The United States Surface Transportation Board last Friday released a long awaited Draft Environmental Impact Statement(*) regarding the proposed acquisition of the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railway Company (EJ&E).

According to the Surface Transportation Board(STB), the draft Environmental Impact Statement  analyses the environmental impacts that might occur if Canadian National Railway(CN) were to acquire and operate trains over the EJ&E Railroad, and compares those to the environmental impacts of continuing rail operations on the EJ&E rail line and the five CN rail lines that feed into Chicago.

Speaking to Freightscene.com, Canadian National Public Affairs Officer Mark Hallman said that the release of the draft EIS was an "important step in the regulatory process" and that the company is pleased that the STB has provided for a 60 day waiting period, within which further comment from interested parties can take place, something that Hallman says Canadian National will stay actively involved in.

A group opposing the acquisition of EJ&E by Canadian National, Barrington Communities Against CN Rail Congestion have also welcomed the draft EIS, the group announcing on their website that while there had not yet had been time to fully review the draft EIS, the group remains committed to "serving as advocates for the more than one million residents who are negatively impacted by the proposed EJ&E acquisition by Canadian National."

One of the issues that has arisen more than most in the wake of the proposed acquisition, is the congestion communities fear would increase at numerous grade crossings along the EJ&E line.  Section 6.3.3 of the report addressed the issue saying that the Section of Environmental Analysis(SEA) agrees that many communities along the EJ&E rail line would benefit from more grade separations.  However, the report also details that previously railroads have not been responsible for the cost of implementing the majority of grade separated crossings, saying that such crossings "primarily benefit the community and not the railroad."  Following on, the report also states that the "SEA believes the remedies (that is, mitigation) appropriately should be funded by a combination of entities, and not by the Applicants alone."

Canadian National in commenting to Freightscene.com said that that the the company believes that the environmental issues that have been raised are not unusual and can be reasonably mitigated.  The company adding that they remain committed to working with communities along the EJ&E lines to come to an agreement over appropriate mitigation measures.

In addition to the release of the draft EIS, the STB has now also set out a definitive framework for completing the review and decision process for Canadian National’s proposed acquisition of the EJ&E company.

Source: Canadian National Railway, Surface Transportation Board and Barrington Communities Against CN Rail Congestion                                 With thanks to: Mark Hallman - CN Public Affairs

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