Victory for Long Beach, Judge Says No to Rail Yard at Port

LOS ANGELES, CA - A judge on Monday struck down the city's approval of a $500 million BNSF rail yard near the Los Angeles-Long Beach port complex, saying officials failed to properly analyze the environmental effects the project would have on residents and businesses.

The rail yard, which was approved by the Los Angeles City Council in 2013, was touted as a project needed to improve the flow of cargo in and out of the port to keep the complex competitive with other seaports around the country.

But environmental advocates, the city of Long Beach, community groups and other public agencies objected to the 153-acre Southern California Intermodal Gateway, complaining the approval of the project violated the state Environmental Quality Act, and saying the project would be too close to West Long Beach neighborhoods and several schools.

Contra Costa County Superior Court Judge Barry P. Goode, who was assigned the case when it was transferred out of Los Angeles, issued a 200-page ruling Monday, agreeing that the city must conduct a more thorough environmental analysis of the the project.

"This is a huge win for Long Beach, and in particular our westside residents who would have been dramatically impacted by this proposed project," Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia said. "The health of our children and the protection of our environment have been at the forefront of our concerns."

Ironically, Los Angeles officials argued when approving the project that it would actually improve the environment by dramatically reducing truck traffic, since cargo could be more quickly transferred to the rail yard about four miles from the port. Cargo currently needs to be driven more than 20 miles from the port to a BNSF yard in Commerce.

Harbor-area Los Angeles Councilman Joe Buscaino called it "a good and sound environmental project" that would create "actual green jobs" and take about 1.5 million trucks off the road.

Opponents argued, however, that the yard would divert diesel trucks closer to schools and homes in the Long Beach area. By 2035, the project would generate 2 million truck trips per year between the site and the port, opponents said.

"We understand that the Port of Los Angeles provides an important economic engine to the region, but that doesn't mean that it can bypass laws designed to protect the environment and public health," Long Beach Assistant City Attorney Michael Mais said. "The Port of Los Angeles was required to do its best to limit the environmental harm of this project, and the court agreed with petitioners that the port's efforts fell far short."

--City News Service, photo via Wiki Commons