Comment EI-21996
Received or sent (printed as 4/12/2016)
As local government was not a choice, I chose Citizens Group as my affiliation on this form. I am the city Engineer and Director of Community Development for the City of Ottawa. I have two comments. First, as Ottawa City Engineer, I would like to commend the relocation of the proposed rail to the north and away from Skydive Chicago Airport. Skydive Chicago has hundreds of skydivers each week. Having another rail line nearby would be a threat to the health and safety of these sporting enthusiasts. Skydive Chicago is the premier skydiving facility in the Midwest and maybe in the entire United States as evidenced by the INTERNATIONAL championships being held here this fall. Placing a rail line nearby which has trains moving at high speeds would not only endanger the participants, but also threaten this economic generator for our entire area. I applaud the decision to move the rail line to the north. Secondly, as myself, I see that near rail mile post 79, the rail is proposed to bisect the Kankakee River State Park. This is a jewel in the State park system. The proposed rail will interfere with the enjoyment of walking trails and fishing areas enjoyed by thousands annually. The rail will separate the camp ground to the west from the hiking canyons to the east. With high speed trains thundering past all day and night, the campground will be directly impacted. Even though walking trails can ber placed under the bridge, the natural attractiveness that draws visitors to the state park each year will be severely diminished. Futhermore, the location of the bridge is precisely where ice jamming has been a severe problem in recent years. Adding additional piers in the river for the rail bridge will exacerbate the problem. The rail should NOT go through the state park. Rather, it could be placed two or three miles to the west and cross the Kankakee River near where a pipeline crosses, as shown in the Google Earth Complete Route Map". The proposed rail line also runs RIGHT NEXT TO the Camp Shawanasee. This pristine camp adjacent to the Kankakee River State Park and sharing Rock Creek and the Rock Creek Canyons would also have trains going past throughout the day and night totally destroying the usefulness and attraction of this historical camp. The rail should be located a mile or two to the northwest of the camp to avoid this area altogether. Our state parks and natural areas must be protected. They can never be replaced."
Submitted by: David · Noble
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-35952/comment/EI-21996 · back to the docket sheet