Community concerns rate top priority in port-rail solution
POST & COURIER
BY DERRICK SMITH
Friday, June 26, 2009
In a global economy, where the distance from producer to consumer is often thousands of miles, a significant amount of cargo passes through our nation’s ports, and that need will grow larger in the coming years. CSX agrees with state and local leaders that enhanced rail infrastructure is absolutely critical to Charleston’s future and would result in a stronger port, a healthier economy and reduced truck traffic on area roads. By 2035, freight rail volume across the United States is expected to increase by 92 percent, and with the widening of the Panama Canal scheduled to be completed in 2015 the Port of Charleston will see a significant increase in container volumes from Asia.
As CSX continues to work with community leaders to develop a plan for better railroad access to the port, we’re committed to making sure that the choices made today benefit the community and port customers for years to come. Throughout this process, we have focused on ensuring that any new rail operations meet environmental and community requirements, do not undermine carefully negotiated agreements between the S.C. State Ports Authority and the City of North Charleston, and support a successful conclusion to the federal permitting process for the new port container terminal that is well underway.
Some are second-guessing this approach. Instead, they want to force rail access to the new terminal from the north end of the Navy Base, despite a binding agreement the Port Authority signed with the City of North Charleston committing not to do so. That would place new intermodal rail facilities in North Charleston’s redevelopment zone, prompting prolonged lawsuits and delays to any solution. Recently, some have even suggested the state should force CSX to open its privately owned railroad tracks to trains run by its principal competitor. Fortunately, there’s a better and fairer way to ensure the port’s competitiveness.
CSX is supporting the creation of a new container transfer facility at the MacAlloy site adjacent to our existing rail operations and near the proposed port terminal at the former Navy Base. This facility would enable the transfer of containers directly from incoming ships to railcars, avoiding the need to move them on local roadways. Several port authorities along the East Coast have invested substantial amounts in such facilities in recent years to make their operations more efficient and limit traffic impacts on local communities.
This proposal would make use of a former Superfund site and a waste facility, both zoned for heavy industrial development, rather than trying to use land in North Charleston that is currently being redeveloped for hotel, retail, residential and cultural purposes. We would also take advantage of an existing rail corridor, providing safer, more efficient rail operations and fewer at-grade crossings while reducing the time travelers on area roads are delayed by passing trains.
Finally, by investing in a second container transfer facility at Shipyard Creek’s Promenade site south of the proposed port terminal, state and local officials can provide additional rail access without the delays and costs associated with reopening the federal permitting process already underway, and without jeopardizing the agreement between the Port Authority and the City of North Charleston.
There is precedent for this approach. The Georgia Port Authority recently completed a second container transfer facility to enhance rail service for the Port of Savannah’s Garden City Terminal. CSX believes the same approach will work in Charleston, providing a fair and effective foundation for enhanced port traffic, job growth, and economic prosperity for the region.
We look forward to working with state and local officials to advance a sound plan that ensures the long-term success and productivity of the Port of Charleston.
Derrick Smith is vice president of Emerging Markets at CSX Transportation.
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