[YREKA], - The Siskiyou County Economic Development Council announced today that an impact study on the abandonment of the CORP rail line has been completed by California State University at Chico’s Department of Economics. The study took a look at the economic as well as environmental impact of closing the line.
The study’s summary noted that “the economic impacts include some combination of increased fuel use and the associated air emissions; increased traffic on Interstate 5, reducing safety and increasing travel time for other drivers; and increased cost to shippers, decreasing local income and impending future business expansion.”
Three potential alternative scenarios were reviewed in the study; changing the freight mode from rail to trucks, using a more circuitous rail route and increasing the rail rates to the shippers utilizing it. According to the study “switching to trucks would result in additional fuel use of 1.68 million gallons annually at a cost of $6.73 million, generate 1,794 pounds of NOx emmissions and 18,720 tons of CO2.”
Using the longer rail route would also have adverse effects according to the study. “Increasing the length of the trip by a factor of three brings fuel consumption and air emmissions near the level that would result from a change to truck transportation as well as impose additional costs on shippers in the form of delays and the poor utilization of rolling stock.”
The study also noted that increasing the rates to shippers would have no environmental or safety impacts and so long as the rates remain competitive with trucking and shippers could maintain the current shipping method via the rail line. However, increased rates could have significant negative economic impacts on opportunities for business expansion in the future for the Siskiyou County region.
The economic importance of the plywood and veneer industry in Siskiyou County is of extreme importance to the region. In 2004 the industry was responsible for 320 jobs as well as an additional 361indirect jobs. The 681 jobs represented 3.6% of county employment and the industry generated $60 million in direct sales. “This industry is critical to our economy and its impacts on our county go far beyond the industry alone,” said Tonya Dowse Executive Director of the SCEDC. “We are very concerned about this issue and will continue to actively pursue solutions that will aid the industry and maintain the strong living wage jobs they provide our county,” added Dowse.