North Charleston port rail yard suit dismissed

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — A judge has dismissed North Charleston’s federal lawsuit over a rail yard to serve a new $525 million port terminal.

U.S. District Judge Richard Gergel said the city’s dispute with the Department of Commerce and the State Ports Authority isn’t appropriate for federal court.

The city sued the agencies last year, arguing the state’s proposed location for the rail yard violates a memorandum of agreement that port activity would remain on the south end of the old Charleston Naval Base.

But the state says the best location is on land to the north of the terminal near an area North Charleston has been redeveloping.

A state court judge is considering several other lawsuits related to the controversy. Motions are due in December.

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Kinnard can be reached at http://twitter.com/MegKinnardAP