Comment EI-23467
Received or sent (printed as 6/6/2016)
Resolution submitted by Boone County Pomona Grange Whereas: Great Lake Basin LLC is a Non Railroad Capitalist with no experience with this type of venture, and has never operated as a rail carrier, yet seeks to construct the largest rail line proposed in 125 years, in an effort to provide a by-pass for rail line freight traffic that currently moves through Chicago. Their hope is that at least two railroads need to use it. Whereas: Not one rail company has stated it supports and will utilize this railroad system. March 28, 2016 Union Pacific told the Chicago Tribune that it is not interested after reviewing the project. This leaves questions of the ability to finance this massive rail bypass, and Whereas: Quality Farmland will be lost, affecting farmers who use the land for their livelihood, affecting the consumer who gains nourishment from the product provided by the farmer, and affecting the public which uses the roads to travel which now are quite congested with rail traffic at crossings, farmers transporting equipment many additional hours and miles due to their land being cut through with the rail. The loss of farmland with the severing of tile lines, splitting the farmland with no access to the acreage on the other side of the tracks, compaction of the soil through construction of the rail system, and acknowledgment of the economic impact as a result of unproductive land due to new wet spots causing farmers concerns and no desire to upgrade or even maintain their land at this time. Remember you can never replace soil and land, and Whereas: Boone County has a large aquafer beneath the surface which provides clean water. In the event of a derailment that aquafer would be ruined and could never be replaced, and Whereas: Emergency personnel do not reside in close proximity to this area thus lengthen the response time in the event of a railroad derailment or catastrophe, and Whereas: The GLB is improperly seeking approval of rail and multi-use utility corridor from the STB who has no authorization to allow construction of a utility corridor for possible use in the future by utilities. Whereas: The Illinois Transportation Department has just rebuilt many of the overpasses along interstate 90 coming West out of Chicago. Considering the number of crossings needed for this railroad, we do not feel it to be a positive improvement to the countryside and the community. Therefore; The Boone County Pomona Grange wishes to go on record of opposing the granting of this project with exemptions of any kind and to conduct a full review of the GLB project. Respectfully, Laurel Ratcliffe
Submitted by: Laurel · Boone Co. Pomona Grange · Belvidere, 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-35952/comment/EI-23467 · back to the docket sheet