The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) completed an Environmental Assessment for the construction of the new Des Moines Transload Facility in Des Moines, Iowa.  The Des Moines Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (DMAMPO) proposes to construct the transload facility in Central Iowa to reduce the volume of freight trucked within a 150-mile radius. The transload facility will use Class 1 and 2 freight rail shippers to transport goods in and out of the Des Moines area. Anticipated users of the facility include a wide variety of companies that handle large volumes of commodities that move most efficiently in railcar volumes: minerals, steel, chemicals, lumber, finished products, agricultural products, food, fertilizers, products for the development of Iowa’s growing wind energy industry, roofing materials, pipe, sheet metal, pilings, beams, plastics, aggregates, salts, oils, green bio-products, feed additives, generators, transformers, farm machinery, construction equipment, and military equipment.