UP yard in Arizona still up in air

A massive proposed Union Pacific switching yard near Phoenix remains in limbo, with supporters and detractors awaiting a state review of the plan.

   UP’s plans to build the switching yard on a six-mile 913-acre parcel near Picacho Peak, 70 miles south of Phoenix. The state-owned parcel is currently leased to the Kai family that farms the parcel.

   The Kais have become one of the leading detractors of the UP plan, leading a two-year effort to convince local residents that the switching yard will create a great amount of pollution and threaten both the state park surrounding Picacho Peak as well as nearby schoolchildren.

   While the Kai family does not necessarily oppose the switching yard, they believe that a different location would be more appropriate.

   Supporters of the UP plan make clear the project has already gone through all the necessary state procedures and reviews for building.

   Every one of the (detractors’) concerns have been addressed, Larry Landry, president of the UP lobbying firm Landry Creedon & Associates, told the Arizona Daily Star. They fundamentally believe, even if their concerns have been answered, that this is just the wrong place for it.

Source: American Shipper