Dossier
Mojave desert tortoise
Coverage of Mojave desert tortoise in the Nexus archive.
- Environmentalists sue to block massive rail yard in California desert
Environmentalists sued Barstow, California, to block the approval of the Barstow International Gateway, a 4,500-acre rail yard in the Mojave Desert. The lawsuit claims the project's environmental impact analysis is flawed, citing increased diesel pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and harm to local wildlife. The city approved the $4 billion BNSF Railway project, which aims to streamline container transport from Asian ports but faces criticism for its environmental and health impacts.