LA appeals decision on SCIG project

Under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) it ruled that the environmental impact report on the proposed near-dock rail yard was inadequate.

Gene Seroka, Port of LA’s executive director, said: “The SCIG Project is vitally important to improve the efficiency of the entire San Pedro Bay Ports complex, the Alameda Corridor and the region.”

He added: “The Port of Los Angeles prepared an environmental impact report that we strongly believe fully met all requirements of CEQA to inform the public and decision-makers of the project’s effects. For these reasons, the Port of Los Angeles is joining BNSF in appealing the CEQA ruling.”

BNSF Railway proposed to build a new intermodal railyard facility to load onto trains cargo from both ports at a location four miles away from the docks. This is instead of having to truck it to BNSF’s East Los Angeles Hobart Facility 24 miles up the 710 Freeway.

The project would replace an existing drayage and warehouse operation on the site and eliminate over a million truck trips a year between the ports and the Hobart railyard east of downtown LA.

An environmental impact report was prepared by the Port of LA over eight years, which was 5,000 pages of analysis and backed by extensive expert studies.

On 30 March, the Court ruled on challenges to the SCIG EIR, that: “The EIR is an impressive piece of work. It is clear that a great deal of careful thought has been given to the environmental impacts of the project.”

The Port of LA stated that the court has since reviewed dozens of issues raised by petitioners and validated much of the SCIG EIR’s analysis as complying with CEQA. But, the court concluded that certain specific areas required additional analysis.