SACRAMENTO — A legal battle between the city of Oakland and the developer of a coal storage and handling terminal, currently in an appeals court, has received support from the California attorney general who filed an amicus brief in support of the city's right to prohibit the terminal.
California's Attorney General Xavier Becerra recently filed the amicus brief with the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to help Oakland's fight to keep the Oakland Bulk and Oversized Terminal from being developed and which would transport millions of coal by rail and water each year, the Attorney General's Office said.
According to the Attorney General's Office, the terminal being developed along the city's waterfront, would cause coal dust pollution and impact residents living near the terminal.
“The California Department of Justice stands by the city of Oakland, which took an important step to protect its residents,” Becerra said in a statement. “The transportation of coal from the terminal would disproportionately hurt communities of color already burdened by pollution and its consequent health effects, such as asthma and cancer. We are committed to advancing environmental justice wherever possible in our state.”
In the amicus brief, Becerra argues Oakland has regulatory powers and a right to look out for the "health and welfare" of its residents.