February 9, 2010
Unhappy Chicago suburbs will get independent review of Canadian National Railway’s reports on the impact of the railroads's operations there, the Surface Transportation Board said Friday.
The decision to call in a monitor follows a Chicago-area site visit earlier this month by STB Chairman Daniel R. Elliott, who took office in mid-August, and some agency staff.
A coalition of area towns that opposed CN’s recent purchase of short line Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railway has criticized regular impact reports CN files to the STB as a condition of its acquisition, arguing the reports gloss over recurring problems in the rail operations.
CN wants to shift train traffic out of its congested central-Chicago track network onto the EJ&E route around the city, but suburbs say that increased rail volume will disturb their commuter roadways and lifestyle.
The Regional Answer to Canadian National, or TRAC, had urged the regulatory board to take a new look at CN’s reports, charging the railroad did not accurately reflect the impact of its train flows.
On Nov. 17, the STB’s Matthew Wallen notified TRAC leaders by letter that the board would ask an independent contractor that helped build an earlier impact review, to assess signage at rail-roadway crossings as well as train volumes and activity that CN is reporting.
Wallen, who heads the agency’s office of public assistance, governmental affairs and compliance, said the board will post the contractor’s report on its Web site for public access.
Click here for links to letters from CN, TRAC and the STB http://www.stbfinancedocket35087.com/html/comments.html.
Contact John D. Boyd at jboyd@joc.com.
It sounds like the STB will use the original “independent contractor” who did the CN/EJE environmental report to assess the problems. The STB’s so-called independent contractor (whoever it is) cannot be so independent.
According to CN, it paid $21 million to the STB’s environmental consultant, which represented “25 per cent of the $300 million acquisition price for the EJ&E.” If the STB hires the same CN-paid firm to study it, they are very likely to get the same answers. The firm would certainly not want to do anything to upset CN after they just paid them $21 million or the STB, which hired them. see http://www.cn.ca/en/media-news-eje-mitigation-agreement-20090304.htm
Chairman Elliott should consider bringing someone truly independent to review the issue. Perhaps he should consider appointing a CN/EJE Czar. In any event, he should bring in a fresh and truly independent set of eyes to look at this problem.
Gerald W. Fauth III
G. W. Fauth & Associates, Inc.
Alexandria, VA
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