Date:
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Contact:
Andrew Wood, WSDOT State Rail and Marine Office, 360-705-7938
Vickie Sheehan, WSDOT Communications, 360-705-7904
MOSES LAKE – The federal Surface Transportation Board (STB) and the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) are hosting a public open house to share the results of a preliminary environmental assessment conducted for the proposed rail construction project called the Northern Columbia Basin Railroad project. The open house will be held on Thursday, Nov. 20 at the Grant County International Airport in Moses Lake. The public and media are invited to attend.
Representatives from the STB and WSDOT’s State Rail and Marine office will be hosting the open house to update the public on the project, including the Preliminary Environmental Assessment, project milestones, and current status. There will be no formal presentations, so the public is encouraged to stop by anytime between 4:00 and 7:00 p.m.
A Spanish language interpreter will also be available during the open house.
The Northern Columbia Basin Railroad Project is a proposed rail construction project that would:
- Build a new rail line from Wheeler to Parker Horn.
- Improve the existing Columbia Basin Railroad track between Parker Horn and the Grant County International Airport.
- Extend the existing airport track to the industrial areas just east of the Grant County International Airport.
The Port of Moses Lake is proposing this project to promote economic development in the Moses Lake area. The new rail lines and other rail system improvements are intended to attract new rail dependent industries and businesses to the Moses Lake area and to encourage the continued use and preservation of rail in the region.
For more information on the Northern Columbia Basin Railroad project, please visit the project Web site. To review the Preliminary Environmental Assessment, click here. If you have any questions regarding the preliminary Environmental Assessment, please contact Elizabeth Phinney at phinnee@wsdot.wa.gov; or (360) 705-7902.
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