Comment EI-19518
Received or sent (printed as 1/7/2013)
My name is Mary Gropp, I am a resident of San Juan County in NW Washington, living across the waters from the proposed Gateway Pacific Terminal at CherryPt. I am deeply concerned about the potential impact on public health and the environment from the various proposals to transport coal from Montana and Wyoming to terminals on the Pacific Coast for export to Asia. The proposal to build a coal-hauling railroad line through the Tongue River Valley seems especially misguided for two main reasons: 1) it would have negative impacts on the residents, the quality of life, and the environment in the Tongue River Valley; and 2) it would contribute to similar negative impacts for the residents, the quality of life, and the environment in the Pacific Northwest in general. Regarding the Tongue River Valley rail proposal, concerns which I feel should be addressed include: • Wildlife: The Tongue River Valley is rich in wildlife habitat and home to outstanding elk and mule deer populations as well as upland birds. Industrializing this valley with a railroad and the coal strip mine it serves will seriously degrade this excellent sportsman resource. • Noise: The loud trains will ruin the quiet enjoyment of nearby recreation areas near Miles City. • Infrastructure and traffic: Taxes will go up for residents communities along the rail lines as the coal heads to coastal ports for shipment. This railroad will increase coal train traffic substantially causing traffic delays, noise, and diesel pollution. The only way to live with this increased traffic will require expensive over passes and safety crossing which are paid for primarily by local taxpayers. I know that residents of the Tongue River Valley share similar concerns about the impact of the rail proposal with residents all along the line to Cherry Pt. 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. Please require a thorough Environmental Impact statement, taking into consideration the multiple impacts to all the regions involved in this proposal. Thank you.
Submitted by: Mary Gropp · Eastsound, 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-19518 · back to the docket sheet