Oregon committee hears package of bills to address seismic risk at Portland’s fuel 'CEI Hub'

Representative Thuy Tran, chair of the House Committee on Emergency Management, General Government, and Veterans, opened public hearings Feb. 27 on four bills aimed at reducing seismic risk and improving fuel resilience at Portland’s Critical Energy Infrastructure (CEI) Hub.

The package includes House Bill 2152, which would direct the Oregon Department of Transportation to develop a statewide geographic diversity of fueling stations and disaster reserve plan; House Bill 3450, directing the Oregon Department of Energy to develop an energy storage transition plan for the CEI Hub; House Bill 2151, which would expand permissible uses of the Seismic Risk Mitigation Fund; and House Bill 2949, directing DEQ to study financial-assurance options for bulk oil and liquid-fuel terminals.

Why it matters: The CEI Hub, a six-mile stretch along the Willamette River in Northwest Portland, is the primary entry and storage point for most of Oregon’s liquid fuels. Multiple witnesses and legislators told the committee that the hub is located on river‑deposited soils susceptible to liquefaction in a major Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake, raising the risk of tank failures, large spills into the Willamette River, fires and prolonged statewide fuel shortages.

Representative Thuy Tran (House District 45) framed the package as “the backbone of our state's energy security and emergency preparedness,” saying the bills aim to “mitigate risk, enhance disaster resilience, ensure financial accountability, and support the transition toward a more sustainable and secure energy future.”

Senator Michael Dembrow, who described himself as the 2022 chief sponsor of related legislation, told the committee the current legislation builds on Senate Bill 1567 (2022), which created a DEQ fuel tank seismic stability…