Portland mayor pulls support for fracked gas terminal amid protests [View all]

[Judi Lynn]

Portland mayor pulls support for fracked gas terminal amid protests

Charlie Hales cancels city council meeting with Canada’s Pembina amid overwhelming opposition to building $500m facility to ship propane gas

Chris McGreal in Portland, Oregon
Wednesday 13 May 2015 17.17 EDT

Portland’s mayor has all but killed off a plan to build a $500m terminal to ship fracked gas from Canada in the face of overwhelming popular opposition and fears about damage to the city’s progressive image.

The mayor, Charlie Hales, has cancelled a council hearing scheduled for next month to hear a planning application by a Canadian company, Pembina, to build one of the largest industrial facilities in Portland to deliver propane gas, mostly to Asia.

Hales backed the plan as “great news” when it was announced in September, saying it would create jobs, earn tax revenues to pay for schools and police, and help the environment by reducing dependence in China and other countries on dirtier fuels, such as coal.

But the mayor turned against the plan in the face of a burgeoning popular campaign which claimed the terminal was in conflict with Portland’s green policies and claims to be an environmentally conscious city.

More:
http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/may/13/portland-oregon-canada-fracking-gas-pembina