Comment EI-23400
Received or sent (printed as 6/5/2016)
Mr. Navecky, It has been difficult to obtain factual information on what the true intent on GLBT. However, with the scope of the project being discussed it seems difficult to imagine anything less than undesirable environmental impacts from the project. The immoral and unconstitutional aspect of a private company using eminent domain to acquire land aside, the entire project seems unwarranted and a high risk of hazard to public and environment. A project of this size, moving untold amounts of soil and reshaping the land would result in unavoidable drainage issues. As a farmer on a 6th generation homestead farm, we understand when there is even a modest amount of soil moved even for good reason, water movement changes. With that, it would be inevitable a project of this nature would effect neighboring houses, farms, wetland, ponds etc. Slicing thru such a large amount of farmland would of course create a multitude of severed, landlocked, and uneconomically usable remnants of land. The countless additional crossings would undoubtedly create a significant emergency response issues. We cant speak to them specifically since detailed crossing plans are not available, but after speaking to some first responders its seems unavoidable. Potential derailments and hazardous material spills would go up dramatically. If the intent is to find a more efficient way to move oil, then wouldn't a pipeline be a much more efficient and environmentally responsible method of transportation? It seems to be nearly a quarterly event to see on news of yet another community suffering from a derailed train with potentially hazardous material spill. How would this project be any different? Noise pollution would obviously increase. Specifically, our land is said to be used in the proposed plan. According to what we can understand from the plan, the part of tracks going thru our land would be elevated". That would dramatically increase noise pollution. We have developed an agricultural tourist destination over the past several decades in which thousands of people come each weekend in fall to enjoy picking there own fruit and vegetables and peace of getting away from the city. With the tracks going thru our main u-pick area, the additional noise and safety concerns for children playing by tracks would certainly diminish the visits. So in closing, serious environmental considerations should be made before approving such a potentially devastating project for this region. Thank-you for your time and consideration, Mike Garwood Garwood Orchards Inc."
Submitted by: Mike Garwood · Garwood Orchards Inc
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-23400 · back to the docket sheet