Petaluma’s move this week to become the first city in the nation to ban new gas stations to combat climate change could be the beginning of a trend in Marin and beyond, supporters and opponents said.
The controversial measure, which the Petaluma City Council approved unanimously on Monday night, prohibits the permitting of new gas stations. It also prohibits the expansion of gasoline fueling equipment, such as gas pumps and underground storage tanks, at existing stations. Existing stations would still be allowed to apply for permits to install electric vehicle chargers and hydrogen fueling equipment.
“Of course we do hope that other jurisdictions will also do this because we all share the same environment,” Petaluma Mayor Teresa Barrett said on Wednesday. “As we move down the road we have a very short window to improve what we have right now and get our greenhouse gases down.”
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