A panel of judges has ruled against the City of Oakland’s appeal to ban rail transport of coal through the city. The panel determined that the city breached its contract with a developer by attempting to block shipments of coal through a bulk terminal under construction at the former Oakland Army Base. In July 2016 the City Council voted to prohibit the storing and handling of coal within city limits. The unanimous vote was directly aimed at a $250 million bulk terminal, located on the outer harbor near the Bay Bridge Toll Plaza. The terminal filed a federal suit in December 2016, claiming the council ordinance violated his 2013 agreement with the city to develop the land.
