FOR RELEASE
Contact: Dennis Watson
09/03/2002 (Tuesday)
(202) 565-1596
No. 02-33
FIRS 1 (800) 877-8339
www.stb.gov


Surface Transportation Board Finalizes Approval for Alamo North Texas Railroad Corporation to Construct 2.25-Mile Rail Line in Wise County, Texas


Surface Transportation Board (Board) Chairman Linda J. Morgan announced today that the Board has issued a decision granting final approval for Alamo North Texas Railroad Corporation (Alamo North) to construct and operate a 2.25-mile line of railroad in Wise County, Texas. The proposed line will extend from a connection with the Union Pacific Railroad Company (UP) to Alamo North's quarry near Chico, TX, which is operated by Alamo North's parent company, Martin Marietta Materials Southwest, Ltd.



The Chico quarry, which is located about 50 miles northwest of Ft. Worth, TX, produces limestone aggregates used for road and other construction projects. All of the limestone aggregates produced at the quarry are transported by truck to customers that are located primarily in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area. Construction and operation of the proposed line, and its connection with UP, will provide some of these existing customers with rail service and extend service to new customers located in other markets throughout east Texas, including the Houston market.



In November 2001, the Board conditionally granted, subject to environmental review, Alamo North's petition to construct and operate the proposed 2.25-mile rail line. In an environmental assessment (EA) issued to the public, the Board's Section of Environmental Analysis (SEA) preliminarily concluded, based on its review of the information available at the time and its independent analysis, that the proposed construction and operation of the rail line would not significantly affect the quality of the human environment, if SEA's recommended mitigation measures were imposed. In response to public comments on the EA, SEA recommended changes to mitigation measures pertaining to biological resources, transportation, pipeline crossing, and land use. SEA also recommended new mitigation measures concerning transportation, stream crossing, and air pollution.



The Board's decision issued today in Alamo North Texas Railroad Corporation--Construction and Operation Exemption--Wise County, TX, STB Finance Docket No. 34002, adopts all of SEA's final recommended mitigation measures and imposes them as a condition to the exemption and makes the conditional grant final. A printed copy of the decision is available for a fee by contacting D~ 2 D~ Legal Copy Service, Suite 405, 1925 K Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20006, telephone (202) 293-7776, or via da2dalegal@earthlink.net. The decision also is available for viewing and downloading via the Board's website at http://www.stb.dot.gov.



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