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10-14-2008 Agreements for MRL Rail Construction Accepted - News Article
The Mesquite Regional Landfill waste-by-rail project moved another step closer to construction recently when the Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County accepted initial agreements with Union Pacific Railroad that outline terms of the project.
“The agreements are the latest of many hurdles we have cleared to make waste-by-rail a reality,” said Steve Maguin, Chief Engineer and General Manager of the Sanitation District’s. “Each step takes us closer to a regional, environmentally sound solid waste solution.”
The project includes a 17-acre intermodal facility in the City of Industry, where municipal solid waste will be loaded into rail cars for shipping, and an unloading facility at the Mesquite Regional Landfill, about 5 miles east of Glamis.
In its action, the Sanitation Districts’ Board of Directors accepted Memoranda of Understanding with Union Pacific Railroad that provide terms for the general design, construction and operation of both the City of Industry and the Mesquite facilities. Together, construction of these rail yards will cost approximately $200 million.
The state-of-the-art Mesquite Regional Landfill will be ready for operation by the end of this year and the rail yard will be complete in 2010. When in full operation, the landfill will receive up to 20,000 tons per day (tpd) of municipal solid waste. Up to 1,000 tpd is reserved for waste generated in Imperial County. Mesquite Regional Landfill, at peak operation, will employee about 250 people and pay Imperial County fees of about $17 million per year.
Recyclables will be removed from municipal solid waste at a materials recovery facility and the residue loaded into rail-ready shipping containers before arriving at the City of Industry rail yard, where containers will be loaded onto rail cars by crane. The rail yard is designed to load up to two unit trains a day, each carrying 4,000 tons of municipal solid waste for the 200 mile trip to the Mesquite Regional Landfill.
The Sanitation Districts’ action last week comes about three months after the City of Industry approved a conditional use permit for the development of the rail yard in Los Angeles County.
“In developing Southern California’s first waste-by-rail project, we have worked very hard to ensure it will be an environmentally responsible, long-term, solid waste management solution for Southern California as well as provide economic benefits for Imperial County,” said Janet Coke, manager of the Sanitation Districts project.
In addition to the rail projects, the Sanitation Districts have proposed modifying the Mesquite Regional Landfill conditional use permit issued by Imperial County to allow limited trucking of some waste. An environmental impact report, which includes air and traffic studies, is being prepared by Imperial County and will be released for public review and comment.
