(The following story by Andre Salles appeared on The Beacon News website on August 1)
CHICAGO On Tuesday, a group of federal legislators will meet in Chicago to discuss Canadian National Railway Company's proposed $300 million buyout of the Elgin, Joliet and Eastern rail line.
But they'll do it without Canadian National in attendance.
E. Hunter Harrison, CN's president and CEO, has declined an invitation from Rep. Melissa Bean, D-Barrington, to participate in the hearing. In a letter dated Wednesday, Harrison notes the "consistently outspoken" opposition Bean and the other congressional attendees have shown toward the transaction.
Those other attendees are Rep. Judy Biggert, R-Hinsdale; Rep. Bill Foster, D-Geneva; Rep. Peter Roskam, R-Wheaton; and Rep. Don Manzullo, R-Rockford.
All five congressmen, along with an additional 16 co-sponsors, introduced legislation Thursday that would force the STB to weigh the public costs a merger would have against the transportation benefits to the railroads. If the adverse impact outweighs the benefit, the merger would not proceed.
The legislation, called Taking Responsible Action for Community Safety (TRACS) bill, would also give the STB the authority to set strict mitigation conditions on the merger, according to a press release from Biggert's office. These conditions would apply to any merger not yet approved by Aug. 1, 2008.
Last week, the federal Surface Transportation Board, which approves all railroad sales, released its draft environmental impact study. This is the first step toward deciding whether to approve the sale, and it lays out the effects the STB believes the sale would have on the surrounding communities.
In some areas, the number of freight trains would quadruple, and many local, state and federal leaders have expressed concerns about traffic, safety and the environment.
In a response posted on her Web site, Bean "sharply rebuked" the STB for its study, which pointed out 15 at-grade crossings along the line (out of 133) that would need improvements to handle the increased freight traffic.
Bean called the study "another example of a federal agency failing its responsibility to the American people by serving industry special interests over our nation's taxpayers."
Harrison criticized Bean and her congressional colleagues for being "unwilling to acknowledge in a positive way any of CN's efforts or the benefits this transaction would provide to rail customers and to dozens of communities in the region."
CN officials say the rail traffic would be diverted from the clogged Chicago rail system to the EJ&E, clearing up congestion in Chicago and providing a greater regional benefit.
Harrison noted CN continues to meet with local communities, working toward voluntary mitigation agreements for affected crossings.
In a written statement, Foster decried CN's decision to decline the invitation, saying it shows the railway company "has no interest in working with the communities it would profoundly and adversely affect."
And Biggert said she is disappointed, since she and her colleagues only want to foster "the best relationship possible" with the rail company.
"CN has said they believe this merger would be good for our communities, and this meeting presented them with an opportunity to tell us how it would be so," she said.
The public has until Sept. 30 to submit comments to the STB on the draft study.
