News Release

Public Scoping Meetings to be Held by STB on January 14 and 15 For Proposed San Jacinto Rail Line

HOUSTON, Texas November 30, 2001 :

The Surface Transportation Board (STB) has published the dates for public scoping meetings as part of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) process for the STB’s review of a 12.8-mile rail line proposed by The Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway Company (BNSF) and its San Jacinto Rail Limited partners. The proposed rail line is designed to create competitive rail service for plastics and chemical industry shippers in the Bayport Industrial District.

As stated in the Federal Register, the meetings will be held January 14th from 2:00-4:00 p.m. and 7:00-9:00 p.m. and January 15th from 2:00-4:00 p.m. and 7:00-9:00 p.m. at the Pasadena Convention Center at 7902 Fairmont Parkway in Pasadena.

The STB plans to conduct the informal scoping meetings in a workshop format. The San Jacinto Rail partners and BNSF encourage residents and those interested to attend and ask questions about the proposed line and the Board’s environmental review process. Citizens may also advise the STB’s representatives about potential environmental concerns.

Following the public scoping meetings, the STB’s Section of Environmental Analysis (SEA) will issue a final Scope of Study for the EIS shortly after February 1, 2001, the close of the written comment period. A preliminary draft of the Scope of Study can be found on San Jacinto Rail’s Web site at www.sanjacintorail.com or the STB’s Web site at www.stb.dot.gov.

Through its Web site, San Jacinto plans to continue providing the public with information about the proposed project. Since August, San Jacinto Rail has been very active in meeting with public officials and community organizations to keep them fully informed about the project and plans to continue its ongoing efforts to work with interested parties to identify their concerns.

The proposed rail line would be operated by BNSF and would connect several rail-served plastics and chemical-producing facilities in the Bayport Industrial District with BNSF’s network. The proposed line would run from a point near Ellington Field and extend to the end of the Bayport Industrial District, just east of state highway 146. BNSF would connect to the new line via trackage rights, which the STB is being asked to grant. The formal petition was filed August 30, 2001.

San Jacinto Rail is a limited partnership comprised of BNSF and affiliates of BNSF; ATOFINA Petrochemicals, Inc.; Basell USA Inc.; Equistar Chemicals, LP; and Lyondell Chemical Company. The mission of the partnership is to provide competitively priced rail service that is sensitive to public safety and the environment.

San Jacinto Rail Limited Contacts:

Henry A. de La Garza

de La Garza Public Relations, Inc.

(713) 622-8818

Richard Russack

BNSF

(817) 352-6425

BNSF Headquarters
BNSF Railway Company
2650 Lou Menk Dr. 2nd Floor
P.O. Box 961057
Fort Worth, TX 76161-0057
Phone: (817) 352-1000