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Appendix A – Intermodal Projects Considered for Development as Case Studies

Part I – Projects advanced as case studies

Project Name and Mode Geography Federal Funding or Permit? Involvement of Intermodal Freight? Project Development Status Type and Magnitude of Impacts or Public Controversy Advance as a case study?

Alameda Corridor

Los Angeles area

Rail/Highway

West Federal funding. Numerous federal permits and federal EIS. Yes, facilitates highway and rail connections and access to maritime facilities Under construction Project involved brownfields, archaeological issues, Native Americans, probably local traffic and noise impacts during construction. Started as a CEQA document, because it was not in the SIP. FHWA wanted to streamline the NEPA document, but were unable to. Had one NEPA suit and several CEQA suits. Yes

Oakland Marine Terminal Berths 55-58

Oakland

Port/Rail/Highway

West Army Corps of Engineers, Section 404 permit. Federal Environmental Assessment conducted. Yes Phase I under construction or complete. Later phases pending. Dredging impacts. Local truck traffic, air quality, and noise. Endangered species issues. Yes

West Hayden Island Marine Terminal

Portland, Ore.

Port/Highway

West Army Corps of Engineers, Section 404 permit. Possible FHWA funding for new bridge. Draft EIS underway. Yes Environmental review is being conducted, having been reinitiated in 1998 following a revision to ACOE processes. Local truck traffic, air quality, and noise. Potential endangered species issues. Potential wetland issues. Yes

Logan Airport – Bird Island Flats Cargo Area

Boston

Rail/Aviation

Northeast The Bird Island Flats cargo project involved FAA funding and federal environmental permits, as well as a federal Environmental Assessment. Yes – Air cargo operations and trucks; local transportation impacts on airport access. Project effectively completed Noise and vibration; air quality; socio-economics and neighborhood impacts. Yes

Sears Island terminal development and access

Sears Island, Maine

Rail/Highway

Northeast Required an EIS and probably other permits Yes – port with rail and truck connections The project was stopped in court by EDF, NRDC, and others six years ago after an EIS had been prepared and several million dollars spent on construction. Impacts to eel grass were apparently involved in stopping the project. Public concern over coastal development probably played a role as well. Yes

FAST-Corridor

Puget Sound, WA

Port/Rail/Highway

West Federal funding Yes – Improved truck access to ports and grade separations involving port, rail, and highway. Various stages of analysis and implementation Appears to have positive air quality effects through reduced congestion. Positive safety impacts from grade separating highway/rail at-grade crossings. Appears to have neighborhood impacts. Yes

Long Beach Naval Base Re-Use

Long Beach, CA

Port/Rail

West Army Corps of Engineers permits for landfill, dyke work, use of dredged material. Is also a brownfield. Yes. The new terminal will include an on-dock rail facility. In construction All sorts of environmental issues and considerations. Also relates to reuse of military terminals. Yes

Part II – Projects strongly considered but not advanced as case studies

Project Name and Mode Geography Federal Funding or Permit? Involvement of Intermodal Freight? Project Development Status Type and Magnitude of Impacts or Public Controversy Advance as a case study?

OE&J Cherokee, Woodbridge, NJ

Truck/Rail/Barge and Warehousing

Northeast Army Corps of Engineers and other environmental permits Yes. The site is being redeveloped as an intermodal distribution center with truck, rail, barge and warehousing. Project is in preliminary stages. Brownfields; private developer of an intermodal yard – reuse of dredged materials; neighborhood noise/light impacts (from current rail yard – Port Reading Yard on the site). No

Red Hook Barge, NY

Barge/Rail/Truck

Northeast The project is funded in part with CMAQ grants. Only required a categorical exclusion under NEPA. Yes. The barge transports containers from the Red Hook Container Terminal in Brooklyn to Port Newark, where it is moved inland by truck and rail. Acquisition of two new barges and mobile cranes is nearly completed. The project is now several years old. Air quality (reduction of VMT and truck emissions) – Was one of the first freight projects funded under CMAQ. No – Only required a categorical exclusion under NEPA.

CSX 59th St Intermodal Yard

Chicago

Midwest/Plains Reviewed under NEPA because of Conrail acquisition, but no Federal permit or funding Yes Operational Mitigation for noise, traffic, and community impacts were identified in the EIS and City of Chicago permit. EIS said residences were 375 feet away but did not indicate the magnitude of the noise impacts. Project is located in an environmental justice community No
Marine Cargo Terminal Complex Development, Daniel Island, Charleston, SC South Army Corps of Engineers, Section 404 Permit and Section 103 of the Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act. USCG (for two bridges), Section 9 of the Rivers and Harbors Act. US Forest Service (construction). Surface Transportation Board for rail construction Yes Army Corps of Engineers to issue Final EIS in near future. Too early to characterize the review process. EIS covering "23 key issues," including water quality, aquatic sediments, endangered species, light, parks and recreational opportunities, and environmental justice No – High level of sensitivity due to on-going and anticipated litigation and political issues precludes necessary interviews

The EDC Sunset Park project

Brooklyn, NY

East Yes – Army Corps of Engineers, Section 404 Permit New, state-of-the-art container terminal in Brooklyn with sprint trains and reduced need for trucks to come to terminal. Concept and planning were completed. NYCEDC going to next steps now. Numerous potential impacts. No. The project is not advanced enough to fully identify environ-mental impediments to the development.

Cross Harbor Tunnel

New York/New Jersey

Northeast Federal permits are anticipated to be required. Yes – rail, truck, maritime. Early planning. DEIS is the next stage Increase in rail movements in neighborhoods, removal of trucks from NYC and trans-Hudson routes, etc. No – project is too early in the planning stage.

BNSF Alliance Intermodal Facility

Fort Worth, Texas

Midwest/Plains Could not be determined Yes Operational Aside from possible site specific impacts, rural facility that may have avoided adverse impacts at alternative locations. No – Insufficient information to judge applicability

Part III – Projects initially considered, but not advanced as worthy of consideration as case studies

Denver UPS project

Des Moines, UPS project

East-west corridor, Maine Judith

Western Transportation Trade Network (WTTN) project

Tucson, AZ intermodal NAFTA project

I-35 NAFTA Corridor – improvements through urban areas

PennDOT bridge replacement projects

Connecticut railroad bridge replacement

Bethlehem, PA – CSX or NS yard expansion

Reno, Nevada grade separation rail project

Other Chicago projects

Lackawanna Valley Industrial Highway

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