Among the effects detailed in the [California high speed rail projects environmental impact report] are: • The displacement of 376 homes and relocation of 1,144 residents to make way for the railroad right of way as well as related overpasses and other structures to support the tracks. Most of the displaced homes would be in the Bakersfield area. • The need to relocate 393 commercial or industrial businesses, employing a total of nearly 2,900 employees, along the route. As with the residential displacement, most of those businesses -- 294, with 1,604 workers -- are in the Bakersfield area. In Fresno, 62 businesses with about 1,100 workers would need to be relocated. • The permanent loss of about 3,500 acres of important farmland between Fresno and Bakersfield for the railroad right of way or related structures and roads. Important farmland is property that is considered to be prime, unique or of statewide or local importance under the federal Farmland Protection Policy Act. In addition, construction of the system over the next four years is estimated to temporarily disrupt farming on about 1,600 acres in the four-county region. • The splitting of almost 140 farm properties, and displacement of 15 agriculture-related facilities, by the railroad right of way as it heads across the landscape, including for the bypasses around the communities of Hanford, Corcoran and Allensworth. Among the ag facilities in the bullet-trains path are an animal-carcass rendering plant operated by Baker Commodities east of Hanford. In its EIR, the rail authority acknowledged the importance of relocating the rendering plant before the existing facility is closed to avoid interruption in the services these facilities provide. • A reduction of about $34 million in agricultural revenue and about 340 fewer farm jobs as a result of farmland being taken out of production across the four-county region, mostly in Kern and Kings counties. Something to keep in mind as people get pumped about being able to cut down travel time. And all those residents and businesses that are going to be displaced--where do you think those are? Do you think the high speed rail authoritys going to be buying upper- and middle-class people out of their homes and workplaces? Or do you think lower-class folks are going to be the one taking the brunt of that hit? Surprise, its going to be the people whove been paying on their mortgages and living in their homes for years (or generations), and who arent going to have the money to handle being kicked out of their houses, even with whatever small change the government throws their way.
Posted on: Sun, 04 Jan 2015 19:12:54 +0000
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