For Release: Monday, May 5, 2008 attachments: PDF of Release; PDF of Anti-Plant Letter To City Hall Contact: Eric Brooks 415-756-8844 Marie Harrison 415-720-3139 20 Environmental & Social Justice Organizations, Public Officials Demand Halt To Polluting Power Plant Project Groups call upon the city to come up with a green alternative San Francisco, CA, May 5, 2008 - Today, a coalition of twenty environmental, civic, and social justice organizations along with state and local elected leaders, called upon the Board of Supervisors and the Mayor to halt the plan to build a natural gas power plant project in San Francisco. The group cited problems with pollution, environmental justice, and global warming. The group rallied in front of City Hall before an upcoming Board of Supervisors Government Audit and Oversight Committee vote on a contract to build and operate three natural gas turbines in Bayview-Hunters Point, the most environmentally impacted neighborhood in the city, and a fourth natural gas turbine at the San Francisco Airport. The Committee is set to also take up legislation by Supervisor Michela Alioto-Pier, which would require environmental and economic studies of the plant proposal and would seek clean-energy alternatives. Groups at the rally called upon the Committee to support Alioto-Pier?s legislation and vote down the contract. Advocates and elected officials called upon the Mayor and the Board of Supervisors to create a new energy reliability plan that takes into account recent increases in solar power, conservation, and transmission capacity, and which doesn't contribute to global warming and air pollution. Ian Kim, Green-Collar Jobs Campaigns Director of Ella Baker Center for Human Rights said "Building fossil fuel power plants in Southeast San Francisco limits the city's ability to invest in renewable energy and efficiency strategies that would increase green-collar job opportunities for San Francisco." "The designs for this polluting power plant project, and the outdated energy plan that goes with it, were developed seven years ago," said Alioto-Pier. "Since then we've installed more renewable energy and efficiency projects. At a time when global warming is getting worse, we need to scrap this fossil fuel project and develop a 2008 energy action plan for San Francisco that will lead the world to a clean energy future." "The current strategy is still excessively fossil fuel driven. Why can't that be supplemented by renewables?" said Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi in recent hearings. "I'm still not sold on the idea that we need the peakers at all." State Senator Carole Migden authored the 2002 Community Choice energy legislation that allows California cities to purchase renewable energy and build their own renewable power facilities. "The time of fossil fuel is over. The people want 100% clean energy now and shutting down the Mirant Plant for another fossil fuel burning plant just makes no sense. This neighborhood has suffered under the toxic air of the current plant, San Francisco needs to stand together and build something that is renewable and clean for the families of the Bay View and Potrero Hill." John Rizzo of the Sierra Club said "At a time when the governor is adding resources to fight global warming, San Francisco is putting $250 million to contribute to global warming." Marie Harrison of Greenaction said "This power plant project would not even be on the table if it had been proposed for any other community in the city. Asthma and cancer rates in the Bayview-Hunters Point are some of the highest in the nation. We will not stand for any more of this." Eric Brooks with San Francisco Green Party added "The city claims this will benefit the Bayview-Hunters Point Community. A plant that must pay for itself by burning fossil fuel for eighteen years, is not a benefit to any community." Endorsing Organizations Ella Baker Center For Human Rights Sierra Club Greenaction For Health And Environmental Justice SPUR (San Francisco Planning And Urban Research Association) Global Exchange Green For All Environmental Defense The San Francisco Green Party The San Francisco Bayview Newspaper Huntersview Mothers Committee For Health And Environmental Justice Women?s Energy Matters Latino Issues Forum Center On Race, Poverty And The Environment Greenwood Earth Alliance Environmental Justice Air Quality Coalition Defend Bayview-Hunters Point Idriss Stelley Foundation The San Francisco Green Party Sustainability Working Group Our City Brightline Defense Project ###