Comment EI-19749
Received or sent (printed as 1/9/2013)
Hello, I'm writing about the Tongue River Railroad proposal. I was born and raised in Montana and am currently studying for a Masters Degree in Urban and Regional Planning in Portland, OR. Once I have finished this portion of my formal education, I would like to return to Montana. Also, I would like to return to a clean and healthful" environment. I am studying transportation in my Masters studies and one thing I have learned from the best in the world is that when planning for transportation we must first ask ourselves, "How do we want to live?" This is a transportation project with great consequences. I am writing to advocate that those quality of life issues, including beauty and equity, are expressly considered throughout the process. Additionally, I would like to advocate that the process includes documented considerations for regional impacts. It should factor trip delays, noise pollution and potential public health concerns. There, also, needs to be consideration of carbon targets set forth in signed documents. Climate change impacts and carbon cycle analysis should be considered for the mining, shipping and burning of the coal. Additionally, because the environment and economy are so closely linked in Montana through agriculture, tourism and resource extraction, the process should include a double-blind, peer-reviewed and objective, third party scenario projections and forecasts for short and long term economic environmental factors, e.g., jobs. Also, as a reminder, Montana is a part of the "crown continental ecosystem" that extends from Yellowstone Park through Glacier on up to Canada and the Alaska. The only segmented section is where the train and I-90 pass through the Livingston/Bozeman area. When moving forward with the EIS, I believe these factors should be included in the formal process. Gracias."
Submitted by: Jeffrey Butts
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-19749 · back to the docket sheet