Over the last several months, Cedar Rapids, IA, council members have heard several hours’ worth of impassioned public comment about a proposed Cargill rail yard in a southeast Cedar Rapids neighborhood, reports KCRG.
At their meeting Tuesday, council members gave the project the green light, with a final vote of 8-1, reports KCRG.
For more than a year, Cargill has tried to build a rail yard in the area, but the location has changed twice as plans stalled.
Now the company plans to put the rail yard less than two miles from its corn milling facility, and the 12-track yard would fit up to 200 freight cars.
Neighbors' concerns include noise, the environmental impact, and the potential for flooding in the area.
