$75 million coal terminal plan reignites West Oakland fight
Margaret Gordon has spent decades fighting pollution in West Oakland.
Now, the longtime environmental justice advocate says residents are facing another challenge.
On June 4, the Trump administration announced plans for $75 million in federal defense funding for a long-delayed coal export terminal planned at the former Oakland Army Base.
The funding would bolster the U.S. coal industry and help advance the Oakland Bulk and Oversized Terminal, which supporters say the project could create jobs and strengthen export capacity. Opponents say it could worsen air pollution in communities already burdened by some of the region’s highest exposure to diesel emissions and particulate matter.
“12 million tons of clean, beautiful coal per year”
Federal officials described the project as part of a national strategy to strengthen domestic energy production and export capacity. The administration announced nearly $700 million for coal-related projects across the country, including the Oakland facility.
“By summer 2028, over 12 million tons of clean, beautiful coal per year will be shipped to countries all around the world,” President Donald Trump said at a press conference.U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Chris Wright said the investment would help strengthen critical infrastructure and support jobs tied to energy production and global exports to advance “American energy dominance.”
Supporters of the terminal have long argued the project would create construction jobs, generate economic activity, and expand trade opportunities. The West Gateway project would increase the terminal’s capacity to handle 10 million tons annually, according to the Energy Department, with exports headed to Pacific allies in Asian countries.
The former army base opened in 1941 and closed in 1999.
West Oakland burdened by environmental justice
But opponents say the costs could fall disproportionately on residents living near rail corridors and industrial facilities.
West Oakland has long struggled with the cumulative effects of truck traffic, port operations, rail activity and industrial emissions.
Those concerns led to the neighborhood being selected as a priority-community for targeted air-quality interventions under Assembly Bill 617. The 2017 state law seeks to reduce pollution exposure in communities disproportionately impacted by poor air quality. The law established community air monitoring, emissions reduction planning and stronger enforcement tools aimed at protecting public health. The law also created the Community Air Protection Program (CAPP).
AB 617 led to West Oakland’s Community Emissions Reduction Program, a community-driven effort that identified diesel pollution, freight activity, and industrial emissions as major health concerns.The West is part of three Bay Area communities activists referred to as the “Toxic Triangle.”
Gordon called the plan “unconscionable” since the California Air Resources Board and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District have spent millions to reduce emissions under AB 617 to support residents “Owning Our Air” with the West Oakland Community Action Plan.