Cargo site questions must be answered

• Published February 16, 2008

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Port officials in Olympia and Tacoma are proposing to build a rail and truck cargo facility in Maytown.

There's plenty to like about the proposal, such as the fact that it could create 1,900 jobs and will take hundreds of trucks off heavily-traveled Interstate 5. The plan foresees using the Maytown facility to transfer cargo from trucks to trains to speed deliveries of goods.

There's plenty to fear about the proposal, as well. Opponents say the cargo facility will increase traffic and pollution, threaten wildlife and natural habitats, depress property values and otherwise upset quiet, rural lifestyles.

Do the pluses outweigh the negatives? Is the Maytown site the best location? Do the alternative sites have fewer negative effects on the environment?

It's incumbent upon port officials in both communities to honestly assess the pros and cons of all the options, not just focused on the Maytown property. And it's incumbent upon critics to scrub emotional pleas from their arguments and raise timely concerns. The public looks to critics to hold port officials accountable on this project.

But at this point there simply are too many unanswered questions to say definitively the cargo facility should or should not be allowed.

Economic development

Proponents made a strong economic development argument recently. They said:

• A market study done for the Port of Tacoma projects 1,900 jobs could be created on the 745-acre site by the time it is fully developed in 2025.

• The project would add $55 million in state and local taxes per year when fully developed in 2025.

• A Maytown cargo facility would generate between $8.5 million and $13.5 million in annual lease revenues to the cargo center operator by 2025.

• The facility could lure businesses from Tacoma to Thurston County, including American Crystal Sugar Company, American International Forest Products and the Simpson Tacoma Kraft Company lumber operation.

• The plan could include the transfer of municipal solid waste, manufacturing, rail car repair, and warehousing and distribution for food suppliers and hardware stores.