The North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT), the City of Minot (Minot), and the Minot Area Chamber Economic Development Corporation (Minot Chamber EDC) are proposing to expand the Logistics Park of North Dakota (LPND) to accommodate rail freight volumes within the region and industrial park (the Project). 

In June of 2019, NDDOT and its partners were selected to receive Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) Grant Program funding, administered by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), to develop the preliminary design and environmental documentation in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The Project includes rail infrastructure to create an intermodal facility on the LPND site.  

The Project purpose is to provide North Dakota and the surrounding region access to an intermodal logistics facility with transloading capability between truck and rail that facilitates cost-competitive shipment of goods among domestic and international markets.

Needs can be categorized into three themes: demand, operations, and cost and linkage. They include:

1. Accommodate existing and future freight demand in North Dakota (Demand)
2. Provide operationally efficient transloading capabilities between truck and rail in North Dakota (Operations)
3. Provide a competitively priced intermodal container rail service facility that connects North Dakota to international markets and key regional centers (Cost & Linkage)

Environmental Assessment 

In March 2024, FRA published an Environmental Assessment (EA), assessing and disclosing environmental impacts of the Project, in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (40 Code of Federal Regulations [CFR] 1500–1508, 23 CFR part 771) and other applicable environmental laws. 

As outlined in the EA, FRA found potential for minor effects of the Build Alternative on air quality, water quality, wetlands, and hazardous materials. FRA accepted public comments until April 15, 2024.  

On July 22, 2024, FRA signed a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI). The FONSI – which concludes the EA process – addressed public comments and included measures to minimize impacts that will be implemented with the project. The Logistics Park of North Dakota Project EA and FONSI can be accessed via the links below.

• LPND EA 
• Appendix A - Fright Rail Basis of Design
• Appendix B - Field Aquatic Resource Delineation and OHWM Report
• Appendix C - Noise Analysis Report 
• Appendix D - Agency and Tribal Coordination
• Appendix E - Dakota Skipper 2022 Occupancy Surveys 
• LPND FONSI

FRA NEPA Contact:
Brandon Bratcher, Environmental Protection Specialist 
Environment and Project Engineering Division
Federal Railroad Administration
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
West Building, Mail Stop 20
Washington, DC 20590
brandon.bratcher@dot.gov

Permitting Dashboard 

The U.S. Permitting Dashboard is an online tool for Federal agencies, project sponsors, and interested members of the public to track the Federal government’s environmental review and authorization processes for large or complex infrastructure projects. The Dashboard is part of a government-wide effort to improve coordination, transparency, and accountability. A link to this project’s page on the Dashboard is below.

• Permitting Dashboard Link