"Nobody's talking," he said. "The way I see it, everybody's in favor of this -- except me and all the business owners here."

Shiralian said his truck stop and other businesses, including a service station and a fast-food restaurant, employ about 120 people whose jobs would be affected if the businesses are forced to move. He estimated that replacing everything on the site at another location could cost as much as $15 million.

He added that his businesses generate sales taxes -- money that would likely benefit another county if he could not find a suitable replacement site in Fresno County: a large parcel with freeway access for truckers, good visibility and a reasonable price.

"I'd have to move somewhere else, and I haven't been able to look anywhere," Shiralian said. "This whole thing is coming so quick and so fast, I don't have enough time ... to look for sites."

The key issue at the rail authority's meeting today and Thursday is the final environmental impact report for the Merced-Fresno section of the statewide high-speed rail system.

The authority's board will take public comment today before voting Thursday to certify the report and finalize a route and station locations in Merced and Fresno.

The Merced-Fresno section is part of what would be a 520-mile system linking San Francisco and Los Angeles through the Valley with trains capable of traveling at 220 mph.

The rail authority plans to spend about $6 billion to begin construction in the Valley from Madera to Bakersfield. That stretch would be part of an initial operating line from Merced to the Los Angeles Basin on which high-speed trains could carry passengers within a decade at a cost of $31 billion.

The full San Francisco-Los Angeles system is estimated to cost about $68 billion by the time it's completed in 2028.

If you go

What: California High-Speed Rail Authority meetings

When: Today starting at 10 a.m. and Thursday starting at 9 a.m.

Where: Fresno Convention Center Exhibit Hall, 700 M St., in downtown Fresno. The meetings are open to the public (see a copy of the agenda).

Webcast: The authority's website has a link to a live webcast of the meetings.