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Port Bienville Railroad Project
Environmental Impact Statement
FRA issued a Notice of Intent on June 2, 2015, to advise the public that FRA and the Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) and the and Hancock County Port and Harbor Commission will prepare a project-level Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Port Bienville Railroad Project. The Project is composed of approximately 24 miles of new railroad line to connect the Port Bienville Short Line Railroad with the Norfolk Southern mainline in Nichols, Mississippi.
The Proposed Action will connect the Port Bienville Short Line Railroad, located at the Port Bienville Industrial Park, Hancock County, with the Norfolk Southern Railroad, located in the vicinity of Nicholson in Pearl River County, to provide the Port with access to dual Class 1 rail service. Dual Class I rail access is proposed to enable Hancock and Pearl River Counties and Stennis Space Center to attract new industries to this region that require this level of rail services, and encourage job creation and investment opportunities to help this area recover from recent hurricane disasters that have significantly affected local economies.
MDOT completed a Feasibility Report in 2013, which included the development of reasonable alternative corridors; identification of the economic benefits and opportunities associated with the Project; and the recommendation as to the feasibility of the Project. Given the business case for dual Class I rail services, the demands of the existing and emerging business clusters in Hancock and Pearl River Counties, the future benefits to Stennis Space Center, the existing industrial land inventory, and the workforce and transportation assets supporting this region, the construction of this new rail line was determined feasible.
The Feasibility Report and additional Project documentation can be found online at: http://sp.mdot.ms.gov/Environmental/Pages/Projects.aspx.
Scoping Comments
FRA, MDOT and Hancock County Port and Harbor Commission are soliciting comments on the scoping of the analysis in the Draft EIS. Written comments may be mailed or emailed within thirty (30) days to Melissa Hatcher, Environmental Protection Specialist, Office of Program Delivery, Federal Railroad Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, MS-20, Washington, DC 20590 or melissa.hatcher@dot.gov.
Scoping Meeting
The Mississippi Department of Transportation is hosting a public scoping meeting on Thursday, August 20, 2015 from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm at the Port Bienville Training Facility, located at 3060 Port & Harbor Drive, Pearlington, MS. For questions or additional information about the public scoping meeting, please contact Mr. Rhea Vincent with the Mississippi Department of Transportation Environmental Division at (601) 359-7920.