Morgan Wyenn, Project Attorney, Santa Monica

Clean air.  Good jobs.  I would bet that everyone living and working in the neighborhoods around the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach wants both of these things.  At least we can agree on that.  The problem is that not everyone agrees on how we get there. 

Last night there was a public meeting on the second version of the environmental analysis for a proposed new rail yard project.  Hundreds of people came out to learn more about the proposed project and to express their perspective.  Some expressed support for the project, claiming it will create jobs and reduce local air pollution.  Others—including NRDC—expressed concerns that the project will significantly increase local air pollution and that there are major problems with the recently released environmental analysis. 

The proposal is for the BNSF Railway Company to build a new rail yard called the Southern California International Gateway (the SCIG) on property owned by the Port of Los Angeles, a few miles from the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.  Rail yards are a critical piece of the freight transportation industry.  Containers of cargo from around the world—mostly Asia—arrives on huge cargo ships at ...

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