North Charleston rail yard to be discussed at May 6 public meeting
by John McDermott — The Post & Courier
The Army Corps of Engineers will hold a public meeting Tuesday to discuss Palmetto Railways' proposed container-handling train yard at the former Navy base.
The community forum will take place 6-8 p.m. at the Military Magnet Academy in North Charleston.
As the lead permitting agency for the project, the Army Corps is preparing a major study that will assess the economic, environmental and social consequences.
It said the meeting is to provide the public with more information and "to allow for open and informal discussion" about the issues it will be reviewing. The agency said it plans to consider alternate sites and configurations for the container yard.
Participants will include representatives from the Army Corps, Palmetto Railways and a private consultant working on the study.
The proposed "intermodal container transfer facility" will be a major cargo-handling hub where containers will be moved between trucks and train cars. It will serve a large shipping terminal the State Ports Authority is building nearby.
The plan proposed by Palmetto Railways, a division of the S.C. Commerce Department, shows a 90-acre site for the train yard and another 42 acres of off-site road and rail developments.
Public comments can be submitted before Tuesday's forum by email to comments@navybaseictf.com; at navybaseictf.com; in writing to Nat Ball at the Army Corps, 69-A Hagood Ave., Charleston, SC, 29403.
