The scrappy industrial city of Richmond took a bold step toward a fossil fuel-free future on Tuesday night when its city council passed an historic land use ordinance banning the storage and handling of coal and petroleum coke in a three-year phaseout.

This means that Richmond will no longer be the source of one-fourth of West Coast coal exports to Asian markets, and its children will be able to breathe a little easier. 

Councilmember Eduardo Martinez, the sponsor of the ordinance, set a shining example in his refusal to back down and his unwavering belief that the city of Richmond deserves far better than coal and refining dregs.

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