June 23, 2022
Cotati City Council
Subject: City Council, June 28, 2022: Agenda Item #11A: Gas station fossil fuel ban Dear Cotati City Council
Thank you for bringing this item back to the City Council agenda, and many thanks to the City staff for their diligent work and research on this issue, and to the Planning Commission for their support.
On behalf of the many organizations and individuals throughout Sonoma County, including in Cotati, that support the mission of the Coalition Opposing New Gas Stations, we urge you to approve the ordinance prohibiting new gas stations, and the expansion of new fossil fueling infrastructure at existing ones, within Cotati City limits. ● The City unanimously passed a Climate Emergency Resolution on November 26, 2019, and the urgency to respond to the climate crisis has only increased since then. ● Vehicle emissions are Cotati's greatest source of greenhouse gases. The purpose of a prohibition on new gas stations is to avoid prolonging dependency on fossil fuel infrastructure into the future. As outlined in the staff report, the proposed ordinance is in alignment with Cotati’s stated policies on the climate crisis and with the City’s General Plan.
● Cotati already has an abundance of gas stations, five within 2 miles, plus an abandoned gas station site, and there is no demonstrated need for any new ones. ● Every gas station leaves behind it a wake of destruction, from leaks and spills which pollute air, soil and waterways, to serious health impacts worldwide, wherever there is drilling, pumping, transportation by truck or pipeline, to processing and refining, often adversely affecting indigenous, low income and communities of color.
Petaluma became the first city in the nation to pass an ordinance prohibiting new gas stations, in February 2021, with no negative repercussions. On September 13, 2021, the Regional Climate Protection Authority (RCPA) Board unanimously approved a resolution recommending that "the County of Sonoma and the incorporated jurisdictions", including Cotati, "cease acceptance of all applications for new gas stations or expansion of existing gas station infrastructure", and committed to "working with its local government members to assist with policy development and implementation..." Rohnert Park and Sebastopol have passed ordinances and the process is moving forward in Windsor and in Santa Rosa. The movement is growing around the country, see Cities are banning new gas stations. More should join them.
Guardian, June 21, 2022.
We encourage the City of Cotati to move forward on this now, as an important step in response to the climate crisis.
Sincerely,
Jenny Blaker, Coordinator, Coalition Opposing New Gas Stations (CONGAS), Cotati resident Woody Hastings, Coordinator, CONGAS
Laurie-Ann Barbour, Member, ad hoc Steering Committee, CONGAS, Cotati resident www.con-gas.org