In 2016, Oakland passed Ordinance No. 13385, prohibiting the rail transportation of coal and petcoke for export overseas through the rail-to-ship terminal under development at the West Gateway of the former Oakland Army Base.
The city was later sued by a developer who had planned to build a bulk shipping terminal at the former Oakland Army base. A federal judge subsequently ruled that the city’s ban violated its agreement with the developer, a decision that the city has appealed.