Comment EI-24934
Received or sent (printed as 7/14/2016)
I am concerned about weed control along the railroad. We have done a tremendous job of keeping out invasive and catastrophic weeds from this area. Other railroads are so narrow that they do not have much of a chance of weeds following it but this is going to be the first railroad with a 200 foot right of way. Since the rail only needs 50 foot the other 150ft will be left bare or gravelled for an access road. This gives a never-before seen opportunity for invasive weeds to enter our area. The railroad company’s first priority is to make money and they will do this by cutting costs at any opportunity. The entire city of Seneca has been trying to reach out to the major railroads to discuss the delays in town and the rail companies ignore them. When a bunch of farmers try to get their issues with the rail lines solved we will be ignored. The weeds will follow the tracks and the GLBT will do just enough to make sure the trains can run and the rest will be left to the farmers. As the STB you have the power now to stand up to them and demand that if this rail were to be built they must keep their weeds under control.
Submitted by: Jordan Jorstad · Seneca, Illinois
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-24934 · back to the docket sheet