Dakota MN & East. RRPlanning Services Department
50 West 13th Street
Dubuque, Iowa 52001-4864
Phone (319) 589-z~210
Fax (319) 589-4221
March 5, 2001
Victoria Rutson, Environmental Project Manager
Office of the Secretary, Case Control Unit
Surface Transportation Board
1925 K Street NW
Washington, DC 20423-0001
RE: STB Finance Docket No. 33407
Dear Ms. Rutson:
Please accept these comments from the City of Dubuque, Iowa, regarding STB Finance
Docket No. 33407 and the Draft Environmental Impact Statement issued on September
27, 2000, for the proposed Powder River Basin Expansion Project of the Dakota,
Minnesota, and Eastem Railroad (DM&E).
It is our understanding that the DM&E Railroad is cuffenfly in the process of seeking
federal Surface Transportation Board approval to construct 281 miles of new mil line,
rebuild 598 miles of existJng rail line, construction of a new track connection in Owatonna,
Mionesota, and construction of new track in Mankato, Minnesota. The Powder River
Basin Expansion Project is intended to provide access for a third rail carder to serve coal
mines in Wyoming's Powder River Basin, to transport coal eastward, and to increase the
operational efficiency of DM&E's existing rail lines in Minnesota and South Dakota.
While the Draft Environmental Impact Statement addresses the expansion of the DM&E
Railroad along these routes, it does not examine the potential environmental impacts of
the DM&E expansion along the I & M Rail Linlc The I & M Rail Link has rail lines in
Dubuque which we understand will be used to send coal to Chicago and Kansas City
with the DM&E expansion. With this expansion, the number of trains using the DM&E
rail lines, and other railways like the I & M Ra'I Link, will increase substantially. We
understand that in Owatonna, the number of trains will increase from 3 DM&E trains per
day to 37 trains per day. We understand that these coal trains will be a mile and a half
long.
Last year, the I & M Rail Link increased the maximum speed limit for freight trains at
grade crossings from 25 miles per hour to 40 miles per hour in Dubuque. The tracks
through Dubuque run the length of our dverfront, with adjacent land uses ranging from
commercial and industrial to residential and recreational. With an increased number of
trains of more than a mile in length traveling through Dubuque, we believe that our
DM&E Railroad Expansion
page2
community may experience significant environmental impacts. In addition to the
increased train traffic, we believe there may be impacts from increased noise, vibration,
and diesel fumes.
We also have very serious ~ma for safety, which we expressed to the I & M Rail
Link when the railroad raised their maximum train sF, ccd through Dubuque. We believe
that the significant increase in the number of trains, traveling through town at this higher
spc. c~J, will negatively impact the safety of our at grade rail crossings.
We respectfully request that the Surface Transportation Board prepare a new Draft
Environmental Impact Statement~ or prepare an amendment to this Statement, that
would include an environmental impact study of the entire I & M Rail Link system, and
that this new or amended Draft Environmental Impact Statement be opened to the public
We appreciate your attention to our concerns, and hope that you will give full
consideration to our request for a new or amended Draft Environmental Impact
Statement of the impact on the I & M Rail Link from the DM&E Railroad's Powder River
Basin Expansion Project.
Michael C. Van Milligen
City Manager
The Honorable Mayor and City Cmm~ Members
Michael A. Koch, Public Works Director
Laura Carstens, Planning Services Manager
MinnmlpolLs e Yard)
Minnesota Lake
Wells
Fairmont
Jackson
Emr, etslmrg Maso. ~
Chlllicothe
K~ Gity (K~.he Yord)
i~IIr i ~ M
iY I~AIL LINK
System Map
MA~AT0 AREA COAL TRAIN COALITION
P. 0. ~OX 106
SA~/AT0, ~ 56001
February 9, 2001
Ke.~- Po-cential Effects of ;~ ~lwa~ ~s/on on I~ ~lwa~ ~dor
As you ~ay know, the Ihkota, F~nnesota, and Eastern Itailroad (~&E) is
currently in the process of seektn~ federal Surface Transportation Board
(STB) approval to construct 260 ~les of new railroad into Wyoming's
Fowder l~ver Coal Bas/n, and to up§fade the current tracks in South Dakota
and F~nnesota to handle ,mit coal trains (ea~ about 110 cars leng w~th
- several d/ese1 ensines).
Another factor is the potential effect of increase in train traffic on
the I~ Rail LinE, both north and south of Owatonna, ~. The Draft
Environmental Iapact Statement issued by the STB on Septeaber '27, 2000,
ha~ no reference ~o the potential effects of the ~&E Expansion along
the I~ Railway, yet there may be eigaifica~t ~n~lroamental impacts from
increased train treE/icon this line which was nearly abandoned a few
years ago.
If you have concerns for your city re~srding noise, vibration, ~iesel
f,-.~, safety, end other negative environmental impacts ns a re~lt of
tMS potential increased traffic, please wr~te your concerns to the ~f~
no :later than Hatch 6, 2001, wb/ch is the expiration date of the public
comment period on the D~IS.
We suggest that it would he appropriate for you to ask that a new DEIS
be prepared wb/ch would include au environments1 impact study all along
the I&}i route, and that th~s new DEIS be opened to the publ/c for commnt.
Please:send ~uur( C~n~s to the following address:
corner of the envelope:
At,n: Victoria :Rutson ~
Environmental Proj ec~ Hanager~
Environment Filim~ ~
If yOU have any questions please contact Roger Plath at (507) 451 7690~
You may call Victoria Ruteon, STB,at 1-877-404-30z~o There is a lon8
message about the pro~ect. I~ you wish, when message begins dial
to 80 to Operator and ask for He. Rutson.
coments~lh 6, 200!:~; ~ order
Re~eaber, it is necessary to submit ~ ~ ~'~:
for the S~ to co~der y~ req~s~.
Sincerely,
OWATONNA COAL TRAIN COALITION