Comment EI-22384
Received or sent (printed as 5/2/2016)
The Great Lakes Basin Rail Line is proposed to run only 300 feet south of my home that I am in the process of building. I poured the footings for my new home on March 17, 2016 the same day that we were first informed of this rail line. My wife and I picked Lowell, IN to retire there after working years and years and saving our money to live out in the quiet and peaceful country. I currently work 45 miles from Lowell in Alsip IL and it takes me one hour each way to get to and from work but I have chosen to do this to improve the value of my life and the lives of my family. I have decided to live there for the peace and quiet and now I am being threatened with a railroad that can handle as many as 110 trains per day at speeds of 70 MPH. The only source of water that I have for my new home is well water and one spill or accident that close to my home and my drinking water will be destroyed. Our new home is abutted by a flood plain on two sides and any change to the topography of the surrounding land would be devastating to this flood plain and would end up flooding out my property and new home. The vibrations from a train so close to the new house would end up vibrating the house apart. The noises from one train traveling at 70 miles per hour would be deafening now make that 60 – 110 trains per day we will have no quality of life. Watching the news and seeing what is going on in Flint Michigan with the contamination of their drinking water I know that same thing will be played out here in Northwest Indiana if you allow this railroad to be built. It may not be right away but the oil, fuel and cargo that would be taken on these tracks will leach into our drinking water. For that for that reason alone you need to deny the application to proceed with the construction of this railroad.
Submitted by: Daniel Kloos · Lowell, IN
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-22384 · back to the docket sheet