advertisement

---

New England Transrail L.L.C.’s proposed transload facility in Wilmington and Woburn, Mass., is subject to state and local environmental regulations because the project doesn’t completely fall under the Surface Transportation Board’s (STB) jurisdiction.

That’s the bottom line of a recent STB decision, which also states the board will not consider the project for final approval until a “wide range of environmental and public interest safeguards” are met.

New England Transrail’s plan to shred construction and demolition debris would extend beyond the scope of rail transportation and be subject to full state and local regulations, the board ruled. Other proposed activities, such as loading, unloading, handling and storing goods, would fall within the STB’s jurisdiction.

Before they issue a ruling on the project, board members plan to await the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to complete an ongoing remedial investigation and feasibility study of the transload facility site and the STB to conduct its own environmental review, then impose any necessary environmental or other conditions.