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Neighbor Asks County to Seek Bonding and Decommissioning Guarantees for CEI Hub Fuel Storage
Summary
A Multnomah County resident urged commissioners to require surety bonds naming Multnomah County as beneficiary and to include decommissioning costs for the proposed CEI hub storing large quantities of fuel, citing public risk and taxpayer exposure.
Peter Cocopelli, a neighbor and constituent, used public comment time to urge Multnomah County to require bonding and decommissioning guarantees for a proposed CEI hub that would store fuel and operate pipelines in the county.
Cocopelli described his background as a former general contractor and said businesses that handle hazardous materials commonly must post liability insurance and surety bonds. He urged the county to require a bond payable to the county so funds would be immediately available in the event of a worst-case accident and to require the bond cover decommissioning costs so taxpayers are not left with cleanup liabilities when the facility eventually closes.
Cocopelli said if the operators believe tanks and pipelines are safe they should have no difficulty obtaining required bonds. He prefaced his remarks by noting state-level legislative activity in Salem that may affect the project and said the issue might return to the county for further action.
Commissioners did not take immediate action on the public comment; Cocopelli's remarks were recorded during the public-comment period.
