The Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) covers deepening two berths (217–220 and 214–216) from 45 to 53 feet, extending the existing 100ft crane gauge to berths 217-220 and adding another rail track to the on-dock rail yard. The EIR also covers raising the height and extending the booms of 6 of the existing 14 cranes and adding four new units.

Berths 217-220 are currently a parking space for two 50’ gauge cranes and two 100’ gauge cranes that are stored on a temporary crane rail.  Two of the non-operating cranes are owned by the port and would be removed. The other two would be stored at the far end of berth 217-220. The crane work and additional units would give YTI 14 cranes with a 22-row outreach and two with a 16-row outreach.

The EIR does not include any major changes to the existing yard operation, which uses RTGs and top picks. YTI’s current lease expires in 2016 and it has an option, which it plans to exercise, to extend that to 2026. The EIR states that “At this time, no foreseeable changes in the type of operations, such as terminal automation, are expected through 2026.”

The rail upgrade is needed as YTI is already transports 35% of its throughput through the on-dock rail yard. Adding a 3,200ft track would increase the capacity of YTI’s portion of the on-dock rail facility from 567,00 TEU to 680,400 TEU. Rail volume is expected to reach 669,550 TEU by 2026.

Though the total terminal area would not be expanded, the improvements would increase YTI’s estimated capacity from 1.69M TEU to 1.91M TEU and allow it to accommodate “the projected fleet mix of larger container vessels (up to 13,000 TEU) that are anticipated to call at the YTI Terminal through 2026".