Chabot Students, Faculty to Protest Proposed Hayward Power Plant

Students and staff at Chabot College are rallying together for a series of actions in protest of a proposed Hayward power plant.

Faculty will hold a teach-in on Tuesday, May 3 while students participate in a walkout on Thursday May 5. Both events will be held at noon in the campus’ Grand Court to raise awareness and protest against Calpine Corporation’s efforts to build a new power plant in the Russell City area of Hayward.

Calpine touts itself as "North America's leading geothermal power producer" on its website. However, members of the Chabot Power Plant Taskforce say the plant could have negative impacts locally.

“The proposed Russell City power plant has potentially devastating environmental implications for Chabot, and as such is an issue our community needs to know and read about,” said protest organizers in a press release.

The power generated by the Calpine plant would serve San Mateo and San Francisco counties, not the Hayward community, according to the press release issued by the Chabot Power Plant Taskforce.

“The pollution will stay here, on the other side of the proverbial tracks, adding to the environmental burden already being borne disproportionately by residents of poor, working-class and minority neighborhoods in the East Bay,” said Clara McLeann, instructor of English/Service-Learning and member of the Chabot College Power Plant Taskforce, in a statement.

“We ask everyone to walk out to Chabot College and stand together to save our air and our water,” she said.

For more information about the events, visit www.facebook.com/ChabotPowerPlantTaskForce.