Environmental justice advocates finally get their day in court to fight the dangerous BNSF Southern California Intermodal Gateway (SCIG) railyard!

The proposed site for BNSF’s SCIG railyard. Source LA Streetsblog

In the ultimate David vs. Goliath battle, community and environmental groups, cities, school districts, and other organizations have been fighting the proposed 153 acre BNSF Southern California Intermodal Gateway (SCIG), since at least 2009.

With over $23 billion in annual revenue and a history of huge amounts of political donations, the railroad, now owned by Warren Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway, has enormous influence with politicians at all levels of government, and is virtually unregulated.

The proposed SCIG railyard, which BNSF wants to locate in a predominantly low-income minority area, is a case study in environmental injustice. It would add over 1 million annual truck trips and thousands of trains annually, generate huge amounts of diesel exhaust air pollution, and threaten the health of thousands of residents, including students in a school just 210 feet from the rail yard.

Source: Courthouse News, Environmentalists Call LA Rail Project Racist

In 2013 a host of the organizations that had been fighting the SCIG, including MFN members National Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Coalition For A Safe Environment, and East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice filed lawsuits against the Port of Los Angeles and City of Los Angeles to stop this assault against community health.

Finally, over six years since the battle began, they will get their day in court. On November 16 and 17, the courtroom of the California Superior Court will be packed.

To learn more about this very important EJ controversy and the upcoming hearing, check out the blog post by NRDC project attorney Morgan Wyenn:

Court to hold two-day hearing on the challenged BNSF rail yard project