There’s No Such Thing as “Cheap Gasoline”
Sustainable Novato joined many other venerable organizations to oppose the proposal for a new 28 pump fueling station at Novato’s Costco. Our board felt the review did not adequately address all our concerns and that adding a mega gas station while gas-powered vehicles are being phased out was not appropriate or in keeping with the climate emergency resolution our Council recently passed.
Thank you to those of you who wrote letters, attended the rally, signed the petition and/or spoke at the planning commission and council meeting to express your opposition – your voices had an impact. While the number of gas pumps remains the same, Costco went from zero to 10 high speed EV chargers in their final proposal. And they agreed to investigate the plausibility of adding solar. So while we prefer no new fuel stations were approved, at least the addition of EV chargers and possible solar panels is a step in the right direction.
Issues with the Costco Mega Gas Station Proposal
- Climate Change: We are already feeling the impacts of our climate emergency which is fueling fires and other issues both locally and worldwide. Adding a mega 24 gas pump station, the largest in Novato, to the mix now flies in the face of the recent climate action emergency resolution the Novato Council passed. Either we recognize this is an emergency or not, but we cannot have it both ways.
- EV is the future: GM has already committed to phasing out all gas-powered vehicles by 2035, a mere 15 years from now. It isn’t long before gas powered vehicles will be a thing of the past, and we will be stuck with three 40,000 gallon tanks of fossil fuel to deal with. Petaluma has taken the step of ensuring no new gas stations are added, let’s follow suit.
- Convenience: We do not have a shortage of gas stations as Novato already has 14 gas stations spread around our city, some of which (like Matt and Jeffs) may be forced out of business if this proposal moves forward.
- Economics: While Novato will likely capture some revenue from Sonoma County cars, it is unclear how much of the Costco gas station business would be cannibalized from other (higher priced) Novato stations, and thus, not net new revenue.
- Disaster Planning: This spot is in close proximity to sensitive wetlands wildlife. While Costco has assured us they will use the latest technology to prohibit leaks from the three 40,000 gallon tanks, they did not factor in the liquefaction that will occur when an earthquake jolts nearby. As we’ve learned from Texas recently, we need to do disaster planning even for the “unexpected”.
If you are a Costco member, please express your views to Costco’s CEO: W. Craig Jelinek, Costco Wholesale Corporation, 999 Lake Drive, Issaquah, WA 98027
Of course, if you feel strongly enough, you could also enclose your Costco card and demand a membership fee refund unless Costco promises to stop building more gas stations. There’s no such thing as cheap gasoline- the cost to our environment and future generations is enormous.
Marla was past President of Sustainable Novato (for 8 years) and remains a current board member. She successfully advocated for the elimination of toxic cleaning products in NUSD schools, the elimination of carcinogenic Roundup use on city park and open space, and the formation and adoption of Marin Clean Energy. She also spearheaded our largest forum for both community members and key decision makers on building sustainable communities. Marla is an active volunteer in our community, including chairing the annual giving campaign for Marin School of the Arts at Novato High for four consecutive years. She is a marketing director for a technology firm and enjoys spending time exploring Novato’s trails with her husband, son and daughter.