HomeMy WebLinkAboutCorrespondence - BOCC (006)April 13, 2021
GRANT COUNTY
O FFICE OF THE
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
PO Box 37
EPHRATA WA 98823
(509) 754-2011
Re: Support of Transportation Funding for Port of Warden Rail & Road Infrastructure Expansion
Project
To whom it may concern:
The Grant County Board of County Commissioners write in support of the $5 million transportation funding request
for the "Port of Warden. Rail & Road Infrastructure Expansion Project", which would further expand the rail and
road infrastructure within the Port of Warden and to port -owned industrial zoned properties on the southwest side of
Warden., WA to handle the increasing growth in freight from industrial, food processing and agricultural shippers.
This request follows $2 million in state funding that the Port of Warden received in the 2015-2017 biennium for
Phase I of this project (completed in 2019), which helped to construct approximately one mile of new rail storage
siding track in the Port of Warden along the Columbia Basin Rail Line, which runs between. Connell and Moses
Lake.
In the past few years, a great deal of economic development and freight growth have occurred at the Port of Warden,
including a canola crushing and canola oil refining facility, a new fertilizer distribution facility, additional fresh
produce packing and frozen and dehydrated food processing, and the associated. warehousing for these products.
As a result of the growth and expansion of these industries in the Port of Warden, the rail and road infrastructure in.
Warden is near capacity and now an industrial. grade road and more rail storage track is needed to allow for the
related growth in truck and rail freight coming from and going to Port of Warden to service the above industries, and
also to attract new industries.
In conclusion, we support the $5 million of transportation funding being requested for the "Port of Warden Rail &
Road Infrastructure Expansion Project", which would build and construct additional rail ($3.5 million) and road
($1.5 million) infrastructure for Phase II of this important job creating transportation and freight mobility project.
Sincerely,
OF RAN... COUNTY COMMISS NERS
iI
Cin y , `c Danny . Stone Rob Jo
:bjv
Cc: Port of Warden
Danny E. Stone
District 1
Rob Jones
District 2
Cindy Carter
District 3
"To MEET CURRENT AND FUTURE NEEDSy SERVING TOGETHER WITH PUBLIC AND PRIVATE ENTITIESy WHILE FOSTERING
A RESPECTFUL AND SUCCESSFUL WORK ENVIRONMENT."