Comment EI-33657
Received or sent (printed as 1/16/2025)
Dear STB Members: I am writing you as a concerned citizen of Eugene, to oppose the leasing of the Eugene rail yard operations to Coos Line to Central Oregon and Pacific Railroad (CORP). I live within 5 miles of the rail yard and my child’s school is just a little over a mile away. With the recent derailment of two cars carrying urea fertilizer into the Mary’s River near Philomath, we have just seen a glimpse of the potential risk this transfer has. Because the current rail yard operators are Class I Railroad, the employees are well trained to monitor track conditions, be aware of risky/hazardous/flammable cargo, and have long experience in doing so. They also have Union protection should they need to speak up about risky behavior or operations. It is my understanding, that as a Class III Railroad, CORP employees are non-union and if they take over operations in this area they will lack experience with these tracks and this site, along with lacking the same specific safety training the UP rail yard employees have. Experience managing this infrastructure is something that is learned over time. Handing it off to new employees without that earned knowledge is a risk to the environment and health and safety of our city. In addition to the lack of experience and safety risk this change will bring, Union Pacific has ongoing groundwater cleanup efforts in Eugene. Will CORP take on the responsibility? From what has been seen in Coos Bay, where they abandoned the projects, I’m not reassured. Why is this happening? Greed. It’s that simple. Corporate profits are weighing out over environmental safety, and above loyal employees and their jobs. CORP’s track record demonstrates negligence in upholding safety, customer service, and environmental stewardship. I urge you to decline this lease and contract change-over from Union Pacific to CORP.
Submitted by: Leah Rosin · EUGENE, OR
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-36818/comment/EI-33657 · back to the docket sheet