Document 0685jmvLre8ZKO3Dve0xm8r1n

Congre55 of tbe Washington, DC, 20515 May 28, 2025 tatai The Honorable Sean Duffy Secretary of Transportation U.S. Department of Transportation 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE Washington, D.C. 20590 Dear Secretary Duffy, We write to express our strong support for the West Gateway Terminal ("WGT") in Oakland, California, and to request coordinated federal action to ensure the timely construction of this long overdue critical energy infrastructure project--one that is both vital to the economies of our home states and to the Administration's broader goal of expanding American exports to the world. As you know, on April 8, 2025, President Donald J. Trump issued an Executive Order entitled Reinvigorating America's Beautiful Clean Coal Industry and Amending Executive Order 14241 ("EO Clean Coal"), reaffirming the strategic importance of coal to the American economy, classifying it as a critical mineral, and directing federal agencies to streamline the development and operation of energy-related infrastructure. This follows a January 20, 2025, Executive Order entitled Unleashing American Energy, as well as a February 14, 2025, Executive Order entitled Establishing the National Energy Dominance Council, the latter of which tasks the Council with advising the President on the transportation and export of all forms of American energy, including critical minerals. The WGT facility--designed to serve as a rail-to-ship export terminal on the West Coast--is directly aligned with every element of these national directives. Despite its strategic importance, as well as numerous court rulings in favor of the project, the WGT has faced years of politically-driven delays and continued litigation by the City of Oakland and radical environmental activists that serve to undermine American energy export capacity, weaken our supply chains, negatively impact international trade partners, and risk the loss of American jobs and investment. We, therefore, respectfully urge the Department of Transportation, in coordination with other federal agencies, to take any actions it deems necessary to advance this project, including: Formally evaluate WGT's status as energy infrastructure under the President's April 8 Executive Order, and coordinate across agencies to ensure permitting and legal clarity are expedited; Review and enforce federal grant conditions--including the recent $50 million Maritime Administration (MARAD) award to the Port of Oakland ("Port") and a $322 million U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded the Port--to ensure grantees are not acting in conflict with the national interest; OST-2025-1200 Page 01986 Sierra Club v. Dept. of Transp. - 3:25-cv-06221 SC_EVERSPLIT0027867  Affirm the preemptive scope of the Interstate Commerce Commission Termination Act (ICCTA) in relation to local efforts to obstruct rail operations tied to lawful interstate commerce; Support the use of Title III of the Defense Production Act (DPA) to prioritize WGTrelated construction and financing as a matter of national energy security; Evaluate the use of federal eminent domain authority to secure rights-of-way or access necessary for the completion of WGT, consistent with national infrastructure priorities; and Issue an interagency statement affirming that infrastructure like WGT is vital to the President's goals of energy independence, domestic job creation, and secure trade access to global markets. We believe the WGT represents exactly the type of public-private investment our nation needs: shovel-ready, strategically located, and capable of safely and efficiently moving critical minerals to international markets, particularly to our closest allies. The WGT is supported by both private capital and local construction groups and is positioned to serve as a cornerstone of U.S. energy exports for decades to come. Simply put, the WGT will not only support thousands of jobs but will also solidify America's standing as a global energy powerhouse. Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter. We stand ready to support the Department's leadership in advancing infrastructure that serves our national interest and swiftly implementing President Trump's vision for unleashing American energy dominance. Sincerely, Ifict 9- Oowe Blake D. Moore Member of Congress Burgess Owens Member of Congress Celeste Maloy Member of Congress ili\;j'c, c )L, v, 1 Mike Kennedy, M.D. Member of Congress Cc: The Honorable Chris Wright, U.S. Department of Energy The Honorable Doug Burgum, U.S. Department of the Interior The Honorable Howard Lutnick, U.S. Department of Commerce The Honorable Lee Zeldin, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency The Honorable Russell Vought, Office of Management and Budget OST-2025-1200 Page 01987 Sierra Club v. Dept. of Transp. - 3:25-cv-06221 SC_EVERSPLIT0027868