, when the agency paused the air permitting process and public comment period for Zenith Energy and canceled the public hearings on Nov. 19 and Dec. 4, after mounting evidence of Zenith’s violations raised by the community (all of us!) sparked a need for further investigation. This is BIG DEAL and a very encouraging sign that regulators are taking our concerns seriously. DEQ said this investigation is the direct result of questions and concerns raised by the public throughout the process. This is a major testament to all of our dedication and determination to stop Zenith. You can read more about this news on OPB, The Mercury, The Oregonian, and Portland Tribune.

How do I learn even more?

On November 11, we co-hosted a Comment Writing Workshop for the community to learn how to craft technical comments to the DEQ about why Zenith shouldn’t receive the air contaminant discharge permit they applied for. (And even though this comment period remains paused (thanks to all of us!) there’s still useful information covered in this workshop.)

We’ve also been working with our partners to organize a great community forum educational series on Zenith Energy and the Critical Energy Infrastructure Hub called Rumble on the River. Since October 2023 there have been nearly 20 community forums on this topic (and some forums on other similar topics!) featuring local experts. Videos of most of the Rumbles can be found on 350PDX’s YouTube page. We also recommend checking out Columbia Riverkeeper’s excellent resources on this campaign here.