|
|
 |
 |
|
One of the best ways to decrease harbor congestion and air pollution is to use trains rather than trucks to move cargo. That is why we support the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway (BNSF) proposal to build a rail terminal a short hop from the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles.
- Long Beach Press-Telegram editorial
May 10, 2007
read more >
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
The Southern California International Gateway (SCIG) Facility Offers Transportation Flexibility and Helps Reduce Regional Traffic
Cargo movement through the dual ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles is booming. A report released in March 2007 by the Alameda Corridor Transportation Corridor and the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach showed that the San Pedro Bay ports handle more than 40% of the nation’s total import traffic and 24% of its total exports. The national trade impact, according to the study, is $256 billion and trade flowing into and out of the dual ports impacts nearly every congressional district in the United States.
The number of direct and indirect jobs associated with the trade activity generated by the San Pedro Bay ports increased by 200%, from 1.1 million jobs nationally in 1994 to 3.3 million jobs in 2005.
Today, much of the containerized cargo arriving at the ports is transported to its destinations by truck. While the balance is transferred to trains, it may travel 15 to 20 miles on congested freeways before reaching rail yards near downtown Los Angeles.
The SCIG facility will allow trucks loaded with cargo containers from ships to travel just a short distance before transferring the containers to rail cars that would then travel through the Alameda Corridor and on to destinations in the Midwest, Southeast and beyond.
HISTORY
In February 2005, the Port of Los Angeles and BNSF announced that they would begin discussions on the development of the new facility. In September 2005, the Port of Los Angeles issued a Notice of Preparation (NOP) for the environmental impact report (EIR) for the project. After conducting public scoping meetings, the public review period for the NOP ended in December 2005. An environmental impact report is currently being developed and would have to be approved before construction could occur.
BNSF'S INVOLVEMENT
SCIG will improve the efficiency of cargo transfer from ports to customers and allow shippers to take advantage of more efficient truck-rail transportation. Moreover, the proposed facility will help reduce traffic on local highways.
BNSF has one of the most extensive railroad systems in the western two-thirds of the United States to service the port’s customers, as well as a strong service and safety record. BNSF moves more intermodal traffic than any other rail system in the world. BNSF is also at the forefront of railroad technology development, operating state of the art and environmentally sensitive facilities.
BNSF has already committed to making SCIG an industry-leading facility, both in terms of its capacity per acre to handle cargo and its sensitivity to the environment. BNSF is currently investigating numerous new technologies designed to achieve these ends and expects this development to continue through the EIR/EIS process.
SCIG emissions will be reduced by 90 percent compared to traditional intermodal facilities through the use of the following:
- Wide-span electric cranes
- Eliminate on-site emissions
- Generate large reduction in number of yard tractors
- Minimize noise and stray light
- Low-emission switch engines
- LNG or equivalent low-emission yard tractors
In response to meetings with more than 125 political, business and community leaders in Los Angeles and Long Beach, BNSF recently announced enhancements for SCIG.
CLEAN TRUCK FLEET
- BNSF will ensure that only clean trucks serve SCIG.
- 100% of the fleet will be 2007 or newer trucks upon facility opening – exceeding CAAP compliance.
- BNSF commits to participating in new CAAP Technology Committee to evaluate alternative cargo movement technology
- BNSF will require that trucks serving SCIG adhere to specified, non-residential routes as part of their contracts
- BNSF will require that all trucks be equipped with GPS technology to monitor and enforce truck routes
JOBS - WORKFORCE TRAINING
BNSF’s operating contractor will give qualified local residents first priority for all new job offers for employment at SCIG. BNSF will fund a workforce training program to assist area residents in obtaining these jobs.
SOUNDWALL
BNSF will fund the construction of a sound wall between the facility and Hudson Elementary School, working in collaboration with local residents to determine its location.
URBAN FOREST
BNSF will plant an urban forest around the site to improve air quality and aesthetics, working in collaboration with local residents.
BNSF looks forward to continuing to work with those interested in this project throughout the environmental review process.
|
|
|
