6-4-01 Stop Richmond Power Plant

Come to the Richmond City Council to say:
NO POLLUTING POWER PLANT IN RICHMOND!
Monday June 4, 2pm
City Council Chambers, 2600 Barrett Av., Richmond

Since the end of April, the City of Richmond has been considering a proposal to build a 500-megawatt power plant on Chevron land. A 500-megawatt plant will produce enough power to supply the residents of a city ten times the size of Richmond. As it is, Richmond has a cancer rate of 290 times higher than the goal established by the Clean Air Act. Thousands of Richmond residents are hospitalized each year with primary or non-primary conditions caused or aggravated by environmental pollutants including respiratory distress, asthma, cancer, and other malignancies.

The power plant proposal was put together by a consultant, Bill Roth, who was paid by Chevron to develop it. It will burn a derivative of oil that is left over from the process of refining gasoline. The idea was brought up by the City Manager, Isiah Turner, as a way for the city to benefit from the so-called energy crisis. While it could result in the city realizing a significant profit, there is no doubt that increased emissions will have a negative effect on residents. In effect, the city will benefit from the increased health problems of those who are already hurting. And, as with all burning of fossil fuels, the increased discharge of carbon dioxide will contribute to the problem of global warming.

It is time to say no to such shortsighted policies. On Monday, June 4, the Energy Subcommittee will decide whether to recommend to the full Council the hiring of Mr. Roth to do a $3 million feasibility study for the building of the fossil fuel plant. The newly formed Richmond Alliance for Green Public Power and Environmental Justice asks you to come to the meeting and register your opposition. We are working on a proposal for Richmond to join other Bay Area cities in building clean, economically competitive solar power. It is time to look toward the future in making decisions about our energy needs.

Bring a sign that expresses your opinion! Sign up to speak for two minutes at the meeting. Hope to see you there! For more information, call (510) 393-2751.