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Recent Progress
Total funding from all sources for the project amounted to $142,000, of which $30,000 is from a legislative appropriation administered by WSDOT. This project was premised on the need to provide rail service to a livestock mill located on an industrial site developed by the Lincoln County Public Development Association (PDA). However, the tenant converted the operation to a bio-diesel plant when the construction of the spur was delayed by uncertainties with the State's purchase of the CW line of the Palouse River and Coulee City Railroad (PCC). Legal difficulties also occurred between the tenant and the PDA.
The need for the spur remains because the bio-diesel plant can operate most efficiently if raw materials are shipped to it by rail. However, because of the difficulties with the current tenant, CERB withdrew its grant funds and demanded that by November 1, 2006, the PDA repay funds previously provided. CERB subsequently granted the PDA an extension of time to January 2007 to submit a new funding application based on a change in management at the bio-diesel facility.
30% engineering will be completed by October 2006. Final engineering will be completed in the spring of 2007 if CERB grants the PDA's new application. The preliminary cost estimate from the 30% engineering plans currently under review amounts to $285,000 for construction. As a result, the project cannot be completed because that amount is double what was available before CERB pulled its funding. WSDOT expects to expend $15,000 of its funds for the preliminary engineering already completed. WSDOT will request a re-appropriation of the additional $15,000 contingent on the PDA application for needed additional funding being approved. Also, the project will not be operationally viable unless rail service continues on the CW line, which is uncertain at this time.
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