|
|
|
The Bartlett Village Board voted Tuesday to join several other communities in a federal appeal that could delay Canadian National Railway’s acquisition of the nearby Elgin, Joliet and Eastern rail line.
The move to join the suit, which will cost Bartlett $7,500, was approved by trustees 4-2.
Bartlett abstained from joining the effort after it was created Jan. 9 to weigh its costs and benefits, officials said.
“It’s been a difficult decision, but I think (joining the appeal) may ultimately hurt our chances for any individual negotiations with CN if we join the lawsuit,” said Trustee T.L. Arends, who voted no. “This is not a question of money or support, it’s just that our efforts would be better spent individually.”
The lawsuit is headed by The Regional Answer to Canadian National Railroad, a suburban group to which Bartlett belongs.
In a memorandum given to trustees, Bartlett
Assistant to the Village Administrator Steve Bosco wrote TRAC “believes that a group suit is important because if a significant number of municipalities along the EJ&E line do not appeal the Federal Surface Transportation Board’s decision to allow the acquisition, then CN can make the case that almost all of them are OK with the STB’s decision and any singular appeals.”
TRAC’s lawsuit argues the STB neglected to hear numerous problems previously identified by opponents of the transaction during a federal environmental impact study process last year, including economic, environmental, safety and congestion issues.
“The final (study) cited an unprecedented amount of comments in opposition to this deal and we are committed to pursue the appeal of the STB’s rubber-stamping of this merger,” said Karen Darch, Barrington Village President and Co-Chair of TRAC.
“The Board’s unwillingness to address and resolve its own expressed concerns, much less those expressed by the impacted communities, undercuts any claim the board properly evaluated and mitigated all reasonably foreseeable indirect effects and environmental consequences of its actions.”
The Bartlett Village Board voted Tuesday to join several other communities in a federal appeal that could delay Canadian National Railway’s acquisition of the nearby Elgin, Joliet and Eastern rail line.
The move to join the suit, which will cost Bartlett $7,500, was approved by trustees 4-2.
Bartlett abstained from joining the effort after it was created Jan. 9 to weigh its costs and benefits, officials said.
“It’s been a difficult decision, but I think (joining the appeal) may ultimately hurt our chances for any individual negotiations with CN if we join the lawsuit,” said Trustee T.L. Arends, who voted no. “This is not a question of money or support, it’s just that our efforts would be better spent individually.”
The lawsuit is headed by The Regional Answer to Canadian National Railroad, a suburban group to which Bartlett belongs.
In a memorandum given to trustees, Bartlett
Assistant to the Village Administrator Steve Bosco wrote TRAC “believes that a group suit is important because if a significant number of municipalities along the EJ&E line do not appeal the Federal Surface Transportation Board’s decision to allow the acquisition, then CN can make the case that almost all of them are OK with the STB’s decision and any singular appeals.”
TRAC’s lawsuit argues the STB neglected to hear numerous problems previously identified by opponents of the transaction during a federal environmental impact study process last year, including economic, environmental, safety and congestion issues.
“The final (study) cited an unprecedented amount of comments in opposition to this deal and we are committed to pursue the appeal of the STB’s rubber-stamping of this merger,” said Karen Darch, Barrington Village President and Co-Chair of TRAC.
“The Board’s unwillingness to address and resolve its own expressed concerns, much less those expressed by the impacted communities, undercuts any claim the board properly evaluated and mitigated all reasonably foreseeable indirect effects and environmental consequences of its actions.”
