In December 2024, after the Oregon DEQ fined Zenith Energy for illegal construction and use of new pipes at its facility in Northwest Portland, environmental advocates submitted public testimony saying they were concerned the city would rush into approving a DEQ-required city permit before the end of the year. Along with its fine, DEQ had also requested a new Land Use Compatibility Statement, or LUCS, from the city of Portland by Feb. 4, 2025. So, Street Roots started filing public records requests to better inform the public about the process as it happened.
Under former Mayor Ted Wheeler, the city faced pressure from advocates and Street Roots’ multiple stories on the records. The city decided not to approve the LUCS until after the city’s new government officials were sworn into office in December 2024. Instead, it approved the permit in February, under Mayor Keith Wilson. These thousands of pages of public records gave further insight into city officials’ somewhat opaque process toward that approval. Local environmental advocates have taken issue with how the city operated with Zenith since the Houston-based company began transporting liquid fuels through Portland in 2018.
The records outlined how Zenith is determined to expand its operations to blend and deliver what it calls “sustainable aviation fuel” to Portland Airport. That goal was further explained in an 11-page plan Zenith sent to the city, showing how the company is positioning itself as the preeminent renewable fuels hub on the West Coast — something previously unknown to Portlanders with a careful eye on what Zenith wants to do.
Environmental advocates have long been concerned the city was working on what they call a “backroom deal” with Zenith. A city attorney’s explicit move to include her office in meetings to protect a “political strategy” — revealed in public records included here — added fuel to critics’ ongoing concerns. And private, unreported meetings between the deputy city administrator in charge of the city bureaus handling Zenith and Portland Metro Chamber’s most prolific lobbyist added further skepticism that the process was properly transparent.
The City Council passed a resolution in March to open an investigation into whether Zenith violated a contract with the city. Now that the city has hired a third-party law firm, Cable Huston, for the investigation, officials want to ensure the process is open, transparent and truly independent. Some city councilors and environmental advocates are concerned the law firm may not receive all the documents necessary for a full investigation if the city officials responsible for turning them over are the same officials responsible for approving their permits in the first place.
These are the public records Street Roots has obtained since December 2024, through September 9.
Find the full list of public records here.
This article appears in September 10, 2025.
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