Harbor Currents: NEWS May 15, 2013

LA City Council Approves SCIG
LOS ANGELES — On May 8, the Los Angeles City Council voted 11–2, Council members Jan Perry and Bernard Parks opposed, and Eric Garcetti absent, to approve the Southern California International Gateway project.
The vote, which was adopted May 10, accepted the Los Angeles Harbor Department determination and the proposed 50-year permit assessed in an environmental impact report that is in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act that the Harbor Commissioners certified March 10. The vote also approved the site preparation and access agreement with BNSF Railway Co. for the construction operation and maintenance of the SCIG facility.
“I am very pleased that the City Council overwhelmingly approved the Southern California International Gateway (SCIG) project in my district,” Councilman Buscaino wrote on his newsletter.
The $500 million project, which has been met with heavy opposition by community and environmental activists in Wilmington and Long Beach, is supposed to produce about 1,000 construction jobs, 1,500 direct jobs and 22,000 direct and indirect jobs, Buscaino wrote.
BNSF stated that the project not only will produce jobs but also a greener economy that will shorten the distance cargo-loaded trucks need to travel.

LBPD Checkpoint Results in Arrests, Citations
The Long Beach Police Department’s Traffic Division conducted a Driving Under the Influence/Driver License Checkpoint, from 7 p.m. May 11 to 3 a.m. May 12, on Cherry Avenue at 45^th Street.
During the eight-hour operation, which was aided by Long Beach Police Explorers and Long Beach Search and Rescue, 945 vehicles passed through the checkpoint with 555 being screened, yielding five DUI arrests, six unlicensed driving citations, six suspended license citation and six vehicle impounds.