HLS 19RS-2735 ORIGINAL
2019 Regular Session
HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 168
BY REPRESENTATIVES MARINO, BILLIOT, GARY CARTER, CONNICK,
GISCLAIR, HENRY, HILFERTY, LEOPOLD, LYONS, STAGNI, STOKES,
TALBOT, AND THOMAS
RAILROADS: Requests the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development and
the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality to collaborate with Rio Grande
Pacific Railroad and certain federal agencies to conduct an environmental review on
the quantifiable public health, safety, and welfare impact of new railroad alignment
in the city of Gretna
1 A RESOLUTION
2To urge and request the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development and the
3 Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality to collaborate with the Rio Grande
4 Pacific Railroad, the New Orleans and Gulf Coast Railway Company, the Federal
5 Railroad Administration, the executive office of the United States Department of
6 Transportation, and the Surface Transportation Board to conduct a thorough
7 environmental review that accounts for the magnitude of adverse, quantifiable public
8 health, safety, and welfare impacts associated with any new railroad alignment in the
9 city of Gretna, Louisiana.
10 WHEREAS, the city of Gretna is acknowledged to have some of the most
11problematic urban rail safety conditions in the country, with some of the nation's highest
12concentration of unprotected rail crossings and insufficient buffers for the transport of
13hazardous materials; and
14 WHEREAS, the city of Gretna, and other regional partners, including the New
15Orleans Gulf Coast Railroad, Jefferson Parish, and Plaquemines Parish, worked together to
16identify a viable, mutually agreed upon realignment during a four-year Environmental
17Assessment for the LA 23 New Orleans and Gulf Coast Railway Relocation Project
18conducted by the Federal Railroad Administration; and
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HR NO. 168
1 WHEREAS, any new rail alignment within the city of Gretna that does not conform
2to the preferred alternative should require a thorough environmental review that fully
3accounts for the public health and safety impacts associated with the addition of new
4crossings, transport of hazardous materials, impact on emergency services response and
5critical facilities, and community quality of life and welfare.
6 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Representatives of the
7Legislature of Louisiana does hereby urge and request the Louisiana Department of
8Transportation and Development and the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality
9to collaborate with the Rio Grande Pacific Railroad, the New Orleans and Gulf Coast
10Railway Company, the Federal Railroad Administration, the executive office of the United
11States Department of Transportation, and the Surface Transportation Board to conduct a
12thorough environmental review that accounts for the magnitude of adverse, quantifiable
13public health, safety, and welfare impacts associated with any new railroad alignment in the
14city of Gretna, Louisiana.
15 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
16secretary of the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, the secretary of
17the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, the Rio Grande Pacific Railroad, the
18New Orleans and Gulf Coast Railway Company, the administrator of the Federal Railroad
19Administration, the secretary of the United States Department of Transportation, and the
20chairwoman of the Surface Transportation Board.
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HR 168 Original 2019 Regular Session Marino
Requests the Dept. of Transportation and Development and the La. Dept. of Environmental
Quality to collaborate with the Rio Grande Pacific Railroad, the New Orleans and Gulf Coast
Railway Company, the Federal Railroad Administration, the executive office of the United
States Dept. of Transportation, and the Surface Transportation Board to conduct a thorough
environmental review that accounts for the magnitude of adverse, quantifiable public health,
safety, and welfare impacts associated with any new railroad alignment in the city of Gretna,
Louisiana.
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