Comment EI-16425
Received or sent (printed as 2/25/2009)
Evaluating the reactivation and rebuilding of the rail line between Wallaceton and Gorton by RJ Corman Railroad as a stand-alone project would be a waste of STB resources and would not give a fair overview of the environmental impacts this project will have on the land and residents in the affected areas of Clearfield and Centre Counties. The proposed reactivation of the railroad in the area and the landfill/industrial park proposed by Resource Recovery, LLC (RRLLC) are parts of the same project, without the proposed landfill and industrial park there will be no reason for the reactivation of this section of rail line. The projects should be evaluated as two parts of a connected action. The landfill is not operating, nor constructed, nor permitted. Moreover, RRLLC has no signed contracts from waste suppliers. The industrial park is not permitted, nor have any detailed plans been published. The only other source of rail freight is the quarry which is permitted for 10,000 tons per year, less than one train load. In contrast, the PA Department of Environmental Protection has approved 10 landfill permits in 2007–2008. Only one is a new landfill, nine are expansions of existing landfills. Of the four new landfills proposed, three were denied, suspended, or withdrawn. Of the nine expansions proposed, all were approved. The rate of approval for new landfills, as RRLLC is proposing, is very low. It is likely that RRLLC will never build the proposed landfill or industrial park. Thus, STB risks approving the rail line to nowhere." It seems that the only logical, prudent alternative is no action or denial."
Submitted by: Kathi Lewis
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.
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