In the first legal challenge to the California bullet train’s impacts in the Los Angeles region, Hollywood Burbank Airport has filed an environmental lawsuit that asks for the project’s approvals to be put on hold.
The suit alleges that the rail authority’s plans for tracks and an underground station near the airport could affect its operations and safety. It asks the state agency to reformulate its designs with a new environmental impact report that it would circulate for public comment.
The suit was triggered by the rail authority issuing a draft environmental impact report on the 13.7-mile Los Angeles-to-Burbank segment. The rail board approved the report on Jan. 13, despite letters from city and airport officials that raised a wide range of concerns.
If the airport succeeds in asserting the rail plan would harm its operations, it is unclear what mitigations the rail authority would be forced to make and how much delay it would cause. In the worst case, the suit could force the rail authority to move its right of way, requiring a new environmental analysis and considerable additional costs.
Read the full story on LATimes.com.