The California High-Speed Rail Authority and Kern County have reached an agreement after a lawsuit filed in relation to an environmental impact report, officials announced Wednesday.
READ THE PRESS RELEASE FROM THE HIGH-SPEED RAIL AUTHORITY:
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - The California High-Speed Rail Authority (Authority) today announced that it has reached a settlement agreement with the County of Kern, which will result in the dismissal of California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) litigation over the Final Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement (EIR/EIS) for the Fresno to Bakersfield project section of the high-speed rail program. This agreement demonstrates the commitment between both parties to work together to bring high-speed rail service to the region along with small business opportunities and jobs for Central Valley residents."This agreement represents our continued commitment to working with all of our partners across the state to resolve issues that allow us to move the program forward," said Authority CEO Jeff Morales.The Authority and County will work together to engage the public and affected stakeholders to move the program forward.With more than 119 miles of active construction in the Central Valley, construction of a high-speed rail line between the Silicon Valley and Central Valley is planned to be complete by 2024, with passenger service beginning in 2025.
