Comment EI-19822
Received or sent (printed as 1/10/2013)
Docket No. FD 30186 Attention of: Mr. Ken Blodgett I implore you and all other agencies working on the EIS for the proposed Tongue River Railroad to seriously examine the following issues before any approval is made: Overall Public Convenience and Necessity: This proposed railroad is not for the “public convenience and necessity” which I understand 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, not the general public and it's sole purpose is to sell our natural resource of coal to China and other Asian countries. This serves only the wealthiest 1%. Environmental Pollution: A study of the direct effects that these coal trains will have on the people, animals, land, water and air caused from the increased diesel pollution and coal dust which blows off these trains must be conducted. Contamination of mercury, lead, arsenic and other heavy metals must be measured to see it's effect on all living organisms in this area. Impacts on property values: 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 because it will split ranch land in half and separate fields from the river and will shift the liability of train crossings to the landowner, taxpayers and county budget responsibilities, while returning no financial rewards to these parties. Wildlife: The Tongue River Valley has one of the last remaining in-tact wildlife habitats in the world and is home to outstanding elk and mule deer populations, as well as upland birds. Allowing the industrialization of this valley with a railroad and the coal strip mine it serves will seriously degrade this excellent sportsman resource now and for future generations. Flooding: 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. Noise/Quality of Life: The amount of loud trains rumbling through this valley will both ruin the quiet enjoyment of all the residents near Miles City, along with nearby recreation areas, but will also have a detrimental effect in disrupting the animal habit and breeding in this area. Infrastructure and Traffic: Taxes will go up for residents communities along the rail lines as the coal heads to coastal ports for shipment do to the needed infrastructure. 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, not paid for by the railroad purposing this expansion, but are paid for primarily by local taxpayers and city governments. The Tongue River Railroad will take our natural resource which should stay in the ground, but instead be burned in China and will fuel intolerable, decades-long increases in Carbon Dioxide emissions. The greenhouse gas costs of Otter Creek coal go far beyond just burning the coal. It must be mined, hauled by trains fueled by diesel to purposed West Coast terminals, shipped overseas by ships fueled by diesel, and then transported throughout China to it's coal fired energy plants. There are BETTER alternative that are available today and must be used today for the sake of the planet and civilizations future. We each have a responsibility to do what is right, just and sustainable for today and future generations. As responsible citizens given the job to protect it's people and it's overall community, we ask you to do just that and conduct an expansive EIS covering all of the topics listed above.
Submitted by: James Robitaille · Bellingham, 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-19822 · back to the docket sheet