Oakland

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. News, and Other Relevant Links
3. Related Organizations and Resources
4. Featured Resolutions

Oakland’s legacy reflects persistent opposition to nuclear threats, even in the face of federal resistance.

Oakland and its surrounding areas have long been a central location for U.S. nuclear development. The city’s location on the eastern side of the San Francisco Bay made it a hub for military and research facilities, including Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in nearby Livermore, the former Naval Air Station Alameda, the Concord Naval Weapons Station, and even the Port of Oakland itself. This was due to its strategic location, strong transportation links, and existing defense industry presence. By the 1980s, many local activists and officials raised concerns about nuclear issues due to risks such as potential radioactive contamination. For example, plutonium leaks at Livermore Lab sparked fears about public safety. In 1982, voters approved a nuclear freeze referendum, and in 1986, the Oakland City Council supported a comprehensive nuclear test ban. In November 1988, Oakland’s citizens passed Measure T, or the Oakland Nuclear Free Zone Act, by a margin of 57% (43,864 votes) to 43% (33,747 votes). Measure T was one of the nation’s strictest ordinances; it banned the production and stationing of nuclear weapons and reactors in Oakland, prohibited the storage and transportation of nuclear materials within the city, and barred the city from contracting with any companies that were knowingly involved in nuclear weapons work.

However, the federal government challenged Oakland’s new law. In September 1989, the U.S. Department of Justice sued the city to overturn the ordinance, arguing that Oakland had overstepped its authority by interfering with federal jurisdiction over national defense and energy. In April 1990, a federal judge agreed, declaring the ordinance “invalid on its face” and ruling that Oakland could not prohibit nuclear weapon activities or shipments connected to federal military operations. While the city was allowed to post anti-nuclear signs and divest city funds in protest, most of the ordinance’s enforceable aspects were struck down. Ultimately, Oakland’s leaders chose not to pursue an appeal. Instead, in March and April 1992, the City Council unanimously reinstated the nuclear-free zone through a new ordinance (No. 11478 CMS) reaffirming Oakland’s commitment and introducing additional restrictions on contracts and investments in nuclear weapons firms. Today, the city still upholds aspects of this policy: companies bidding for city contracts must submit a “Nuclear Free Zone” disclosure form certifying that they do not engage in nuclear weapons work. 

Despite the setbacks in 1990, anti-nuclear activism has remained strong in Oakland. Local peace and environmental groups, including Peace Action California, the Western States Legal Foundation, and Tri-Valley CAREs continue to monitor nuclear risks. Former Councilmember Wilson Riles Jr. once cautioned that during the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, when a freeway collapsed in West Oakland, a nightmarish scenario could have occurred if a nuclear shipment had passed through at that time. In recent years, Oakland’s leaders have also taken symbolic stands; for instance, Mayor Sheng Thao joined mayors nationwide in 2023 in passing a resolution calling for urgent action to prevent nuclear war. By combining local resolutions, grassroots protests, and collaboration with global disarmament movements, Oakland’s legacy reflects persistent opposition to nuclear threats, even in the face of federal resistance.