|
Washington, D.C. – Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives today blocked H.R. 6707, the Taking Responsible Action for Community Safety (TRACS) Act. Congressman Pete Visclosky was an original cosponsor of the bill, which would have required the Surface Transportation Board (STB) to give greater consideration to the impact of railroad transactions on affected communities, including the pending CN/EJ&E transaction.
“If the STB approves the CN/EJ&E transaction without consideration of its impact on the affected communities, it would do a grave injustice to the people of Northwest Indiana,” said Visclosky. “The TRACS Act would have ensured that the interests of our communities, and our neighbors in Illinois, get their due consideration when the STB evaluates the transaction, and would have helped ensure that our safety, economic, and environmental needs are met.”
The TRACS Act would have applied to all transactions not approved by the STB prior to August 1, 2008, including the CN/EJ&E transaction, and would have required the Board to place greater consideration on the impact of railroad transactions on affected communities. In doing so, the STB would have had to give equal consideration to the public impact as the transportation benefits for the railroads of such transactions. Presently, the STB considers transportation benefits first and public impact second.
Specifically, the TRACS Act would have required the STB to consider a transaction’s effect on local communities as far as public safety, grade crossing safety, hazardous materials transportation, emergency response systems, commuter rail, and Amtrak are concerned. The bill also would have required the STB to reject a proposed acquisition if it finds that the transaction’s adverse impacts on affected communities outweigh the transportation benefits in the transaction. Additionally, it would have allowed the STB to impose conditions to mitigate the effects of the transaction on local communities.
The CN/EJ&E transaction would result in a three-fold increase in rail traffic on the existing EJ&E line in Northwest Indiana, cause the average train length to increase from 2,590 feet to 6,321 feet, and bring nearly ten times as many rail cars carrying hazardous materials to Northwest Indiana. With as many as 34 trains per day running on the track, it would bisect communities, impede the flow of automobile traffic, and create a considerable public safety concern. The proposed acquisition also would create new obstacles to economic development initiatives such as the expansion of the South Shore Line and the expansion of the Gary/Chicago International Airport.
“We need the TRACS Act to protect Northwest Indiana from the CN/EJ&E transaction and to ensure that other communities don’t get similarly slammed by future transactions,” said Visclosky. “I am disappointed that Republicans decided to stand with the railroads today, instead of with the American people.” |
|
|
