Comment EI-23558
Received or sent (printed as 6/9/2016)
Dear Mr. David Navecky, My apologies if this is a repetition of a letter I thought I submitted yesterday, but apparently neglected to fill in the complete docket number. It has been almost 30 years since we moved to the outskirts of the small rural town of Paw Paw. We moved to a small farmette to partake of a quiet rural lifestyle where we could grow organic fruits and vegetables and rear our animals, currently dogs, cats, chickens, and geese, in a healthy environment. We planted hundreds of trees, including nut trees which are just beginning to bear crops. Never could we have imagined that this relatively peaceful home and nearby community could be disrupted by the possibly perpetual intrusion of noise pollution, vibration, and potentially accidental spills from accidents from the proposed Great Lakes Basin RR, which would run very close to our property and include THREE RR road crossings within a very short distance of each other and us. These additional RR crossings would naturally impact the timely arrival of emergency responders as well as affect timely transport to any hospital, which are 15-22 miles away from our home With the recent accident of the Union Pacific line in the Northwest uppermost in my mind, I am also concerned about the impact of an accident that could occur anywhere along this proposed line, especially since there is a major porous aquifer sited beneath it. Many of the rural fire departments around here rely on volunteers, who may require additional training and equipment to deal with any potential accident along a track that has as many potential trains as touted by some of the information available. Who would bear the burden of these costs? Many of these rural communities are already financially stretched. What I find just as appalling and distressing as the many negative impacts upon the agriculture, environment, and community life so eloquently and passionately presented by concerned citizens at the informational meeting we attended in Belvidere, is that many who would be affected by this proposed rail line were totally unaware of its possible existence. We found out about it through word-of-mouth because of friend's sister would lose several acres of land far north of us. Most people I spoke with in our community were uninformed and shocked. Many could not attend the meetings in the area due to work schedules, lack of timely notification, or lack of transportation. I have yet to speak with anyone who has anything favorable to say about the GLB RR. All those at the public meeting we attended were adamantly opposed. The notion that a private company can use eminent domain to covet someone else's property for their own private gain is shameful and a perversion of what I believe eminent domain was intended to accomplish. Sincerely, Amy Vose
Submitted by: Amy Vose · Amy Vose · Paw Paw, 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-23558 · back to the docket sheet