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6-25-2009 MRL waste-by-rail transportation agreement signed with UP - News Article
An agreement that calls for Union Pacific Railroad to haul containerized municipal solid waste (MSW) from an intermodal facility in the City of Industry to the Mesquite Regional Landfill was approved Wednesday (6-24) by the Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County.
The transportation agreement establishes the terms and conditions for transporting up to two unit trains a day – each carrying 4,000 tons of MSW to the Mesquite Regional Landfill, about 5 miles east of Glamis. The contract sets the unit train rate for a term of 15 years.
“Signing the agreement represents a major milestone in the Sanitation Districts development of waste-by-rail. This agreement allows us to move forward with construction of the rail infrastructure and provides assurance that a sustainable waste-by-rail system can be implemented,” said Janet Coke, manager of the Sanitation Districts’ waste-by-rail project.
Union Pacific rail service will connect with intermodal facilities that the Sanitation Districts will build and operate near its Puente Hills Landfill in the City of Industry and at the Mesquite Regional Landfill. The combined cost of constructing both rail yards is in excess of $200 million.
Construction of the state-of-the-art Mesquite Regional Landfill was completed in 2008. The path of a 5-mile rail spur that will connect the Mesquite rail yard with the Union Pacific track near Glamis has already been cleared. Construction of the track and intermodal facility is expected to begin early in 2010.
When in full operation, the landfill will receive up to 20,000 tons per day (tpd) of municipal solid waste and provide a renewable energy source. Up to 1,000 tpd is reserved for waste generated in Imperial County. At peak operation, the Mesquite Regional Landfill will employ about 250 people and pay Imperial County fees of about $17 million per year.
Recyclables will be removed from the MSW at a materials recovery facility and the waste will be loaded into rail-ready shipping containers before arriving at the 17-acre City of Industry rail yard which the Sanitation Districts expects to have completed by early 2012.
While work continues on 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 to the landfill. The modification would allow the landfill to start operating before the rail infrastructure is finished and to provide flexibility as the landfill ramps up to full operation.
An environmental impact report, which includes air and traffic studies, is being prepared by Imperial County and is expected to be released for public review and comment later this year.
