Harkin Calls for Continued Oversight to Reduce Potential Difficulties from Shipping Coal Through Iowa Communities

HARKIN CALLS FOR CONTINUED OVERSIGHT TO REDUCE POTENTIAL DIFFICULTIES FROM SHIPPING COAL THROUGH IOWA COMMUNITIES

WASHINGTON, DC - In a letter to the Department of Transportation's Surface Transportation Board (STB), Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) urged the Board to maintain oversight and ensure steps are taken to reduce difficulties related to shipping coal through Iowa by rail on the Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad DM&E. While STB requires their review of an environmental assessment to identify potential community impacts before starting coal shipments, the DM&E has petitioned to waive this requirement for its subsidiary, the Iowa, Chicago and Eastern Railroad (IC&E). Harkin called on the STB to reject this waiver.

"There's no good reason why we shouldn't have proper oversight by the Surface Transportation Board. We must be able to assess potential problems this could create for affected communities and determine how to minimize them before shipping coal in Iowa on the DM&E lines," Harkin said. "There's plenty of time to identify what reasonable steps can be taken to avoid any problems for citizens in Dubuque, Mason City and other Iowa towns where DM&E is looking to ship coal. The Board needs to treat the Iowa case just as they did Minnesota and South Dakota where improvements like overpasses are being created to reduce the burden caused by coal trains."

"We appreciate Senator Harkin's support on this critical issue for Dubuque," said Dubuque Mayor Roy Buol. "Increased coal train traffic through our community could negatively impact all that we have accomplished in recent years on our riverfront and limit our plans for continued development in that area. We are also very concerned about the public safety issues related to increased train traffic through the heart of Dubuque, especially emergency vehicle access to all parts of our community."

A number of Iowa communities could face significant traffic delays, noise and other difficulties from as a result of increased coal shipments traveling though their area. The Iowa Department of Transportation, as well as a number of local governments, has expressed opposition to DM&E's waiver request. While the DM&E has reached out to Iowa communities, plans to mitigate environmental risk have not progressed. DM&E does not expect to begin shipping of coal until 2009.

http://harkin.senate.gov/news.cfm?id=261524