(The following story by Josh Grossberg appeared on the Daily Breeze website on October 10.)
TORRANCE, Calif. — Although still in the early planning stages, a sprawling rail facility that would straddle Wilmington and Long Beach has many Harbor Area residents concerned that the complex will add to local air pollution problems.
Several hundred people attended a public meeting last week in Long Beach, saying that the facility is too close to schools and homes. With another meeting set for Thursday in Wilmington, officials from Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway are asking the public to give them time to present their case, saying that they are doing everything to address environmental concerns.
“The pollution due to the ports and moving goods is one of the topics we’ve given special attention to,” said Carl Farrington, a Carson resident and member of the South Coast Interfaith Council, who spoke at last week’s meeting. “We are aware that the area has been heavily impacted by pollution. I voiced concerns about increased risk of cancer, asthma and decreased lung function.”
In related action Friday, local smog authorities sought to lower the risks of cancer and other maladies from living near rail yards by adopting a measure that requires the 19 existing facilities in the region to analyze their emissions and publicize the results.
Under the South Coast Air Quality Management District rule, the freight yards must take inventory of their emissions and perform a health-risk analysis of the toxic air pollution.
AQMD’s decision is more strict than a similar measure adopted early this year by state authorities.
Meanwhile, much of the BNSF site is in an industrial area of Wilmington.
Complaints center around the yard’s proximity to populated areas in Long Beach. The new rail complex would be between Pacific Coast Highway and Sepulveda Boulevard, west of the Terminal Island Freeway.
“Our concern is adding more pollution to an area with schools and day-care centers and residences for homeless veterans,” said Andrea Hricko, a professor with the USC Keck School of Medicine.
Hricko cited studies conducted by USC and UCLA that show how children who live near areas of high pollution are subject to serious health risks.
“The Port of Los Angeles and BNSF need to evaluate information that shows proximity to truck traffic is harmful to children and pregnant women,” she said.
But an official with BNSF said the 180-acre Southern California International Gateway would reduce truck trips by allowing drivers to deliver cargo to railways near the port, instead of a facility 16 miles away.
They also note how the rail yard would make use of natural gas-powered engines for moving containers and electric cranes for loading cargo onto rail cars.
“We’re committed to putting all electric cranes,” said BNSF spokeswoman Lena Kent. “We’re committed to using (liquefied natural gas) locomotives. This would be, without a doubt, the greenest intermodal facility in the country. It is our intention to do something positive and good for the environment.”
While critics say the facility could ultimately add 1.5 million truck trips a year to the neighborhood, Kent said those same trucks would have traveled on the Long Beach (710) Freeway.
“Those trucks do not take advantage of the Alameda Corridor,” she said. “We’re going to divert those trucks from going down the 710. The new facility will have direct access to the Alameda Corridor. I definitely think people are jumping to conclusions.”
A spokeswoman for the Port of Los Angeles, which owns the property, said that everybody should keep an open mind until the plans become clearer.
“(BNSF) is being very up front and environment conscious,” Theresa Adams Lopez said. “But we understand the community’s concerns. These are issues that are on everybody’s minds.”
The $175 million container yard is under consideration to help the ports handle the expected tripling of cargo volume by 2025.
Kent said it could be operating by 2009.