Friday, March 8, 2013

Railyard EIR approved by Port of L.A. despite protests from residents, environmentalists

Despite protests from Wilmington and Long Beach residents, the Los Angeles Board of Harbor Commissioners voted to support the final Environmental Impact Report for the construction of a $500 million railyard.

The $8.1 million report analyzed the potential environmental impacts created by the proposed 153-acre facility, which is slotted to be located in an industrial area near the Terminal Island Freeway.

Opponents of the project include health and environmental groups and residents in the area, who say the project will worsen the traffic and health concerns that already plague the neighborhoods. They are asking the proposed facility be moved to other port properties or that more mitigation measures be put in place.

The Southern California International Gateway railyard, proposed by BNSF Railway, would operate under a 50-year lease with the Harbor Department. That lease, up for a vote by the harbor commission in a few weeks, would need approval from the Los Angeles City Council before work can begin.

The railyard would let trucks load containers and put them on trains closer to the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, instead of driving 24 miles to the BNSF Hobart Yard. If approved, it would be able to handle up to 2.8 million TEUs from the ports, including 570,800 TEUs in 2016, the first year of operation, according to a port report.

For more of the Press-Telegram story: presstelegram.com

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