Calif. High-Speed Rail Officials Respond To Setbacks
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The board that oversees California's embattled $68 billion high-speed rail project is meeting to discuss how to respond to a series of legal setbacks to the project.
At a meeting in Sacramento on Thursday, board members will discuss a judge's ruling last week that prevents the state from selling $8.6 billion in bonds.
The judge also ordered officials to write a new funding plan and ensure that all environmental clearances are in place for the first 300 miles of track in the Central Valley before spending more state money.
On Wednesday, federal regulators rejected a request to exempt the Central Valley route from a lengthy environmental planning review.
The two decisions could seriously hamper officials' hopes of putting shovels in the ground soon.
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