Comment EI-24331
Received or sent (printed as 7/6/2016)
As a resident of Westville in Porter county, I have grave concerns about the viability and necessity of the proposed GLB rail line. For my family and neighbors, it would create a tremendous detrement to our way of life. 1) Access to Emergency services. The proposed route comes within a half-mile of my home and cuts us off from direct access of local emergency services. Volunteer fire departments are a vital and necessary part of rural life, but this rail line would create delays in not only the personnel getting to the equipment but then also in getting that equipment to our homes. 2) Bus safety and length of rides. Children in the area already have lengthy rides to and from school. Long waits at crossings would only increase that time as well as increase the danger of accidents. And again, an accident in our area would mean lengthy wait times for emergency services. 3) Impact on wetlands. The 2 marshes on our property are among the many in the area which serve as way stations for the migration of assorted bird species as well as the Sandhill cranes that make their way through here twice a year. To disrupt this natural habitat without concern for the greater environment would be short-sighted. 4) Impact on water resources Interuption to the natural flow of water down to the Kankakee river could cause damage to the local agricultural economy as well as create unforeseen problems down the way. Water is a critical resource for any community. Managing it is a difficult and immense task. A project like this could have devastating consequences that local communities are not financially prepared to deal with and won’t be compensated for when a crisis does occur in the future. 5) Rich farmland Some of the finest farmland is in this area and cutting it up by cutting across it changes the course of not only families but of potential usage far into the future. Properties cut in half or thirds have already had major investments made in equipment specifically designed to work this land as well as drainage tiles and other upgrades. If these investments are rendered useless the value of the property plummets especially for agricultural use. 6) Noise I moved out here to live and work. As a writer, a distant train whistle is a nice addition but constant freight trains in my backyard are a constant distraction. I don’t have the resources to rent office space in another location. This location was chosen for it’s serenity and is an ideal writing environment. 7) Unnecessary The CREATE rail project has already had a lot of positive impact on the problem of rail congestion. It has major railroads (freight and passenger) signed on and has and is continuing to make a valuable contribution to greater good. Resources should be put towards this project, not towards an unproven, unsupported one. Thank you, Fran kras
Submitted by: Fran Kras · Westville, 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-24331 · back to the docket sheet