Comment EI-34405
Received or sent (printed as 9/23/2026)
I am writing on behalf of Sangamon Valley Community Unit School District #9 to request careful consideration of the environmental and safety impacts of the proposed Union Pacific–Norfolk Southern transaction on schools located near affected rail corridors. Our district serves students in Niantic, Illiopolis, and Harristown, and railroad tracks are located in very close proximity to our school facilities. Any increase in train frequency, length, or idling could have a direct and recurring impact on students and staff. The environmental review should specifically evaluate air quality and diesel emissions near schools, as children spend a significant portion of each weekday in these facilities. Increased rail traffic may create additional noise and vibration that can disrupt the educational environment. I am concerned about the transportation of hazardous materials near schools. The review should consider the consequences of a derailment, spill, fire, or other emergency near a school, including evacuation and shelter-in-place requirements and the ability of responders to reach students quickly. Our district also operates school buses throughout a large rural area. Longer or more frequent trains could increase the frequency and duration of blocked crossings, affecting school transportation as well as ambulance, fire, and law-enforcement response. In rural communities with limited alternate routes, any additional minutes can be significant during an emergency. I request that the environmental review specifically identify schools located near rail segments expected to experience merger-related traffic changes and evaluate cumulative impacts involving emissions, noise, hazardous materials, blocked crossings, emergency response, and student safety. These comments are not intended to express support for or opposition to the transaction, but to ensure that the unique needs of schools located near affected rail corridors are fully considered.
Submitted by: Jonathan Field · Sangamon Valley CUSD 9 · Niantic, 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-36873/comment/EI-34405 · back to the docket sheet