Comment EI-19634
Received or sent (printed as 1/8/2013)
My comments concern the local and global impacts of the proposed Tongue River Railroad project and the necessity that these impacts be responsibly addressed in the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The EIS must analyze issues of public convenience and necessity. For the Tongue River Railroad to obtain eminent domain and condemnation authority, it must meet criteria for public convenience and necessity". However, the TRR project, as proposed, will answer only to Arch Coal which plans to sell the mined coal to China and other Asian countries. To address public convenience and necessity requirements for eminent domain, impacts to residents along the proposed rail line must be thoroughly analyzed - infrastructure costs, potential for traffic congestion, the documented health impacts of increased diesel fumes and coal dust, and the noise pollution. Local residents along the rail line would carry an increased tax burden for infrastructure upgrades that primarily benefit Arch Coal and TRR. Noise, traffic, diesel fumes and coal dust would become a constant reality. How do these impacts serve public convenience and necessity? Also, the EIS must analyze impacts on private property. The project would impact property rights by making ranching and farming in the areas affected more difficult and expensive. Ranch land would be cut in half separating fields from previously adjacent waterways. Furthermore, the liability of train crossings would be passed on to the landowners. Other negative property impacts include devaluing property values (especially river front property) and increased potential for fires and weed damage due to increased train volume. Impacts to wildlife in the Tongue River Valley need to be analyzed. The valley abounds in elk, deer and upland bird populations. If the TRR project is implemented, sportsmen will find the quantity and quality of wildlife in the valley greatly diminished. In addition, the impact of potential flooding along the railroad bed must be analyzed. The bed will act as an earthen dam adding to the flooding problems and ice jams that Miles City already experiences in the winter months. Finally, it is folly to remove Otter Creek coal from the ground. If it is shipped and burned in dirty Chinese plants, it will fuel massive increases in Co2 emissions for decades to come. And the world will reap the effects - fossil-fueled superstorms, droughts, wildfires and floods. And, all of this to ship Montana coal to China! Thank you for your consideration of my comments."
Submitted by: Susan C. Stubblefield
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-19634 · back to the docket sheet