A Panel Discussion on the Dangers of East Bay Refineries and How Communities Are Fighting Back

Join 350 Bay Area, the Sunflower Alliance, Idle No More, and the Ecology Center for a panel discussion with scientists and community activists about East Bay refineries, their impact on our health and climate, and what we can do. Idle No More will kick off the event.

Panelists include: Diane Bailey, Senior Scientist at NRDC; Greg Karras, Senior Scientist at Communities for a Better Environment; Marilyn Bardet, Community Organizer with Good Neighbors of Benicia, and Lyanna Monterrey, grassroots organizer in Pittsburgh.

The Bay Area, widely regarded as among the most environmentally conscious places in the U.S., in fact exports more petroleum than any other metropolitan region in the country. Our five refineries, all in the East Bay, process the heaviest, dirtiest crude oil, releasing a stew of toxic chemicals and environmental pollutants. Making matters worse, plans are underway for many of these refineries to start handling significant amounts of Canadian tar sands oil, described by the Sierra Club as "the most toxic fossil fuel on the planet." Shipping channels in the Bay are being deepened, refineries are being reengineered, and plans call for hundreds of rail cars a day to pass through the East Bay carrying tar sands.

Communities downwind from these refineries face significant health threats, ranging from asthma to cancer, and many are already organizing to fight back. Thanks to these refineries' contributions to climate change, we are all downwind.

Cost: Free
Contact: Debra Berliner, debra [at] ecologycenter.org, 510-548-2220 x 240
Wheelchair accessible