STB rejects call to halt Tongue River Railroad project

Written by jrood

On June 14, the Surface Transportation Board denied a request from the Northern Plains Resource Council and local rancher, Mark Fix, to halt construction on the 130-mile Tongue River Railroad project between Miles City and Decker, Mont., which was originally approved for construction more than 25 years ago. The railroad would transport coal from Wyoming and Montana to power plants in and near the Midwest. A petition filed by the NPRC and Fix on July 26, 2010 was brought to the Board on environmental grounds in hopes to reopen the Board's prior 2007 decision regarding the TRR project and the lease of the state-owned Otter Creek coal tracts, which could make more coal available for transport. The STB said in the decision statement summary: "In sum, as the record here shows, we properly considered and weighed the transportation benefits, concerns and environmental effects in reaching our decision in Tongue River III that this line is not inconsistent with the public convenience and necessity. As we previously found (2007 decision at 22), the TRR will contribute to a sound transportation system and will encourage sound economic conditions by providing a more efficient route at lower costs for shippers. "NPRC has not met its burden to demonstrate changed circumstances or new evidence that would materially alter that decision. Nor has it provided exceptional grounds that would be needed to lead us to reopen this case, years after the environmental review was completed and our final decision issued. We believe that TRRC should be allowed to move forward with this project without being subjected to the delay, costs and uncertainty that reopening this case now would cause." The NPRC's motion for oral argument and its petition to reopen has been

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