BNSF Railway awards three new Certified Sites

BNSF Railway Co. last week selected locations in Iowa and Kansas as Certified Sites ready for industrial development.

BNSF's Certified Sites program creates an inventory of rail-served sites along its network that are available for immediate development, BNSF officials said in a press release.

The newly designated Certified Sites are:
• the Fort Madison Industrial Site, Fort Madison, Iowa, a 128-acre site with 116 contiguous acres available for development;
• the Mills Crossing Mega Site, Glenwood, Iowa, a more than 1,600-acre mega site near I-29 and I-80 and within the Omaha Metropolitan Statistical Area; and
• the Astra Enterprise Park, De Soto, Kansas, a 205-acre site that's near a BNSF mainline and offers quick access to Lawrence and Kansas City.

To be considered for the program, the sites must undergo an evaluation of environmental and geotechnical standards, available utilities, site availability, and existing and proposed infrastructure. An industry expert reviews BNSF Certified Sites to ensure data is accurate and reliable.