COMMUNITY GATHER TODAY IN HOOD RIVER: CALL FOR END TO DANGEROUS OIL TRAINS
WHAT: Members of the Columbia Gorge Community will gather at 12:00PM today, Saturday, June 4, 2016, at Overlook Memorial Park at 2nd and State Street, Hood River, Oregon to respond to the Union Pacific oil train derailment in Mosier, Oregon that occurred on Friday.
WHEN: 12:00PM today, Saturday, June 4, 2016.
WHO: City government officials, tribal representatives, faith leaders, environmental groups, first responders (if available) and others will address the gathering.
WHERE: Overlook Memorial Park at 2nd and State Street, Hood River, Oregon (the event will be followed by a march through downtown Hood River).
WHY: The use of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area as a fossil fuel export corridor is simply unacceptable for our communities. It’s unacceptable for any community - and if it can happen here, it can happen anywhere. We call on Oregon and Washington to do everything in their power to stop the use of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area as a fossil fuel export corridor.
This is a tragic moment that has lived in the minds of many community members for a number of years. The escalation of oil trains in the Gorge and throughout the Pacific Northwest has been opposed by many city governments, faith communities, tribal councils and community organizations precisely for the reasons we are experiencing today as a result of the Mosier derailment. Health and air quality, water contamination risks, fire risks and community safety are all being jeopardized.
As we enter the hot summer season tomorrow, we are also reminded of the reality of global warming and the role that fossil fuels play in endangering the future of all who live and breathe on the planet.
We will ask President Obama and our federal elected leaders to support a ban on high risk oil train shipments through the Columbia Gorge and other U.S. communities. And we will call on Governor Brown, Governor Inslee, and federal leaders to deny proposed oil train terminals in the Pacific Northwest, proposals that would dramatically increase dangerous oil trains through our region.
