The Georgia Environmental Protection Division opened a 30-day public comment period Tuesday on a water quality certification request for Wayne-Sanderson Farms’ railway track expansion project in Cook County, Georgia.
The company seeks Section 401 Water Quality Certification for the project at its existing feed mill facility south of Adel. The 192-acre site is located east of Interstate 75 and west of U.S. Highway 41.
The expansion would increase the existing rail loop track capacity from 83 cars and three locomotives to 110 cars and five locomotives. Construction would occur within an approximately 70-foot right-of-way along the planned loop track alignment.
The project would permanently fill 0.98 acres of forested wetland and 0.12 acres of emergent wetland, according to the public notice. Wayne-Sanderson Farms proposes to purchase 6.64 wetland credits from Cecil Bay Mitigation Bank to offset the impacts.
The company plans to start construction in the third quarter of 2026, with work expected to take one year to complete.
The expansion is designed to provide necessary railcar storage and staging space to support the feed mill facility, which serves contract grow facilities in south Georgia and north Florida. The facility is serviced by mainline rail supplier Norfolk Southern.
Comments must address water quality issues and are due July 17
