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34 <br /> <br />A RESOLUTION RELATIVE TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF A COAL EXPORTING <br />FACILITY IN THE CITY OF PORTSMOUTH, VIRGINIA. <br /> <br /> WHEREAS, the 1981 Special Session of the Virginia <br />General Assembly has passed legislation which will enable <br />the Virginia Port Authority, should feasibility studies <br />prove favorable, to construct a coal terminal in the City of <br />Portsmouth, Virginia; and <br /> <br /> WHEREAS, the Governor of Virginia has signed such legis- <br />lation into law; and <br /> <br /> WI{EREAS, the legislation as adopted [nd signed provides <br /> that the City of Portsmouth would receive as revenue the full <br /> equivalency of real and personal property taxes and payment of <br /> customary business license taxes in order to establish full <br /> tax equivalency as would be applicable if the development were <br /> privately owned and operated; and <br /> <br /> WHEREAS, the legislation limits condl~mnation by VPA to <br /> approximately two hundred twenty (220) ac~es of the six hundred <br /> twenty-three (623) acre refinery site !e~Ting the majority of <br />-the property for future industrial develo nent benefiting the <br /> City of Portsmouth; and <br /> <br /> WHEREAS, the legislation requires VPA to construct rail <br /> or other transportation facilities providing access to the <br /> coal terminal which do not rely on the use of existing lines <br /> and subject to environmental studies requiring the construction <br /> of rail facilities along the Western Freeway which will provide <br /> access to the coal facility by both the N & W and CSX Railroads; <br /> and <br /> <br /> WHEREAS, there remains great concern relative to the <br />possible environmental impact on the quality of life that will <br />result from the development and operation of the coal facility- <br />within the City of Portsmouth; and <br /> <br /> WHEREAS, traffic congestion continues to increase in the <br />High Street Churchland Corridor and along West Norfolk Road <br />due to the continual delays in the funding of the Western Freeway; <br />and <br /> <br /> WHEREAS, the Virginia Port Authority is to establish <br />a Steering Committee to: (1) Assure that all other potential <br />sites for such facility in Hampton Roads have been thoroughly <br />investigated before a decision to proceed with the facility <br />within the City of Portsmouth is made; (2) Assure that the <br />ultimate long-term requirement of construction of additional <br />coal exporting capacity in Virginia is necessary and financial- <br />ly viable; (3) Assure that the interest of the City of <br /> <br /> <br />