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Environment
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“A Dangerous Precedent”: PGE Faces Major Backlash for Forest Park Utility Proposal

The utility company’s Harborton Reliability Project would cut 400 trees in an effort to bolster Portland’s electrical grid. Opponents say it’s not worth the loss of priceless natural resources.
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

Portland’s Forest Park is one of the city’s most treasured natural features, and among the largest urban forests in the United States. Stretching across more than 5,000 acres in Northwest Portland, from outer West Burnside Road well past the St. Johns Bridge, the park is visible from miles away as a mass of giant Douglas […]

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Zenith Permit Decision Raises Questions, Conflicts About City Council Authority

New city councilors realize they don’t have much power over the controversial company’s future—and they want to change that.
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

Few other industrial activities in Portland have drawn the level of public scrutiny that Zenith Energy’s crude oil storage and transport facility has. The company’s operations have catalyzed climate protests and public backlash. The city of Portland has also been denounced for its oversight of the company, which critics say has been overly permissive.  Environmental […]

Posted in2024 Wrapped

2024 Wrapped: This Year’s Biggest Environmental News

Clean Energy Fund spending, Willamette River love, and Zenith faces some heat. This was the biggest Portland environment news in 2024.
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

The Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund’s (PCEF) budget is bigger than expected. This year was about figuring out how to spend it.  Late last year, updated financial forecasts showed that Portland’s clean energy fund—which is fueled by a 1 percent tax on big business sales in Portland—would have more money to spend on carbon-reduction […]

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Awash With Cash, Portland Clean Energy Fund Marks New Strategy With Latest Investments

PCEF will allocate $300 million in grants for large-scale projects. A hefty portion of funds will go to the city’s own bureaus for infrastructure projects and decarbonization.
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

Recent funding allocations from the Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund (PCEF) demonstrate a shift in the program’s strategy, in response to its growing revenue.  Though city staff say the carbon-reduction and climate resiliency program’s mission is still community-centered, the clean energy fund is now doling out millions to Portland’s bureaus during a time of […]

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With Zenith Energy’s Permits On The Line, Critics Urge Strong Government Oversight

The controversial fuel storage and transport company faces state fines and additional regulatory requirements. City officials will decide what happens next.
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

Until recently, it appeared all but certain that Zenith Energy would have the official green light from both the city of Portland and Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to continue its operations into the future.  The controversial oil transport and storage company, which operates a Portland site in the Northwest Industrial area, secured a […]

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Oregon DEQ Wants New Requirements for Ross Island Sand & Gravel’s Willamette River Cleanup

The proposed new rules come after a lawsuit alleging the DEQ failed to hold the former gravel company accountable for Willamette River water quality.
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

For 75 years, Ross Island Sand & Gravel mined the bottom of the Willamette River, significantly altered the habitat of the river near Ross Island. The company ceased mining there in 2001, but the environmental impacts of the company’s extraction still linger. Now, Ross Island Sand & Gravel faces a state mandate to help restore […]

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As Public Comment Deadline Looms, Critics Elevate Case Against Current I-5 Bridge Replacement Plan

There’s a rare opportunity to comment on controversial environmental impacts of the plan to replace and expand I-5 from Portland to Vancouver.
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

Monday, November 18 marks one of the last opportunities to comment on environmental impacts of a current plan to replace and expand the I-5 bridge from Portland to Vancouver. The Interstate Bridge Replacement (IBR) project is currently projected to cost north of $7.5 billion. As the project undergoes evaluation by the US Department of Transportation, […]

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Advocates “Cautiously Optimistic” About DEQ Decision to Delay Zenith Air Quality Permit

The Oregon DEQ is pausing issuing Zenith Energy a new air quality permit. Agency staff credit environmental advocates for drawing attention to their concerns.
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) announced today it will pause the air quality permitting process for Portland’s Zenith Energy terminal. The decision comes after the DEQ conducted a surprise inspection of the Zenith property, located along the Willamette River in Northwest Portland, on Wednesday.  The state agency’s pause won’t have an immediate impact […]

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Will a Fresh Batch of City Leaders Transform Portland’s Climate Leadership?

Polling data suggests voters see opportunities to strengthen local environmental policies and change course on issues like oil by rail.
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

Portland has long been known for a strong ethos of environmentalism among its population. But with the increasingly dire nature of the climate crisis, environmental issues are playing a central role in this year’s election. Amid changes to city government and heightened focus on the efficacy of Portland’s Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund (PCEF), residents […]

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Lawsuits Allege Deceit and Greenwashing by Oregon’s Largest Gas Utility

NW Natural talks up its climate strategy, but new legal challenges say the company has spent years lying about the environmental impact of natural gas.
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

For years, environmental advocates have said NW Natural attempts to obfuscate the negative climate and health impacts of natural gas utilities in order to remain dominant in the market. NW Natural, Oregon’s largest gas utility operation, has responded to such allegations with fierce resistance, promoting its service as more climate-friendly than electric alternatives and talking […]

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Two Years After Adopting Emergency Climate Action Plan, Portland is Behind on Goals

The city cites progress despite plan’s shortcomings. Skeptics say it needs clearer objectives.
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

It’s been two years since Portland City Council adopted a three-year Climate Emergency Workplan to guide the city’s actions on climate change in accordance with a 2020 climate emergency declaration. The plan lays out 47 action items to reduce emissions from multiple sectors, including transportation, industry, and building construction, and involves 10 city bureaus. So […]

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After a Major Overhaul, Has Portland’s Clean Energy Fund Found its Footing?

PCEF will invest nearly $92 million in climate projects around the city. Leaders say nonprofit grantees were thoroughly vetted and the projects align with the city’s climate goals.
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

Energy efficiency upgrades in low-income housing complexes, an urban forestry internship program, and a plan to get more kids to walk to school: These are just three of the 71 projects that will receive support from the Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund (PCEF) in its latest round of community grants, intended to reduce local […]

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