HomeMy WebLinkAboutR-2325 - Opposing the impact of increasing rail traffic in Marysville resulting from the proposed rail terminal project in Whatcom County and requesting the prCITY OF MARYSVILLE
Marysville, Washington
RESOLUTION No.)"32.~
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF MARYVILLE OPPOSING THE IMPACT
OF INCREASED RAIL TRAFFIC IN MARYSVILLE RESULTING FROM THE
PROPOSED RAIL TERMINAL PROJECT IN WHATCOM COUNTY AND
REQUESTING THE PRINCIPAL AGENCIES REVIEWING THE
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT (EIS) FOR SAID PROJECT,
INCLUDING WHAT COM COUNTY, WASHINGTON DEPARTMENT OF
ECOLOGY, AND THE UNITED STATES CORPS OF ENGINEERS, INCLUDE
IMPACTS ALONG THE TRAIN ROUTE FOR FREIGHT MOVING TO THE
PROPOSED TERMINAL IN THE SCOPING DOCUMENT FOR THE EIS.
WHEREAS, the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) main north/south track runs
through and bisects the City of Marysville, and
WHEREAS, Marysville is the second largest city in Snohomish County and has eleven
public at grade crossings and nine private crossings and does not have any grade-separated crossings
for major access; and
WHEREAS, there is a proposed rail terminal project in Whatcom County (the Gateway
Pacific Terminal Project, or GPT); and
WHEREAS, the proposed GPT project will significantly increase freight traffic on the
BNSF track through Marysville; and
WHEREAS, recent studies conducted by Gibson Traffic Consultants in the western
Washington cities of Burlington, Marysville, Mt Vernon, and Stanwood identify potentially severe
vehicular traffic consequences due to the proposed increase in rail traffic intensity associated with
GPT; and
WHEREAS, adverse effects to Marysville and other cities include increased risk of accidents,
impacts to the City's level of service, decreased ability to provide effective emergency response
times, and possible interference with local truck freight delivery systems affecting the local economy;
and
WHEREAS, GPT has identified that full build out of the coal export facility would result in
eighteen additional train trips through Marysville per day; and
WHEREAS, due to train speed restrictions plus approach warning times, for trains through
Marysville downtown means the rail crossing barriers for each train at each controlled crossing are
down for approximately 6-8 minutes for the larger (over one mile long) freight trains; and
WHEREAS, eighteen trains per day would equate to approximately one additional coal train
every 1.3 hours, all day long, in addition to existing train traffic; and
WHEREAS, with the increase in the number of coal trains, the nightmare scenario for the
city is having multiple 1-5 entrances blocked at the same time,i.e.SR-528,88 th and 116 1h • The recent
capacity improvement on 1161h St completed by the city would essentillly be negated by the
increased coal train activity; and
RESOLUTION -1
WHEREAS, public safety could be threatened if response times for police and ftre are
increased due to critical access blockages caused by more frequent and longer trains; and
WHEREAS, under existing conditions and without the additional train trafftc proposed by
the GPT Project the presence of a long freight train during the peak hours causes serious backups
from 1-5 ramps onto the mainline. The Puget Sound Regional Council (pSRC) , the City of
Marysville and the Tulalip Tribes have identified capacity improvement needs at both the SR 528,
88 th Street and 116 th Street interchanges due to existing congestion at these ramps. WSDOT over
the last few years has already maximized the queuing capacity when trains block access from 1-5 to
the City. Adding eighteen trains per day to existing levels will exacerbate this problem by a
signiftcant factor. Any environmental review of rail line impacts should study this current condition
and likely increased impact, including costs to mitigate the effects; and
WHEREAS, Marysville has been made aware of potential impacts from coal dust and other
particulates that may be blown from open rail cars but has no way to evaluate such potential
impacts; and
WHEREAS, Whatcom County, Washington Department of Ecology and the United States
Corp of Engineers have entered into a MOU to jointly promulgate the required EIS and are
currently scoping the EIS for the GPT project; and
WHEREAS, said agencies should include the impacts of this increased rail traffic and the
impacts referenced in this Resolution in the scope of the EIS and public hearings at the various
stages of the EIS process should be conducted in Snohomish County; and
WHEREAS, the City of Marysville wishes to become a Party of Record regarding the GPT
project;
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
MARYSVILLE, WASHINGTON AS FOLLOWS:
1. The City of Marysville hereby opposes the impact of increased rail traffic in Marysville
resulting from the proposed GPT rail terminal project in Whatcom County and urges
Whatcom County, State Department of Ecology, and United States Corp of Engineers to
include impacts to Marysville, including but not limited to increased traffic congestion and
delays to residents and commerce and potential impacts from coal dust and other
particulates that may be blown from open rail cars in the scoping of the EIS for the GPT
project.
2. That the City of Marysville requests that the railroad provide representatives to meet
periodically with local citizen groups and local government officials from Marysville to seek
mutually acceptable ways to address local concerns;
3. That the City of Marysville requests that the railroad identify road improvement plans for
grading, widening, or otherwise providing crossings at intersections that would impacted by
rail traffic increases and require the railroad to mitigate its impacts by funding the design and
construction of these upgrades;
4. That the City of Marysville be made a Party of Record for the GPT project.
5. That the Chief Administrative Offcier is hereby directed to transmit this Resolution to the
following persons and Agencies: (See Attached Exhibit A) N
PASSED by the City Council and APPROVED by the Mayor this ~day of 2012.
RESOLUTION -2
CITY OF MARYSVILLE
By:
Attest:
By:
Approved as to fOlm, ~
By: /-:'.1k'"~Z.{ ,
'GRANT K WEED, CITY ATTORNEY
RESOLUTION -3
EXHIBIT A
NOT AVAILABLE