Action Update: June 22 - June 28 

City Officials Meet with Members of the City’s Congressional Delegation 

Meetings were held with Senator Warner on June 16, Congressman Moran on June 19, and Senator Webb on June 25. All three legislators were supportive of the City’s position. Senator Warner and Congressman Moran wrote a letter to the Secretary of Homeland Security, requesting a threat analysis of the transloading operations and related activities.  Congressman Moran had language included in an appropriations measure directing the Department of Homeland Security to review the vulnerabilities associated with the facility.  Senator Webb also indicated he would write a letter to the appropriate federal officials in support of the City’s position.

Aerial Photographs of the Transloading Site 

A flyover took place on Friday, June 20, to produce aerial photographs of the site. To request copies of the photographs, please contact Steve Mason at 703.838.3861 or steve.mason@alexandriava.gov.

Norfolk Southern Files Lawsuit Contesting Haul Route Permit 

Norfolk Southern has filed a lawsuit against the City, contesting the applicability of the haul route permit requirements to the facility. The City Attorney filed a response, which was provided to Council on June 23.

Emergency Egress from Summers Grove 

Staff has completed a design for emergency egress, and has contacted a representative of Summers Grove to schedule a meeting to discuss the proposal.

Fire Department Employee Training 

Training for all firefighters on ethanol emergencies has begun and continued all this week. The training is part of a national pilot course delivered by the International Association of Fire Chiefs.

Emergency Preparedness 

The City’s emergency management staff is developing a customized emergency preparedness education package for Cameron Station and Summers Grove.

Norfolk Southern Community Monitoring Group 

During its June 24 legislative meeting, the Alexandria City Council established a Mayor-appointed Norfolk Southern Community Monitoring Group to work in collaboration with City staff and agencies to monitor and keep the community informed about the many issues regarding Norfolk Southern’s ethanol transloading operation. Seven representatives from the following organizations will participate.

2 representatives  – City Council
1 representative – Cameron Station Civic Association
1 representative – Cameron Station Community Association
1 representative – Summers Grove Homeowners Association
1 representative – Alexandria Public School System
1 representative – West End Business Association

The group’s first meeting is on Wednesday, July 16, 7:30 p.m., in the Sister Cities Conference Center, City Hall.

Congressional Committee Directs Homeland Security to Review Ethanol Transloading Facilities Security  

On June 24, 2008, the U.S. House or Representatives Appropriations Committee, using language offered by Virginia Congressman James P. Moran, directed the Department of Homeland Security to review security issues related to the location of ethanol transloading facilities and to provide a report to Congress with recommendations.

Communications Office Activities 

The Norfolk Southern Ethanol Transloading Facility Web page is regularly updated and reviewed by members of the Communications staff daily. The most significant recent update was on Wednesday, June 25, when all communications between the City, residents and Norfolk Southern was posted to the Web page.

The Communications Office has not received any Norfolk Southern related media inquires since last week, however we will update the media regarding any significant developments.

The Norfolk Southern issue is included in the latest edition of FYI Alexandria, which residents will receive the week of July 7.

Transportation and Environmental Services Activities 

On June 16, Transportation & Environmental Services initiated a truck-counting activity to determine the number of trucks exiting the Norfolk Southern facility on a daily basis. To date, 313 trucks have been counted exiting the facility, for an average of 26 trucks per day during week days between 8:00 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. The highest day total was June 23 when 46 trucks were counted exiting the facility.