The proposed WesPac Crude Oil Terminal project in Pittsburg does have some benefits, but the negatives severely outweigh the positives. The terminal would span about 125 acres near downtown Pittsburg, where there is currently, 15-year-old dormant PG&E tanks. It would also be built within a half of a mile of communities, schools and not to mention the marina.
The benefits are relatively minimal. Yes, it would bring jobs in, about 40 in fact, but the jobs are not necessarily going to residents of Pittsburg, and frankly a local Fry’s store could give another 40 people jobs in the city, but a number alone should not be enough to sway anyone’s vote.
The actual type of crude oil that would be brought in is not specific, but is speculated to be of a more flammable variety than average heavy crude oil. It would take over 100 rail cars, ships and expanded pipelines a day to carry 10 million gallons of potentially flammable oil to the facility.
The tipping point of this project is the potential pollution. A recent study by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District stated that Pittsburg is in the top %15 of the bay area when it comes to air pollution. A new oil terminal would not help the fact that Pittsburg has the highest rate of hospitalization of people with Asthma, about 105 people per 10,000, compared to less than 20 per 10,000 in nearby cities.
Another downfall is the potential of an oil spill or explosions. It would ravage the Delta and hurt the various water recreations around the area.
We urge that you visit the defense council website at pittsburgdc.org and join the fight against the proposed terminal. The next community meeting will be held at the Pittsburg Yacht Club, 3 Marina Blvd., on Thursday, Jan. 30 at 6:30 p.m. For more information on the project, read the story on page 3.