Comment EI-8539
Received or sent (printed as 8/15/2008)
This note is in regard to the proposed purchase of the EJ&E Railroad by Canadian National (CN). The recent Draft Environmental Impact Study (DEIS) is extremely disappointing to me as a citizen of a community that will potentially bear a huge negative impact from this deal. I implore you to recommend against this acquisition as you consider the following: Safety- the DEIS report does confirm the risk of rail accidents will increase. With the potential of 400% increased rail traffic through our community with some trains potentially being up to 10,000 feet in length, the ability of fire, police and ambulance personnel to perform their jobs to protect and save lives will be greatly impaired. Additionally, there is concern for increased air pollution that increased vehicular traffic jams will create. Also, the potential for toxic spills into our water supply greatly increases. Financial- snarled vehicular traffic as a result of greatly increased freight train traffic will create changes in shopping patterns that may drive shoppers and businesses away reducing tax revenues for affected communities. Additionally, why should any US taxpayer pay the tab for a deal that benefits a foreign corporation, particularly for a deal that has zero benefit for and great negative impact on our community? It is absolutely absurd that CN would not be responsible for ALL costs associated with mitigation resulting from this potential acquisition. How we live- my community thrived for many years before the EJ&E was built. The community continued to evolve as it developed around the railroad. The travesty that is the potential acquisition of the EJ&E by CN will negatively impact our ability to move about our community. It will severly impact our safety. It will discourage any type of future development and cause current businesses to lose revenue to the point of failure. Please do not inflict this type of punishment upon the citizens of our community and others likewise impacted by this proposed purchase. Please act on our behalf to recommend against this purchase. Thank you.
Submitted by: Robert W. Schauer · 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-8539 · back to the docket sheet