Comment EI-11599
Received or sent (printed as 9/14/2008)
As a resident of a community that will be greatly harmed by the number of freight trains that would operate through the region if Canadian National Railway (CN) is allowed to purchase the EJ&E rail line, I urge you to do everything in your power to ensure that the interests of the residents of our region are protected against the negative impacts of this acquisition. It is my understanding that the Draft Environmental Impact Study (DEIS) on this transaction will be released shortly. This document will let the region know what we can expect in the way of public protection from your agency. I am very concerned that my community will be facing significant issues related to public safety, environment, traffic gridlock, emergency response times, and economic loses if this acquisition is approved. None of these issues are being adequately dealt with by the CN, which is why I am asking you to fully address these issues in the EIS. Additionally, in finalizing the DEIS, please ensure the following two issues are fully and adequately addressed: • CN’s unwillingness to provide freight traffic projections beyond three years (a cut off that precedes the Phase 2 expansion of the major new port served by CN – the Port of Prince Rupert in western Canada). CN needs to provide capacity data and operational projections to 2020, at the very least. If the American Association of Railroads can demand taxpayer investments in rail infrastructure to accommodate a projected growth in rail freight of 88% by 2035, it is inconceivable that the CN cannot quantify its own long- range business projections involving the EJ&E. • Due to the significance of the potential impacts to our communities and region, we must ask for a longer review period than 45 days to respond to the DEIS. Communities need 120 days for a due diligence review that can adequately examine the data used to arrive at the conclusions and to respond to the study’s findings. Thank you for your consideration of my request. Sincerely, David P. Balla
Submitted by: David Balla · Aurora, Illinois
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-35087/comment/EI-11599 · back to the docket sheet