ATLANTA — Norfolk Southern has terminated plans for a transload facility at the site of the former Chattahoochee Brick Co. in Atlanta, which Atlanta officials sought to stop because of the dark history of the site.
The plant used prison labor in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and it is believed laborers who died at the plant are buried on the site.
“We accepted from the beginning that we had a special responsibility to develop this site in a socially and environmentally responsible way, given the atrocities that once took place there,” railroad CEO James A. Squires said in a press release. “We believe our project presented an opportunity to create a long-overdue memorial to the painful legacy of the site, and at the same time reshape its future by building new river trails and putting the long-abandoned land back into productive use in a way that benefits the regional economy.
“We pride ourselves on being a good corporate citizen in the communities where we operate. In this case, that means walking away from the project despite our very best efforts to work with the community on the responsible development of the site.”
Atlanta officials had filed a petition with the Surface Transportation Board on Feb. 12 asking the board for a preliminary injunction to block the project [see “Digest: UP derailment in Normal, Ill. …,” Trains News Wire, Feb. 13, 2021]. The filing said NS work at the site “risks the total loss of a heritage site with substantial historical significance and violates City and State laws which are a legitimate and uniformly applied exercise of state and local police powers.”
NS stopped work the day after the filing and said it would engage in further discussion with the city. In Thursday’s announcement, the railroad it believed the city’s action lacked legal merit, but that the railroad “listened to the community and has no interest in protracted litigation if the City opposes the project.” The railroad said it will complete work to stabilize and secure the site and then withdraw.
Goodbye & good riddance to well paying jobs. That’s what I told the ATL mayor