Moms & Allies Shut down the PG&E Hunters Point Power Plant

Bayview Hunters Point residents, Greenaction and supporters blockade entrance to PG&E Hunters Point Power Plant

More than 100 people brave pouring rain to kick off civil disobedience campaign to close outdated and polluting plant

San Francisco, CA – Braving a cold rain, Bayview Hunters Point residents, Greenaction and supporters blockaded the entrance to the PG&E Hunters Point Power Plant for more than two hours today. More than 100 people took part in the protest. Ten protesters linked arms and sat in front of the gate while the rest stood in front of the gate cheering and joining the blockade.

The theme of today’s protest was “If the government won’t, the people will, close the power plant!”

Today’s action kicked off an ongoing campaign of civil disobedience targeting PG&E and government agencies responsible for keeping the agency open.

The first of its kind protest was led by neighborhood mothers living directly next to the power plant who are sick and tired of their kids suffering with high rates of asthma and of years of broken promises by politicians to close the plant. Speakers at the rally included Marie Harrison, longtime resident and environmental justice organizer for Greenaction, Tessie Ester, President of the Huntersview Tenants Association, Maurice Campbell from Community First Coalition, Garden Mar, Executive Director of the Chinese Progressive Association, newly elected District 5 Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi, and Willie Radcliff, publisher of the San Francisco Bayview newspaper.
Residents and community groups were shocked and dismayed by the November 8th announcement by Mayor Newsom and the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission that the City had reached an agreement with the California Independent System Operator to allegedly close the PG&E Hunters Point and Mirant Power Plants by 2007, because the deal keeps the PG&E plant open for years longer than originally promised.

Contrary to claims that this deal will close the power plants, the “action plan” pushes back the promised closure date for the PG&E power plant, and contains absolutely no guarantees whatsoever that either the PG&E Hunters Point power plant or Mirant’s Potrero plant will be closed ever. Both companies can apply for new permits and would be allowed to continue operating even if the California ISO removes the “reliability must run contracts.” Even the Mayor admits the plan is based on caveats, assumptions and is facing new delays.

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http://www.greenaction.org
(for larger version of pictures see http://www.indybay.org/news/2004/12/1709159.php )