Railroad, Surface Ltr, Environ.Section of Environmental Analysis
SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD
Washington, DC 20423
May 18, 2001
Dear Interested Party:
On behalf of the Surface Transportation Board's Section of Environmental Analysis (SEA), I would like
to thank you for your interest and participation in the environmental review process for the Dakota. Minnesota.
& Eastern Railroad Corporation's (DM&E) proposed Powder River Basin Expansion Project. The period for
submitting comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for this proceeding closed on March
6, 2001 after being extended for 60 days at the request of many interested parties. So that we may focus our
efforts on completing the environmental review process, we are not able to accept additional comments.
Approximately 8,500 comments were received from agencies, organizations, communities, Indian
Tribes, and individuals, largely from the States of Minnesota, South Dakota, and Wyoming, but also from
locations throughout the United States. We appreciate the time and effort of all who responded. SEA, in
concert with our five cooperating agencies (Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management. Army Corps of
Engineers, Bureau of Reclamation, and Coast Guard), is now considering the ideas, comments, and concerns
expressed. The next step is preparing and releasing the Final EIS.
Many of the comments we received raised one or more of the following issues:
· Mitigation of environmental harm, such as which mitigation measures should be required
and who should be responsible for implementing mitigation measures.
· Adverse safety impacts, such as potential delays in emergency vehicle response times because
of blocked rail-highway crossings and the safety of such crossings.
· Route alternatives, particularly those associated with proposals to bypass certain concerned
conmunities in Minnesota and South Dakota.
In addition to pointing out areas that could benefit by additional analysis or clarification, comments also raised
many other topics, issues, and concerns. These include potential impacts from noise and vibration.
socioeconomic effects, disruptions to transportation systems, changes in land use patterns, potential impacts to
air quality relating to coal dust and diesel emissions during train operations, potential impacts to wetlands and
water quality, and potential impacts to Indian Tribes.
The Final EIS that SEA is now preparing will respond to the comments, and will include additional
analysis, as appropriate, and SEA's final environmental mitigation reconunendations to the Board. SEA
anticipates issuing the Final EIS no later than late Fall of this year. While the Board has yet to make a final
decision concerning the proposed DM&E project, pending completion of the environmental review process.
has already found that the Powder River Basin Project meets the transportation merits criteria of the ICC
Termination Act. After consideration of the entire environmental record, which will include all public and
agency comments, the Draft EIS, and the Final EIS, the Board will make a final decision in this case.
continued on other side
SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD
SECTION OF ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS
1925 K Street. NW
WASHINGTON, DC 20423-0001
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Thank you again for your interest and participation. Again, please be aware that the comment period
has closed, and we are not able to accept additional comments. We appreciate your concerns and are carefully
considenng them. If you have any additional questions regarding environmental issues or the environmental
review process for the proposed DM&E Powder River Basin Expansion, please call SEA's toll-free
Environmental Hotline at (877) 404-3044. or visit the Board's website at www. stb.dot.gov.
Sincerely,
Victoria Rutson
Project Manager
Section of Environmental Analysis