learn the history
Explore the evolution and impact of the Critical Energy Infrastructure (CEI) Hub in Portland through this comprehensive timeline.
After a 1911 fuel tank explosion that killed the Fire Chief, Portland banned tanks of over 5,000 gallons from City limits.
1912
The town of Linnton became a popular fuel storage tank location, with increasing numbers of tanks being built there.
1913
Linnton was annexed into Portland. The city eventually withdrew its ban on fuel storage tanks within the City limits.
1915
Researchers became aware that the Cascadia Subduction Zone (CSZ) was active off Oregon’s coast. Major earthquakes have occurred throughout geologic history and will continue.
1970
The last CSZ earthquake was traced back to 1700. Odds now are one-in-three of another CSZ earthquake by 2050.
1980’s
1993
Seismic standards began to be employed for new storage tanks. 91% of today’s tanks were constructed before 1993.
The Linnton Neighborhood Association, blocked for 40 or more years from even approaching the Willamette River locally, began to develop what it called the Linnton Village Plan. The plan would have rezoned about 69 acres in Linnton and would have given access to the river, including construction of some condos, small shops, and water-related recreation opportunities.
When the local fossil fuel interests got wind of the plan, a report was written, “The Energy Cluster in Linnton,” to document why citizens could not safely be in proximity to the Hub. The report was written for and presented by the Olympic Pipeline Company, BP West Coast Products, and Kinder-Morgan Energy Partners, and convinced the city that it was too dangerous for Linnton to have a Village Plan. The report outlined the natural and human hazards around the Hub.
2000-2005
Yumei Wang, geotechnical engineer and recognized earthquake expert, reported that the CEI Hub sits on loose, sandy soil subject to extensive liquefaction, resulting in tank failures in the event of an earthquake.
2009
“Earthquakes in Oregon: Past, Present and Future.” Geologic fault structure and the activity … have been studied by experts who found a 37% probability for a ... subduction event within 50 years and predict huge destruction locally: 15 of 17 bridges, 1 out of every 3 fire stations, 1 out of every 2 police stations, 2 out of 3 hospitals, and 3000 schools."
Scott Burns, seismic geologist, Portland State University (PSU)
2011
DOGAMI report: “The CEI Hub facilities have infrastructure from about 100 years old, built to no or very antiquated standards…constructed on soils susceptible to liquefaction...”
The most critical call to action: “Energy sector companies must proactively integrate seismic mitigation into their business practices…”
J. Bauer, W. Burns, I. Madin, Department of Geology and Mineral Industries (DOGAMI)
2012
The Oregon Resilience Plan: When the Cascadia Quake occurs, it will be the state’s “greatest challenge in history,” causing thousands of deaths and approximately $32 billion in economic losses. “We know how to engineer buildings, roads, and power lines to withstand this earthquake; the hard part will be to find the will, commitment, and persistence needed to transform our state.”
2013
“The Really Big One” is the New Yorker story that got everyone’s attention. A readable and factual account of our reality is that the earthquake will devastate the Pacific Northwest.
K. Schulz, The New Yorker
“How We Mapped NW Portland’s ‘Tank Farms’” How did we get those liquefiable soils? Superb investigative reporting demonstrating exactly how the braided Willamette River was converted for industry.
Tony Schick, Oregon Public Broadcasting
"Unprepared:" Oregon Field Guide spent a year and a half probing the state of Oregon’s preparedness, and found that when it comes to bridges, schools, hospitals, building codes,
and energy infrastructure, Oregon lags far behind many quake-prone regions of the country. This remains a valuable resource.
2015
2019
OSSPAC: “The CEI Hub is a major threat to safety, environment, and recovery after a CSZ earthquake on par with the 2011 Fukushima nuclear meltdown in Japan ... Owners of privately-owned liquid fuel tanks at the Hub need to be compelled to seismically strengthen their infrastructure."
CEI Hub Mitigation Strategies, Oregon Seismic Safety Policy Advisory Committee (OSSPAC)
CEI Hub Natural Hazards: Flyover video of the CEI Hub. Hear one of our foremost seismic experts, Jay Wilson, narrate informative slides about the CEI Hub. Learn who has authority over the Hub.
Linnton Report of Air Quality and Tank Farm Emissions: Documents all 153 air polluting industries in N and NW Portland.
Linnton Neighborhood Association, Portland Clean Air
The Disaster: “The concentration of the state's fuel storage in such a perfectly bad location, on liquefiable soils, in a 500-year flood plain, next to the urban wildland interface with limited ingress and egress could hardly be worse. In a major earthquake, the CEI Hub poses a grave threat to the safety of the surrounding community. It also threatens our environment and the economy on a scale that is difficult to imagine. A major disaster at the CEI Hub could hamper life-saving response actions and delay needed assistance by weeks and months due to fuel shortages. Meanwhile, that spilled fuel could poison the Columbia River to its mouth. Together, these impacts would economically cripple our state...”
Mike Myers, Director of the Portland Bureau of Emergency Management
2020
Oregon’s Critical Energy Infrastructure Hub: A Multi-Billion Dollar Risk: Dollars and sense — what would a Cascadia earthquake disaster cost and when will we come to our senses?
Jack Kerfoot, Engineers for a Sustainable Future, PowerPoint Presentation
Linnton Tank Farm Report: Addresses hazardous tank farm pollution from the CEI Hub.
Linnton Neighborhood Association, Portland Clean Air
2021
CEI Hub Seismic Risk Analysis: A sobering multi-year 260+ page investigative report of the estimated impacts and costs of The Big One. a 9.0 Cascadia Subduction Zone seismic event.
Multnomah County, Portland Bureau of Emergency Management (PBEM)
Testimony about SB 1567: “This is a public safety crisis that has the potential to unleash a disaster equal to the Deepwater Horizon spill, only right here in our city, at a cost to lives and our environment that I’m not sure we can even fathom. The time to take notice and wake up to the very real danger is long past. The clock is ticking, and we must take action."
Dacia Grayber, Oregon State Representative, Metro area firefighter, 2/7/2022
Oregon passes SB 1567: This bill provides for the first time ever, agency oversight over the CEI Hub. It requires fuel storage facilities with a capacity of over 2 million gallons of fuel to perform earthquake damage risk assessments and implement mitigation plans to minimize risk and protect the health and safety of workers and residents in surrounding communities and the environment. Of 17 facilities included, 13 are at the Hub, 1 is at the PDX Airport, and the remaining 3 are in Columbia and Lane Counties. Rules for assessments and mitigation were unanimously adopted by the Environmental Quality Commission in September 2023.
Once a Braided River: Investigative documentary by Barbara Bernstein of KBOO radio that includes interviews with local experts, including Tank the Tanks's Shawn Looney. Transcript also available.
Methane Gas: Health, Safety, Economic & Climate Impacts: A report about the liquefied natural gas industry's false promise to give us a safe and clean energy source. Features research-based reports related to the Pacific Northwest "to equip elected officials and policy makers, community and business leaders, journalists, and the broader public, so we can all be equipped with the research-backed knowledge we need to safeguard our climate and the health and safety of our communities.”
Regulation coming to Portland Oil Facilities: KGW asked the 10 CEI Hub companies, “Have you taken any actions in the last 10 years to reduce the risk of tank failure?”
7 did not respond (BP, Pacific Terminal Services, McCall Oil, Phillips 66, Chevron, Equilon, NW Natural);
Nu-Star said their “safety record is good”;
Kinder Morgan, with 167 tanks between multiple sites, said their “4 newest tanks are built to modern safety standards”; records show their newest tanks were replaced in 1944 and 1958 (before there were standards), and one was replaced in 2011
Zenith Energy reported they had structural evaluations (undated) of containment walls and, of their 4 most vulnerable tanks, with 2 getting “adequate” results and the 2 built to pre-code standards being “within safe limits.” They stated that liquefaction settlement is of low risk for larger tanks, and lateral spreading is not a site hazard. Zenith has 84 tanks total.
2022
Tank the Tanks was established to help raise awareness of CEI Hub dangers.
Rumble on the River: Community forums, launched by a coalition of activist groups in October 2022, are co-sponsored by more than 25 local organizations. Panels of experts, representing the environment, public health, Indigenous Peoples, legislation/government, resilience, social justice, and labor, present on critical issues related to the CEI Hub. Held throughout Portland on a monthly schedule, they are superb ongoing sources of education and public involvement.
Rumble on the River Community Forums
Linnton Air Monitor Report: Published report documents several years' efforts to get DEQ to require accurate emissions testing from the CEI Hub facilities.
Linnton Neighborhood Association, Portland Clean Air
Mapping Diesel Particulate in Portland Neighborhoods by Cascadia Action. Data, maps, and graphs from a multi-year study of diesel particulate for unfiltered diesel truck fleets and for 295 Portland sites, demonstrating the wind carrying pollution to nearby, often marginalized communities.
Risk of Earthquake-Induced Hazardous Material Releases in Multnomah County: Two Scenarios Examined by Portland State University's Institute of Sustainable Solutions (ISS) and Multnomah County Emergency Management. Reveals 1100 County HAZMAT facilities exist; many are located on liquefiable soil in unsafe containers that can emit lethal air toxins and compromise public life safety.
2023
“A close call” Portland was hit with a storm.
A lightning strike hit ground only a mile from the CEI hub.
2024
These bills were considered in the legislature and failed to pass. Efforts are in place to resurrect them in the 2026 short legislative session.
HB 2151 Risk Mitigation Fund - Expands the ways monies in the Seismic Risk Mitigation Fund may be received and used, including for grants or financial assistance to local and state governments, businesses, and individuals for earthquake preparedness and response. Sponsor
HB 2152 Disaster Fuel Reserves - Disaster Fuel Reserves calls on the Oregon Department of Energy to develop and implement a “Diversity of Fueling Stations for Disaster Reserves” to increase geographical distribution of fuel for disaster response by region
HB 2949 Risk Bond Requirement - Liquid Fuel Storage Tanks are at risk from fire, flood, and collapse, following a seismic disaster. Legislation assigns financial responsibility to liquid fuel and oil facilities so taxpayers will not be financially liable for the costs of cleanup, recovery, and restoration following seismic or other disasters. Chief Sponsors: Representative Tran, Senator Frederick, Representative Nelson
HB 3450 CEI Hub Transition Plan - Calls on the Oregon Department of Energy to study and develop an “energy storage transition plan” for the CEI Hub. Chief Sponsors: Representative Tran, Nelson, Senator Frederick
HB 3492 Seismic Hazmat Inhalation Study - Chief Sponsor: Dacia Grayber - Toxic Gas Release Study and Prevention Control: Thousands of fatalities and injuries will occur as a result of inhaling toxic gases from many of the 1100 identified storage containers in Multnomah County.
Containers were built before seismic standards, sit on liquefiable soil, and are located in highly populated areas.