Washington, DC – U.S. Representative Judy Biggert (R-IL-13th) today issued the following statement after the Surface Transportation Board (STB) approved, with conditions, Canadian National’s (CN) proposed acquisition of the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railway (EJ&E) line:
“The members of the STB have made it clear that they care more about a railroad making a profit than they do about the people's safety. It's not surprising that they put out this news on Christmas Eve -- a real lump of coal in the stockings of millions of suburban residents.
“As we feared, the mitigation conditions they set forth are still inadequate and will leave local communities stuck with the congestion and safety risks that will result from CN’s plan to triple or quadruple freight traffic. And Metra’s concerns about the impact on commuter transit were almost completely disregarded. Even two of the three Board members filed separate statements agreeing that further mitigation would have been preferable. It’s troubling that the STB still felt compelled to approve the merger.
“We’ve fought hard throughout this process, and I should note that our efforts and those of thousands of suburban residents who registered their concerns have not been completely ignored. At a minimum, CN will be forced to fund a larger portion – 67 and 78.5 percent -- of two badly-needed grade separations to alleviate traffic delays. CN will also be required to provide fencing to protect school children, added signage, quiet zone requirements, and video monitoring of the tracks to help coordinate emergency responders. And for several communities, the added pressure on CN provided much-needed leverage when negotiating local mitigation agreements. Most satisfying to me is that the STB used CN’s own testimony against our legislation as the legal basis for dismissing CN’s misguided arguments against environmental mitigation requirements.
“Our efforts to protect the quality of life in suburban communities are by no means compete. Moving forward, I will continue working closely with local officials and my colleagues in Congress to explore all options regarding this merger. The interests and safety of local residents must remain a top priority.”
Editor’s note: For more information, visit http://www.stbfinancedocket35087.com. For a full copy of the decision, visit the Board’s website at http://www.stb.dot.gov and look under "E-LIBRARY" on the home page, then under "Decisions & Notices," beneath the date "12/24/08." In accordance with the Board’s decision, parties of record have 30 days -- rather than the standard 20 -- in which to file an administrative appeal with the STB. Further appeals also may be filed in federal circuit court.
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