RLn BRIEFS: July 27, 2017

Court Places BNSF on Hold, Indefinitely

WILMINGTON — BNSF’s environmental analysis was put aside as inadequate, July 26, when a $500 million railyard in Wilmington was placed on indefinite hold in a final judgment.

The judgment affirmed that because the development was close to low-income areas on public land the state had jurisdiction on that specific railroad operation.

The Southern California International Gateway development on 185 acres, would have brought about 2 million trucks per year and eight trains per day to the area. The company had held that the facility would take big rigs off the road.

A preliminary judgment was issued in March demanding that BNSF and Los Angeles start anew. The company appealed that judgment on grounds that a state court did not have jurisdiction in interstate commerce. The company failed when a Contra Costa judge rejected that argument.

The company’s options now are to appeal, forgo plans for the railyard or start anew with an environmental analysis.

“This ruling affirms that the proposed project cannot proceed without additional measures to protect Long Beach neighborhoods, which is a win for Long Beach and Westside residents,” stated Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia, whose city would abuts the facility.

Guzmán Re-elected Harbor Commission President

LONG BEACH — On July 25, Lori Ann Guzmán was re-elected as the president of the Harbor Commission. Guzman will serve a second term of one year on the board, which oversees the Port of Long Beach.

The commission president chairs board meetings and represents the port to the public. Under the city charter, the mayor of Long Beach appoints city residents to the Harbor Commission to six-year terms. Commissioners oversee the port and direct the Port CEO, who in turn manages the more than 500-person staff of Long Beach Harbor Department in the development and promotion of the Port of Long Beach.

Guzmán, who also is the director of finance for Huntington Beach, was appointed the Harbor Commission in 2013. She was appointed as the president in 2015.

The Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissions also selected Lou Anne Bynum as vice president and Tracy Egoscue as secretary.