Motiva: expansion will mitigate train noise

BY KATHY CHANG
Staff Writer

WOODBRIDGE - Motiva Enterprises, Conrail and Norfolk Southern representatives presented a plan that would relieve some of the noise problems from the Motiva Refinery rail cars for Sewaren residents, but not all of it.

"Currently, there are three train movements," said Sean Murphy, operations manager for the Motiva Enterprises Sewaren Terminal. "With the expansion, this will eliminate the 2 to 4 a.m. train movement and have a 12-hour window until the next train movement."

Mayor John E. McCormac, Ward 1 Councilman Charles Kenny, Councilwoman Patricia Osborne and other township officials joined 30 or so Sewaren residents to review Motiva enterprises' plans to expand their rail yard at their Sewaren refined products terminal on Feb. 21 in council chambers. Motiva announced their rail yard expansion on Nov. 6, 2006.

Motiva, which is a 24-hour-a-day, 7-day-a-week operation, will appear before the township Planning Board with their expansion plans in the near future. The date had not been set as of publication.

Currently, the first train movement occurs from 8 to 10 a.m.; the second train movement occurs from 5 to 8 p.m. and the last train movement occurs from 2 to 4 a.m. These movements require 20 hours.

As of Dec. 18, 2006, Motiva, Norfolk Southern and Conrail agreed not to drill [move] between the hours of 11 p.m. and 7 a.m.; however, residents said there have been six mishaps including the early morning hours of Feb. 20.

Representatives said they would continue to work together to prevent the mishaps from happening.

"The expansion would mean more cars inside the customer's plant at all times," said Scott Muir, who works in the government relations department of the Norfolk Southern Corp. "Empty cars can be pulled directly from the customer's plant. Loaded cars can be delivered directly and entirely inside the customer's plant. Customer plant improvements reduce the need for multiple service events and it can eliminate overnight service events."

The Sewaren terminal is a 5-million-plus-barrel refined products terminal that is strategically located to serve ethanol suppliers and consumers in the northeast region, Motiva representatives said.

"Ethanol comes from the middle of the country such as Iowa, Nebraska and Minnesota," said Murphy. "Ethanol traveling on water barges and ships were ruled out because it was coming from the heartland. Ethanol traveling through pipelines was determined not safe, so trains were deemed the most efficient way to transport the ethanol."

Muir, who presented to residents a PowerPoint slide to show that there is an opportunity for efficiency through community cooperation, said the rail- road is sometimes a difficult neighbor.

"Some people hate us," said Muir. "Railroad noise is not unique. It is everywhere, but we are here today to present our solution that we have worked on with the township that will relieve some of the problems."

Currently, the maximum number that the rail yard is capable of handling is 40 rail-car-unit trains daily. While the 40 rail-car-unit goes in, the other rail cars that extend out about a mile have to sit and wait in Port Reading or the barber siding track.

The expanded Motiva rail yard will be capable of handling two entire 80- to 100-rail-car-unit trains daily, which is the preferred method of transportation of ethanol suppliers and rail carriers.

"This won't eliminate the coupling or banging, but with the expansion, it will happen less frequently," said Murphy.

The ethanol tank cars are typically combined with other cargo-carrying rail cars being hauled by the railroads and must be uncoupled outside the Motiva property before entering Motiva's rail yard facility, Motiva representatives said.

Sewaren residents and other residents across the township have said the train noise from the Motiva Refinery rail cars have been making life unbearable. Residents who came to review the plans said they were not happy with the solution.

"I have been trying to sell my house on West Avenue since May [2006]," said Ann DeCrescenzo. "This is our quality of life. Will you buy my house? When our home values drop will Motiva, Norfolk Southern, and Conrail give us the difference?"

Muir said he has had similar problems with the trash situation in North Jersey.

"They wish that something else was there, but those commodities have to be there," he said. "But we have to try to move things around. This solution will help the noise events to not be continuous."

McCormac said this solution is a partial victory for the township.

"Yes, the best solution is to have no train, period, but that is not possible," he said. "This may not be a substantial solution, but the goal is to reduce how many times the coupling happens, and this does that."

Miriam Mori, who came and represented 55 homes including hers on Marina View Drive, which is right next to the track, said she does not think the plan will work.

"When I moved to the area 13 years ago, this was never a problem," she said. "Truck traffic has increased on West Avenue. I have developed very bad migraines because of the noise. My house moves. There are four families who have been trying to sell their homes over two years. These are beautiful homes. When I decide to sell my home, should I just give it away?"

Township officials announced in January that they have taken a huge step forward by hiring Maser Consulting, a professional engineering firm with extensive experience in engineering and developing "quiet zones," to conduct a $4,000 feasibility study.

Maurice Rached, director of Transportation Services at Maser Consulting, presented a PowerPoint slide of various ways the township could implement "quiet zones."

The various "quiet zone" implementations include four quadrant gates, temporary closures to the roadway, physical barrier gates with medians, channelization devises, and one-way streets with gates.

"There is also the wayside horns that blow directly at the cars that stop at the intersection, instead of sounds going half a mile away," said Rached.

McCormac said the most expensive implementation is the gates.

"If the residents decide they want that, then we'll do what we have to do," he said. "We are just throwing out the suggestions to get feedback from the residents."

The study will review existing railroad crossings located at the Conrail Port Reading Line at grade crossings located at Amboy Avenue, Rahway Avenue, Blair Avenue, and Woodbridge Avenue.

Motiva is working to complete their rail yard expansion project in 2007.

Motiva Enterprises, headquartered in Houston, is a refining and marketing joint venture owned by affiliates of Shell and Saudi Aramco. Motiva's marketing operations support a network of nearly 9,000 Shell-branded gasoline stations in the eastern and southern United States.

Updates will be posted on the township Web site at www.twp.woodbridge.nj.us.