If you live in or near Los Angeles or Anaheim, the California High-Speed Rail Authority wants to hear from you.
They’ll probably be sorry they asked.
But they’re obligated to hear public comment whenever they release a draft environmental document, as they just did for what their news release describes as “a 30-mile segment in Southern California that clears the way to build from San Francisco to Anaheim.”
Someone holding the title of Southern California Regional Director for the CHSRA explained, “The release of this environmental document represents an important step” and “a significant and important milestone in connecting end to end from Southern California to Northern California.”
This would probably be a good time to point out that the state of California is now selling its own brand of generic naloxone to reverse overdoses. Whatever these people are smoking, help is available.
Of course, it’s the people of California, stuck with paying the bill for this exercise, who really need help. The federal government has yanked about $4 billion in federal grants for the high-speed rail project, citing the state’s recurring hallucination of cost estimates and construction deadlines.
Attorney General Rob Bonta sued, but last week he filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit. “The federal government is not a reliable, constructive, or trustworthy partner in advancing high-speed rail in California,” the rail authority explained. More likely the decision was made because discovery — the legal process of compelling the production of all relevant documents — would have made a first-rate script for a “Titanic” sequel.
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a 15-year extension of the state’s hidden tax on energy, now formally called the “Cap and Invest” program, and directed $1 billion per year to be “invested” in the high-speed rail project. But is that enough to get it built all the way to Anaheim?
Not a chance. According to the CHSRA’s inspector general, the cap-and-invest money may be enough to finish the Merced-to-Bakersfield segment, but even that is questionable.
The IG pointed out that the project needs money up front to complete construction, but the cap-and-invest money dribbles in gradually through 2045. The CHSRA could try to borrow money, but that would increase the budget an unknown amount due to interest charges and any delays that result from waiting around for the money.
It’s also questionable because the state would have to disclose to bond buyers that the Trump administration has taken aim at the “cap-and-invest” program and similar state laws and regulations that impose punitive extra costs on the use of energy derived from fossil fuels. Down the road, there may not be any “cap-and-invest” revenue to repay the investors for the borrowed money.
But even though there are grave doubts about the completion and viability of even the first segment of the bullet train, the California High-Speed Rail Authority is proceeding with costly environmental work and planning for the entire imaginary project. It will be built, the reports insist, when funding becomes available.
This is like buying a lottery ticket and being forced to pay for environmental impact reports for the mansions you would build and the cars you would buy if you won the Powerball. Who benefits from this craziness?
Well, if you happen to own a firm that does environmental impact reports, you’ve won the lottery.
Just the summary of the “Los Angeles to Anaheim Project Section Draft Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement” is 100 pages. You can find the whole 3-volume report, 98 separate pdf files (plus 14 technical reports available on request), at hsr.ca.gov.
There will be “In-Person Open House” meetings for public comment from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. on January 7 at the Santa Fe Springs Town Center Hall, on January 12 at the Anaheim Brookhurst Community Center, and on January 22 at the Doubletree by Hilton hotel in Commerce. An online public hearing will be held on January 26 from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. You can register for it at bit.ly/LA-APublicHearing.
You can also offer your public comments by emailing Los.Angeles_Anaheim@hsr.ca.gov with the subject line “LA-Anaheim Draft EIR/EIS Comment” or by calling 877-669-0494.
The public comment period ends on February 3. Let them know what you think. After all, they asked.
Write Susan@SusanShelley.com and follow her on X @Susan_Shelley