Comment EI-19940
Received or sent (printed as 1/11/2013)
Although I am not a resident of Montana or Wyoming, I have resided in Oregon for many years and that makes me part of the greater Northwest Region that will be impacted by the vastly increased scope of coal mining and shipping from those two states to terminals on the Pacific Coast for export to Asia. I am deeply concerned about the potential for significant negative impacts on both public and environmental health that would result from this dramatically increased level of activity. From what I know of the Tongue River Valley, the current proposal to build a coal-hauling railroad line through this beautiful area is particularly misguided for two main reasons: 1) the negative consequences on the residents health, the quality of life, and the environment; 2) the contributions to similar negative impacts for the residents, the quality of live, and the environment throughout the Pacific Northwest. In seems to me that any EIS for the Tongue River Valley rail proposal should focus on the following areas of concern: public convenience & necessity; impacts on property values; impacts on wildlife; increased potential for flooding; noise; & infrastructure and traffic congestion. Because, as stated previously, this Tongue River proposal is only one part of a much larger project that would vastly increase the amount of coal being mined and then trained (and barged) through the one of the Earth's most beautiful river systems - the Columbia River Gorge - to be shipped through several proposed ports on the Pacific Coast, in both Oregon and Washington, to destinations throughout Asia: it should be clear that this proposal has the potential for much more extensive impacts that encompass not just the Northwest region, but - through the greatly increased contribution of greenhouse gasses and other pollutants produced by the vastly augmented level of mining, shipping and burning of coal unleashed by these activities - all parts of the U.S. and potentially the world. I strongly believe that a responsible and comprehensive EIS will - must - take those impacts into account. Thank you for seriously considering these requests on this topic of potentially global import. Sincerely, Emilie Marlinghaus
Submitted by: Emilie Marlinghaus · Bend, Oregon
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-19940 · back to the docket sheet