A Bay Area lawmaker introduced legislation Monday that would create environmental review hurdles for a proposed Oakland coal export terminal that has the backing of the Trump administration.
What happened: Assemblymember Mia Bonta repurposed AB 40, a bill previously focused on political redistricting, to include language designed to stymie the construction of a controversial coal project that has been the subject of local opposition and litigation over the last decade.
“The beautiful people of West Oakland, Alameda, and Emeryville have fought for clean air, for their children’s health, and for their right to breathe for generations,” Bonta said in a statement. “Donald Trump used a Cold War emergency law to try to override all of that. He will not succeed.”
Why it matters: The bill comes after President Donald Trump announced earlier this month that he was invoking the Defense Production Act to invest $75 million in the Oakland coal terminal project. The infusion was part of a larger $700 million nationwide investment in the coal industry.
