Comment EI-19458
Received or sent (printed as 1/7/2013)
My concern over the proposed Tongue River Railway and strip mine are huge. Every living creature from the coal mine along the railway to the west coast export facility, in the ocean and in Asia will be affected by this proposal and that impact needs to be reviewed and given deep serious consideration. This proposed railroad is not for the “public convenience and necessity” which is what is required in order for a body to get the power of eminent domain and condemnation authority. This railroad would serve only one coal company giant, Arch Coal, which intends to sell the coal to China and other Asian countries.The project would devalue property and infringes on property rights. This railroad will cause fires, spread weeds, devalue property (especially riverfront property), will make ranching and farming more difficult and expensive, will split ranch land in half and separate fields from the river and will shift the liability of train crossings to the landowner. The railroad bed will act as an earthen dam and potentially worsen the flooding problems now experienced in Miles City in the winter with ice jams. The wildlife and the impact on sportsman and recreational activities will be affected and needs to be considered. How will traffic in the newly proposed rail areas be redirected and who will pay the price for new overpasses and safety crossings? Because it is part of a larger project to export coal from the US to Asia through ports on the Pacific coast, the proposed Tongue River Valley railroad would have much more extensive impacts. I believe that a responsible EIS will take these impacts into account. Thank you.
Submitted by: Irene Blomberg · Lopez Island, Washington
The Board publishes this comment in its environmental-comment table for this proceeding. It is quoted here as printed; nothing is inferred from it, and it states the commenter's own position in their own words, not this record's.
Permanent address docketyard.org/d/FD-30186/comment/EI-19458 · back to the docket sheet