Tank the Tanks

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 6, 2023
CONTACT
Nancy Hiser: 503-713-3468
Shawn Looney: 503-407-1366
tankthetanks@proton.me
http://www.tankthetanks.org
#tankthetanks

TANK THE TANKS:
FOUR WOMEN AND THREE BILLBOARDS IN LINNTON

PORTLAND, OR Just before northbound traffic reaches the St. Johns Bridge, three new billboards have appeared on Hwy 30/St Helens Road in Linnton. They are part of the Tank the Tanks campaign. The billboards perch alongside the six-mile-long Critical Energy Infrastructure (CEI) Hub. The four women behind the campaign warn that this is a blast zone. Sandwiched between this road and the Willamette River are 600 storage tanks filled with highly explosive fuel. The women’s message: In order to keep Portland safe, those tanks must go.

The billboards are projected to be seen by 85,000 people each week.

The CEI Hub is located in Linnton, a Portland neighborhood. The fuel storage tanks are sitting on unstable soil that will liquefy in an earthquake. Scientists predict that many of the tanks will rupture and explode when the long overdue Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake strikes. The women’s demand to remove the tanks is supported by more than a decade of well-documented research. This area is ground zero for “a disaster on the order of Fukushima and Deepwater Horizon combined,” according to State Senator Michael Dembrow (February 2022).

Two of the Tank the Tanks women live right in Linnton. For years they have worked to get industry and government to take action to make the CEI Hub safer. Many others have worked on this, too. All traditional routes have been tried: testifying at hearings, writing letters, hosting community forums, lobbying elected officials, and more, all to no avail. The situation has only gotten worse. It’s clear to the Tank the Tanks women that many more people need to be aware of this situation and demand that action be taken.

Nancy Hiser says, “Linnton is my home, but this isn’t just about Linnton. This will be a nightmare for everyone in Portland, and far beyond, for decades to come. We can’t prevent an earthquake, no matter how many petitions we sign. What we can prevent is the destruction of most of the state’s liquid fuel -- just when firefighters and emergency responders need it -- if the earthquake happens. We can prevent the release of millions of gallons of petrochemicals into our rivers. We can prevent our air becoming unbreathable. We can prevent tragic deaths. This is a fixable problem. We can tank the tanks.”

Hiser’s friend Shawn Looney lives here, too. Looney says, “We Linnton citizens have long been aware of our vulnerability when an earthquake or other disaster strikes. If the tanks ignite, fire will spread into Forest Park and St. Johns and well beyond. Rivers and land will be devastated for generations. But the truth is, we’re being poisoned right now. Tanks spew emissions every day, and so do trains and trucks. The petroleum industry has zero concern for our health. They are well aware of the harm they’ve caused here, but they continue to put profits over our lives and safety. Our elected officials and regulatory agencies haven’t protected us, either. It’s time to tank the tanks.”

The Tank the Tanks campaign began on the lawn of Cathedral Park in the summer of 2022. Hiser, Looney, and two others living in nearby neighborhoods got together to determine what they could do to help make Portland safe from the many dangers of the CEI Hub. The Tank the Tanks billboards is their first project.

The Tank the Tanks website includes much more information: http://tankthetanks.org

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