Comment EI-12266
Received or sent (printed as 9/21/2008)
Dear Surface Transportation Board, If the proposed acquisition of the EJ&E railway by CN becomes a reality without FULL mitigation of the costs for infrastructure,quiet zones/sound barriers,crosssing gates,compensation for property loss,hazmat safety training,etc., it will be a real stab in the back to the communities who live along the EJ&E railway. How can you approve a venture such a this, that will ruin our communties by congesting our traffic,reduce our air quality and health,disproportionally threaten our safety and then ask us to pay for it too? That is an absolute insult to us as Americans. CN(a 6 billion dollar company) had profits of 2 billion dollars last year. They seem to get bigger and bigger with more and more acquisitions of railways. Where is their responsibility in this situation? They want to purchase the EJ&E for 300 million and will make a hefty profit while individuals and communties like mine are the real losers". I bought my home a year ago in Mokena knowing the character of the regional Class II railway closeby. I accepted 6-8 trains a day and the character of the EJ&E which had been in existence for around a hundred years. So now I am going to be victimized by 28+ long trains a day carrying hazardous cargo 300 ft from my home? And what's to say they won't put tandem rail cars and more trains after this is approved? With the opening of Port Rupert Sound, it looks like more cargo is likely to be heading this way.Would you approve the building of tracks through our community if they were not already there for this type of super train increase? Why not take the CREATE suggestions to alleviate rail congestion or build track through a non-populated area farther out? With the cost of all the safety and underpasses/overpasses,etc that will ensue, this would be better options for all in the future. I truly feel "railroaded" by business and political interests and for the first time in my life, I am losing faith in my government to protect me by putting a private Canadian company's business interests first. This is not good for our regional area, WE ARE THE REGIONAL AREA. The stress of trains of this magnitude going past my home 24/7 will severely impact my health. It already has with the thought of it and the ramifications it brings. So what do I do in an economy and housing market of today? I worked hard as a teacher all my life and hopefully helped others. Who is helping me? Will YOU? Now in retirement I looked forward to the peace & tranquility of this area with the Old Plank bike trail,forest preserves and charming historic towns with local farmer's markets nearby. I grew up near Midway airport and lived with airplane noise early in my life. Now I thought I had found a wonderful peaceful place to be near my children/grandchildren. I felt so lucky and blessed to have sold my home last year and found a home to retire in close to my grandchildren. Now I feel quite the opposite and fear for the safety and health of myself and my family. I cannot live in this state of stress and fear. My home value will plummet and I probably will not be able to sell easily. Who will want to buy my home now? I beg you to tour before you make this important decision and see what a negative impact this will make on our communities and quality of life. I know life is not always fair, but this is putting too much of a burden on the residents of the affected communities by this acquisition. IT WILL CHANGE EVERYTHING!!! PLEASE members of the STB, consider if you would want to live here. I would not have bought my home last year had I known of this 400% train increase coming to these communtities of Mokena, New Lenox and Frankfort. Do the morally right thing and DENY this acquisition by CN. If not, you might sleep at night but know that I will not. Respectfully submitted, Sharon Gerecke"
Submitted by: Sharon Gerecke
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-12266 · back to the docket sheet