Chicago area communities as well as their representatives in Washington DC have reacted strongly to the latest move by Canadian National Railway in their attempt to quicken the approval process for their purchase of the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railway Company.

The group "The Regional Answer to Canadian National" responded to Canadian National’s announcement by providing Breaking News on the groups website, the text pointing out the Canadian National (CN) had threatened the Surface Transportation Board (STB) with legal action should the STB not agree to make a decision on the EJ&E transaction by October 15.

Senator Dick Durban, the Democratic representative for Illinois reacted with sarcasm and vitriol to Canadian National’s Petition.  The Senator venturing to suggest that Canadian National "must think they are playing a weak hand because it seems they are making every attempt to change the rules of the game." 

Durban went on to urge the Surface Transportation Board not to fold under the pressure of this latest attempt by railroad lawyers to rush a professional evaluation of the impact that a significant increase in freight traffic will have through our communities."  "I will continue to work with members of the Illinois Congressional Delegation including Representatives Melissa Bean (D-IL) and Bill Foster (D-IL) to block this brazen attempt to strong-arm an independent government agency," said Durban.

At present, the STB’s  Section of Environmental Analysis has provided for a 60-day comment period on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement, with comments requiring to be postmarked by September 30 2008.

Source: The Regional Answer to Canadian National,United States Senator Dick Durban and the United States Surface Transportation Board

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