Comment EI-14120
Received or sent (printed as 9/30/2008)
I am extremely concerned with the proposed purchase of the EJ&E by Canadian National Railway and the flaws in the Daft Environmental Impact Study. The study uses outdated noice assessment methodogy, rejected by th U.S. EPA. and uses only data suppied by CN to assess air quity impacts. As was pointed out during the public forum in Aurora, CN substantially understated the waits at train crossing giving wait time which were less then what is currently occuring. more trains with increated length will not mak the time go down. Add that the list of substantially affected grade crossing is flawed because vehicle counts are flawed. The study minimizes the effects of the increase of Hazardous material spills only taking into account 1/2 mile out even though the government standards are a mile. Even using the half mile there are multiple schools and parks and because the increase traffic and train length will block access to emergency responce this make the problem even greater. Since CN horrible safty record is not taken into account this is a major problem. The Canadian Government rates them at the bottom in all safety areas. Finally this claim that by using these tracks they will decrease the traffic on there track around Chicago is silly. Those tracks are an asset to CN and they will use them to get the most profit they can either with their own trains or by leasing the track to other. Please reject the request of CN to purchase the EJ&E tracks.
Submitted by: Mark Urben · Wheaton, IL
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-14120 · back to the docket sheet