New Lenox Rail Sense

(Press Release from the Village of New Lenox) 

By Will County Executive Larry Walsh, Will County Board Chairman Jim Moustis and Village of New Lenox Mayor Tim Baldermann

We applaud the recent news of the Illinois Commerce Commission opposing the EJ&E Railway acquisition by Canadian National (CN) Railway. As the most respected authority on rail issues in Illinois, the ICC clearly understands the direct negative impact it will have on hundreds of thousands of people. While some have decided to give in to this transaction, Will County and the Village of New Lenox continue to vehemently oppose the measure.

Our resistance to the $300 million purchase of nearly 200 miles of track by CN has everything to do with the incredibly negative environmental impact it may have on our citizens. This issue can be spun in many ways to justify the acceptance of such an enormous change in our environment. Some have said we don’t have a legal leg to stand on, but the record of facts and legal proceedings say just the opposite.

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December 23, 2008 / by Canadian National Railway / Press Release

CN (TSX: CNR: 0.0499, -0.0001, -0.2%)(NYSE: CNI: 34.44, -0.37, -1.06%) announced today a voluntary mitigation agreement with the Village of Mokena, Ill., located southwest of Chicago, that addresses the community’s concerns about CN’s proposed acquisition of the principal lines of the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railway Company (EJ&E).  Under the agreement, CN would provide funding for quiet zones, noise mitigation, and emergency response personnel training and emergency communication capabilities.

Read the complete news release

SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD ISSUES FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT FOR PROPOSED CANADIAN NATIONAL RAILWAY ACQUISITION OF ELGIN, JOLIET & EASTERN RAILWAY

December 5, 2008 / Press release from Surface Transportation Board

The Surface Transportation Board announced today that its Section of Environmental Analysis (SEA) has issued the Final Environmental Impact Statement (Final EIS) for the proposed acquisition by the Canadian National Railway and Grand Trunk Corporation of the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railway (EJ&E).

Read the complete announcement

CHICAGO, Nov 24, 2008 /PRNewswire-USNewswire via COMTEX/ — Coalition demands that the record be set straight prior to final ruling

On November 18, the environmental staff (SEA) of the Surface Transportation Board (STB) and its consulting firm, HDR, presented its environmental analysis of CN’s acquisition of the EJ&E to the three board members of the STB. While this briefing was open for public observation, the public could not participate in the proceedings or ask any questions.

As an observer, TRAC concluded that this event demonstrated that the environmental staff either does not recognize that its environmental analysis is materially flawed or knows it is flawed but has decided to muddle through in the hope that it can paper over the flaws in the final EIS.

Read the complete press release

Rally at Lincoln-Way Central High School

New Lenox, Ill. / Sept. 10, 2008 / Photos supplied by Village of New Lenox

Mayor Tim Baldermann addresses an audience of nearly 500 people:

People line up to register prior to the rally. Corey Singer, Will County Board member and chairman of the Forest Preserve board, is in foreground (navy blazer).  Jim Moustis, County Board Chairman, is partially obscured behind Singer.

An attorney from the New Lenox law firm, Querry & Harrow, addresses the crowd:

Mokena Mayor Joe Werner:

Posted August 29, 2008 / By the Village of New Lenox

NEW LENOX MOVES TO BLOCK CN RAIL PLAN

Attendance at Rally and Public Hearing Urged

NEW LENOX, IL-New Lenox Mayor Tim Baldermann is urging residents to rally behind the village’s decision to aggressively fight the proposed acquisition of the EJ&E Railway by the CN Railway.

“We had hoped that the CN would partner with us to lessen the impacts of a fourfold increase in train traffic through the village if the plan is approved, but it’s clear that the CN has no interest in doing this,” Baldermann said.

“Therefore, New Lenox will go on record with the U.S. Surface Transportation Board (STB) in opposition and we will testify before the STB at a public hearing in Joliet next month,” he said.

New Lenox residents are encouraged to attend the hearing to be held September 11, from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. at the Holiday Inn at I-80 and Larkin Avenue. Moreover, the village will hold a community rally on September 10 at 7:00 p.m. at Lincoln-Way Central High School Auditorium (1801 East Lincoln Highway). Residents are also urged to write letters of opposition to the STB. Details on how to do this can be found at www.nlrailsense.net.

Baldermann said that New Lenox joined TRAC (The Regional Answer to Canadian National), a marshalling point for communities opposing the CN plan.

There are five at-grade rail crossings with the EJ&E, which operates six trains daily through town. The CN would increase that to 28 trains daily. Moreover, these are long, heavy freight trains. New Lenox and other communities are concerned about the blockage of multiple crossings if a train breaks down or stops for signals. “We are obviously concerned about the ability of first responders to answer calls for help and the traffic backups that could occur,” Baldermann said.

Surprised by the level of opposition, the STB ordered an environmental impact study of the CN plan, but the study, released in July, concluded that there would be no adverse impacts on New Lenox. “Whatever incentive the CN may have had to talk with us about grade separations or other mitigation evaporated with the conclusions of that report and we have no alternative but to fight,” Baldermann said.

NEW LENOX RESIDENTS:

Download a window poster

Download a flyer about the rally

July 30, 2008 / Company Press Release

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - CN (TSX:CNR) (NYSE:CNI) said today that the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) issued on July 25, 2008, by the Section of Environmental Analysis (SEA) of the Surface Transportation Board (STB) on the company’s proposed acquisition of the principal lines of the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railway Company (EJ&E) is an important step in the regulatory process. The DEIS outlines the environmental effects of the transaction on local communities and potential mitigation. The agency established a 60-day period for public comments on the DEIS, including eight public hearings, which will be followed by SEA’s preparation of the final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and a final regulatory decision by the STB.

On Friday, July 25, the Surface Transportation Board release STB Finance Docket No. 35087, Canadian National Railway Company and Grand Trunk Corporation - Control - EJ&E West Company; Issuance of Draft Environmental Impact Statement.

Here is the opening paragraph of the document:

“The Section of Environmental Analysis (SEA) is pleased to provide you with your copy of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on the proposed acquisition of the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railroad by Canadian National Railway and Grand Trunk Corporation (Applicants). This Draft EIS analyzes the environmental impacts that might occur if the Applicants were to acquire and operate trains over the EJ&E Railroad, an approximately 200-mile long railroad that forms an arc from the northwest to the southeast suburbs of Chicago, approximately 40 miles outside the city. The potential environmental impacts to both the human and the natural environments that could result from the proposed acquisition are compared to the environmental impacts of continuing rail operations on the EJ&E rail line and the five CN rail lines that feed into Chicago.”

Click here to download the complete study directly from the STB’s Web site.

[Press Release]

BARRINGTON, Ill., July 25, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ — The following statement has been issued by the TRAC (The Regional Answer to Canadian National) Coalition which represents more than 40 suburban communities in response to the STB Environmental Impact Study.

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June 25, 2008 / by Susan DeMar Lafferty / Lincoln-Way Sun

TRAC’s engine appears to be gaining steam.

Frankfort and New Lenox have officially jumped on board, each agreeing to put $10,000 into this regional cause to fight the Canadian National Railroad’s acquisition of the EJ&E Railroad tracks in their communities.

The Regional Answer to Canadian National, TRAC, opposes the purchase, which would dramatically increase the amount of freight and hazardous materials through the area, and tie up key crossings.

Read the complete article