(The following story by Keith Benman appeared on the Munster Times website on December 25.)
MUNSTER, Ind. — The public and concerned communities will be able to speak out on Canadian National Railway Co.’s proposed purchase of the EJ&E Railway at Gary’s Genesis Center on Jan. 16.
The purchase would pull CN rail traffic out of Chicago’s urban core and put it on the EJ&E, a move that would increase rail traffic three-fold in some suburban communities such as Dyer, Schererville and Chicago Heights.
“There is a lot of concern out there right now, with the increased rail traffic, especially at the at-grade crossings,” said Dan Gardner, deputy director of the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission, a council of 44 local governments.
Some of the rail crossings that would see the largest affects are at Sheffield Avenue, in Dyer; Kennedy Avenue and 213th Street, in Schererville; South Broad Street in Griffith; and numerous crossings in Gary where the EJ&E makes its way north to Kirk Yard.
The proposal would triple train traffic at Gary’s Kirk Yard, which would become a major international rail hub under CN’s plans.
The federal Surface Transportation Board will host the Gary meeting, where people can prepare written comments or have oral comments recorded by a court reporter. Staff from STB’s environmental analysis section will also be available to answer questions and take notes on comments.
The STB must approve CN’s proposed $300 million acquisition of the EJ&E before the transaction can close.
Regulators have set a target date of April 25 for a final decision, but note the review period could be extended if necessary, according to a recent record of decision issued by the board.
The STB’s section of environmental analysis must prepare an environmental impact study as part of the board’s review. The STB will use comments from the Jan. 16 meeting to determine what needs to be included in the impact statement.
The Gary meeting is one of seven the board will have, with five others taking place in the Chicago suburbs and one other in Chicago, all during the month of January.
The STB is proposing the environmental impact statement examine a wide range of issues. Among those are safety at rail crossings, effect on commuter trains, hazardous materials handling, and air pollution and environmental justice, according to a draft scope already prepared by the STB.
The board also is conducting a separate review of the economic impacts of CN’s purchase of the EJ&E. More than 100 parties, ranging from small communities to major steel companies, already have issued notices of intent they intend to participate in that process.
In late September, CN announced it had an agreement to buy the bulk of the EJ&E leaving a small portion of the railroad in the hands of current owner U.S. Steel Corp.
The purchase would allow CN to take trains that currently have to travel through Chicago’s urban core and reroute them onto the 190 miles of EJ&E track that loop around the city through such suburban communities as Barrington, Matteson, Chicago Heights, Dyer and Schererville.
Last week, CN Chief Executive Officer E. Hunter Harrison rallied support for the proposed acquisition. He pointed out the plan would cut rail congestion in Chicago and provide a head start for Chicago’s ambitious CREATE plan, which aims to dramatically reduce the number of at-grade crossings in Chicago.