Comment EI-30327
Received or sent (printed as 9/2/2019)
The opportunities this railway brings to the Uinta Basin extend beyond just the energy sector. Due to the geography of this area, the Basin is somewhat isolated from other communities and having rail service will prove to be a benefit to the residents in several ways: 1. SAFETY: There are no alternative truck routes bypassing any community in the Basin, hence every load of lumber, furniture, groceries, crude oil, hydrochloric acid, etc. must be transported through the main street of each town. Having a rail service may reduce much of the truck traffic through these areas, thus reducing the chances for crashes and chemical spills in populated areas. 2. OPPORTUNITIES: A. Having the option of transporting commodities by rail may open the Basin up to industries such as manufacturing which in the past was not feasible. B. The residents of the Basin would have an entirely new field of learning/careers which the high schools, technical college, and USU could promote in addition to the courses already offered. 3. TAX REVENUES: The various communities tax coffers would grow by virtue of the increased volume of produced oil and gas, not to mention other commodities such as agriculture, lumber, phospate, etc. 4. STABILIZATION: By at least having a chance to import various materials, and export the goods produced in the Basin, the turbulence and uncertainty of the energy sector could be somewhat mitigated. I have lived in Vernal off and on since 1980 for a total of 19+ years. During that time I have seen the communities in this great area boom, bust, strive, and thrive. I would like to see the rail service come to the Basin, and we, the residents take advantage of the opportunities it affords. Respectfully submitted, John Bruch
Submitted by: John Bruch · Vernal, UT
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-36284/comment/EI-30327 · back to the docket sheet