Why does Norfolk Southern (NS) want to place their new intermodal facility (IMF) in McCalla?
A. In order to satisfy the purpose and need for the project, the location of a new IMF must meet several essential criteria. These criteria for the Birmingham Regional IMF (BRIMF) include the following: location on the NS New Orleans mainline to the west of Irondale, proximity to customers, nearby access to a major highway; and available land that is flat and the size and shape that meets design requirements for an IMF. Additional criteria are also very important. These additional criteria include minimizing impact to the following: wetlands or sensitive surface water bodies, cultural, archeological, or historic resources, at-grade rail/highway crossings affecting local traffic flow, and the impact to residential areas, recreational areas, schools, and other public use areas. The McCalla location meets all of the essential criteria for the BRIMF and most of the additional criteria. Therefore it appears at this time to be the most suitable site. However, additional site evaluations are
