By letter on March 19, Norfolk Southern Corporation advised the City of Alexandria that it plans to make changes to its ethanol transloading facility in the West End area of Alexandria.
The proposed changes would include reconfiguring track layout, installing additional equipment, and lengthening rail cars or trains. The letter also indicated that Norfolk Southern plans to shift the transfer point approximately one quarter mile west.
City staff will seek a meeting with Norfolk Southern’s chief executive officer to request that new ethanol facilities not be constructed in Alexandria. If the company does not agree to limit its proposal, the city will continue to press for additional safety measures and improvements in community relations.
Since 2006, when Norfolk Southern first notified the city of the company’s plans to locate an ethanol transloading facility in Alexandria, city leaders have opposed the facility as being incompatible with the surrounding neighborhood. The courts have ruled that the interstate commerce provisions of federal law preempt the city’s authority to regulate railroad operations.