In December 2005, the Sanitation Districts applied for a conditional use permit from the City of Industry to construct and operate an intermodal facility at 2500 Pellissier Place, Industry, California. The proposed Puente Hills Intermodal Facility (PHIMF) would be a major part of the local infrastructure required to support the development of the Sanitation Districts’ waste-by-rail system. The PHIMF would be used for the exclusive purpose of loading and unloading rail-ready shipping containers containing non-hazardous municipal solid waste (MSW) between rail cars and trucks. No waste processing would occur at the PHIMF. The facility would be designed to handle up to two trains per day (approximately 4,000 tons per train), or approximately 8,000 tons per day (tpd) of containerized MSW from the nearby Puente Hills Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) and from other materials recovery facilities. The proposed project would include four main features: 1) the construction and operation of the intermodal facility; 2) a non-public access road for inbound and outbound traffic between the proposed project site and the Puente Hills MRF; 3) rail improvements within the Union Pacific Railroad right-of-way to allow productive operation of the intermodal facility; and 4) improvements to the Puente Hills MRF, such as compactors at the out-loading bays for container loading.

Acting as the lead agency under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) for the proposed project, the City of Industry released a Notice of Preparation for a Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) in February 2006. A Draft EIR was prepared and released for public review and comment. All interested parties were invited to submit written comments on the Draft EIR for consideration by the City of Industry Planning Commission and City Council. Written comments were received from December 7, 2007, through February 4, 2008. The City of Industry also held a public meeting to receive oral comments on the Draft EIR on January 16, 2008 at the Swiss Park Restaurant & Banquet Center in Whittier, California.

On May 27, 2008, the City of Industry released a Notice of Availability of the Final EIR and a Notice of Public Hearing on the proposed project. The City Council held the public hearing on June 12, 2008, at the City of Industry Council Chambers located at 15651 E. Stafford Street in the City of Industry, California. After the close of the public hearing, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 2230, adopting Findings of Fact, adopting a Statement of Overriding Considerations, establishing a Mitigation Monitoring Program and certifying the EIR for the construction and operation of the PHIMF. On June 26, 2008, the City of Industry Planning Commission approved a Conditional Use Permit for the project.

For your convenience, the Draft EIR and the Final EIR are available for download:

• Draft Environmental Impact Report for the Puente Hills Intermodal Facility (SCH# 2006021097)
• Final Environmental Impact Report for the Puente Hills Intermodal Facility (SCH #2006021097)
• Addendum to the Puente Hills Intermodal Facility Environmental Impact Report (SCH #2006021097) 

For more information on the Sanitation Districts’ Waste-by-Rail System:

• Sanitation Districts’ Waste-by-Rail System
• Waste-by-Rail Video
• Waste-by-Rail Fact Sheets
• Mesquite Regional Landfill