Comment EI-3455
Received or sent (printed as 1/8/2008)
As a local resident, taxpayer and active environmentalist (prairie/wetlands/savanna preservation; wildlife habitat restoration; water quality protection; open space protection), I support CN’s acquisition and proposed utilization of the EJ&E because it’s a cost-effective and environmentally benign (partial) solution to a major environmental problem in the Chicago metropolitan area, namely freight train congestion and the fuel-wasting and air-polluting idling of diesel locomotives. I’ve been a member for 18 years of the board of directors of Citizens For Conservation, Inc., a well-known, respected, locally based (Barrington, Ill.) non-profit organization engaged in the preservation of open space and restoration and management of native wildlife habitat. Significantly, Citizens For Conservation has not taken a position on the CN/EJ&E petition even though the EJ&E passes through or abuts ecologically sensitive portions of at least three major county wildlife preserves in the Barrington area (Cuba Marsh, Spring Creek and Poplar Creek). Undoubtedly, serious environmental damage probably was committed by the EJ&E during its construction 120 years ago and during subsequent decades of unrestricted herbiciding and other deplorable practices that are now banned or moderated. However, I doubt the passage of another 15 to 20 freight trains a day at 30-40 mph (in addition to the existing four or five movements a day) will have much destructive impact on native vegetation or wildlife (even bugs, birds, snakes, etc.) -- certainly nothing like the thousands of cars and trucks moving considerably faster on local roads or the 75-80 daily trains through Barrington on the Union Pacific (which intersects the EJ&E in Barrington), including 62 daily Metra commuter trains moving at 50-70 mph. As I see it, this increase in rail traffic presents not much more than an inconvenience for wildlife and for people, which is the real reason for the opposition.
Submitted by: John A. Schweizer · Barrington, 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-3455 · back to the docket sheet