Comment EI-23710
Received or sent (printed as 6/13/2016)
This was mailed to Illinois Representatives, 6/13/2016 It was announced June 10 that the Surface Transportation Board (STB) has extended the Great Lakes Basin Transportation (GLB) Environmental Impact Study (EIS)comment period . The new comment period deadline in July 15. This is a step in the right direction as it gives more people time to research and attempt to learn about the proposed rail line and submit EIS comments but it does not mitigate the fact the approximately 40,000 Illinois residents or landowners with property in the affected study corridor have never been notified by GLB or the STB conducting the EIS scoping. How are these landowners and residents suppose to know to comment by July 15? Furthermore the extension does not correct the fact the STB waived the 6 month period and did not require GLB to file an application before the EIS scoping study began. Without an application to hold GLB accountable we are finding GLB representatives are putting forth conflicting information to the public and we have no way to hold them accountable or know what is true. Frank Patton has said they have investors but cannot reveal them due to non disclosures . He went on to say 2 of the investors could pay for the entire project that would cost $8 billion dollars. We have read in an article regarding Baikken Oil transportation that 90% of the funding for GLB will come from Federal Railroad loans, yet GLB’s Frank Patton claims they are privately funded and will offer a compensation package of $20,000 per acre. If GLB were to be funded by Federal Railroad Loans which Frank Patton later admitted they would be seeking -at the Grundy County, Morris High School public question session, Federal loans would limit compensation to the appraised value of the land. Basically GLB representatives can tell potential investors, the media, landowners, and even the STB different things about the “plan”. A signed and filed application would help provide important information that would outline the business plan, financing, type of freight GLB plans to move and who its customers would be. An application would have to include information regarding financing and the business plan In order to determine if GLB fills a “need”, this info is necessary. I also would hope the application to the STB would explain GLBT’s request for a 15,056 acre rail port in Kankakee County IL. At this point no need has been determined. Frank Patton has explained it by saying he was told to prepare for the future. Please contact the STB (FD 35952) and request people in the scoping study corridor are notified by the STB or GLB. Also ask the STB deny GLB further consideration until GLB submits an application. How can an environmental study be conducted when the STB does not know who would be using the rails, what would be carried on the trains and what the 15,056 acre rail port would be used for? Why has no needs assessment been determined before launching into an environmental study? Sincerely, Susan Sack 3799 East 7th RD, Mendota IL 61342 phone 815-910-9064 sack_susan@yahoo.com BlockGLBrailroad@gmail.com
Submitted by: Susan Sack · Block GLB, member · Mendota, 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-23710 · back to the docket sheet