Kings County files another suit against high-speed rail

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- The Kings County Farm Bureau is among those bringing the suit, claiming the High-Speed Rail Authority's environmental impact report didn't accurately state how much fill dirt it would need to bring in, and Farm Bureau Director Diane Friend says that dirt will create too much dust.

"And by skewing that number of how much fill dirt it also skews the number of particulates that will affect the air quality of our Valley," she said.

While the High-Speed Rail Authority has not yet seen the lawsuit, Diana Gomez of the High-Speed Rail Authority's Fresno office says the environmental work is thorough.

"We feel that we have developed an environmental document that covers everything an environmental document should cover; it's over 17,000 pages," she said.

Fresno County Supervisor Henry Perea is a high-speed rail supporter and says he supports Kings County's right to sue, but questions their motives.

"That's what happens, you always have those folks who are afraid of change, don't want to see this country progress," he said.

Friend says it's just about making sure high-speed rail follows the rules.

"That's where the issues lie, in the facts, not in the innuendo that we are just a bunch of wackos out here that hate high-speed rail; that isn't the truth," she said.