News Release

New BNSF Rail Facility Will Provide Significant Economic, Air Quality and Traffic Benefits for Southern California

LOS ANGELES, September23, 2011:

$500 Million Facility Exceeds Port of Los Angeles' Goals for New Projects

BNSF Railway's proposed Southern California International Gateway (SCIG) reached an important milestone today with the release of the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) for public review and comment. The SCIG project is designed to be the greenest intermodal facility in the United States. SCIG will allow containers to be loaded onto rail just four miles from the docks, rather than traveling 24 miles on local roads and the 710 freeway to downtown rail facilities. SCIG will allow 1.5 million more containers to move by more efficient and environmentally preferred rail through the Alameda Corridor each year, greatly reducing truck traffic congestion in Southern California.

The report concludes that SCIG reduces health risk to a far greater extent than even the port's own goals for new projects. SCIG will also create thousands of good local jobs, remove more than 1.5 million truck trips from the 710 freeway every year, providing significant benefits for local and regional air quality and congestion relief.

In building SCIG, BNSF will clean up an existing industrial site and replace it with a state of the art facility featuring wide-span all-electric cranes, ultra-low emission switching locomotives and low-emission rail yard equipment.

In addition to these innovations, BNSF has committed to initially allow only trucks meeting the Port's Clean Air Action Plan (CAAP) goal of 2007 or newer trucks to transport cargo between the marine terminals and the facility. Ultimately, by 2026, 90 percent of the truck fleet will be LNG or equivalent emissions vehicles. Trucks will be required to avoid residential areas by traveling on designated, industrial routes with GPS tracking to ensure adherence.

"The release of this report is a significant moment for green growth in Los Angeles," said Matthew K. Rose, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer of BNSF. "Railroads are the most environmentally-friendly mode of surface transportation. We have worked closely with the Mayor and other elected officials, staff and stakeholders to develop a $500 million facility that will be an important contributor to the rail system, the port and the regional economy, while at the same time benefitting our community and the environment. We believe that this facility proves that 'green' and 'growth' can go together as the mayor and the ports have long promised."

The draft environmental impact report, which analyzes potential impacts from the project on topics ranging from air quality to traffic, includes the following key findings:

• The Port of Los Angeles has set a health risk goal for new projects of not more than an additional 10 in a million excess cancer risks. SCIG far surpasses the Port's stated goal with a reduction of cancer risk of 160 in a million.
• SCIG will have a significant positive impact on traffic, both locally and regionally.
  • SCIG will eliminate more than 1.5 million truck trips from the 710, reducing congestion and improving air quality.

SCIG to Generate Green Growth and New Jobs

"With unemployment at 12 percent in Los Angeles County, opportunities to develop infrastructure while creating well-paying local jobs should be a high priority," said Gary Toebben, President and CEO of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce. "This project is just the type of growth that is critically needed in the region and will send a signal to the business community that sensible growth is possible in the city of Los Angeles."

During the three-year construction phase, approximately 1,500 jobs annually would be created, contributing more than $85 million in federal, state and local taxes. Upon completion, SCIG will create up to 14,000 new direct and indirect jobs in Los Angeles and 22,000 new direct and indirect jobs in Southern California by 2036, according to a study by IHS Global Insight.

BNSF is in the process of finalizing a Project Labor Agreement with the Building and Construction Trades Council for the construction of SCIG. BNSF has also committed to create a local jobs training program and offer priority hiring for new jobs to qualified local job applicants.

BNSF looks forward to continued engagement with stakeholders at its updated website, BNSFConnects.com, on Facebook and on Twitter. As part of the environmental review process, stakeholders are also encouraged to submit their written comments for the official record to the Port of Los Angeles by December 22, 2011 to Christopher Cannon, Director of Environmental Management via mail or e-mail to ceqacomments@portla.org. They will be included in the Final Environmental Impact Report.

About BNSF

BNSF Railway is one of North America's leading freight transportation companies operating on 32,000 route miles of track in 28 states and two Canadian provinces. BNSF is one of the top transporters of consumer goods, grain, industrial goods and low-sulfur coal that help feed, clothe, supply, and power American homes and businesses every day. BNSF and its employees have developed one of the most technologically advanced, and efficient railroads in the industry. And we are working continuously to improve the value of the safety, service, energy, and environmental benefits we provide to our customers and the communities we serve. You can learn more about BNSF at www.BNSF.com.

BNSF Headquarters
BNSF Railway Company
2650 Lou Menk Dr. 2nd Floor
Fort Worth, TX 76131-2830
P.O. Box 961057
Fort Worth, TX 76161-0057
Phone: (817) 352-1000