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Safety and Security <br />In order to minimize the danger to pedestrians from the nearby rail line, the design of the open <br />space around the Chiquita (formerly Agripac) site (Alternative 2) should include nonstructural <br />measures, such as landscaping and berms, that would discourage pedestrian traffic on or across <br />the tracks. Given the slow speeds at which trains travel through downtown Eugene, a train <br />derailment along the 1,200 feet of track adjacent to the Chiquita site is a highly unlikely <br />occurrence. While it is not possible to eliminate the slight risk of train derailments and <br />subsequent spills of hazardous materials, the impact and disruption from this type of accident can <br />be avoided by siting the federal courthouse at an appropriate distance from the rail Iine. The <br />possibility of a train derailment is not expected to be a major public safety concern for the <br />Chiquita site. <br />No-Action Alternative <br />Under the no-action alternative, the existing federal building/courthouse would be used during <br />the foreseeable future. Although security measures have been improved at the Eugene <br />courthouse and federal building since 1995, additional needed improvements to the existing <br />facility are not feasible (Leavitt 1999 personal communication). If the no-action alternative is <br />selected, the courts would continue to operate with the existing security deficiencies for the <br />foreseeable future. <br />Potential Mitigation Measures <br />Any of the proposed action alternatives would provide significant improvements to public safety <br />and security. A major purpose of the proposed project is to improve safety and security, and <br />mitigation measures are included in the design. As stated above, retrofitting security measures <br />into the existing facility is not feasible. <br />If the Chiquita site (formerly Agripac) is selected for the new federal courthouse, the facility <br />should be located far enough away from the railroad tracks to avoid hazards from derailments or <br />spills. <br />Significant Unavoidable Adverse Impacts <br />Selection of the no-action alternative would maintain ongoing security deficiencies in the federal <br />court facilities, which could result in a significant adverse impact on public safety. <br />Final EIS 156 New Federal Courthouse <br />