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After the acquisition was announced in Sept. 2007, Rochester officials andMayo Clinic made numerous factual submissions to the STB citing significantenvironmental and safety risks created by increased speed and frequency ofrail traffic and the shipment of ethanol and other hazardous materials onunsafe tracks. However, STB officials have ignored the requests for morethorough review and have ruled that it will require future assessment andoversight only if the Canadian Pacific decides to proceed with DM&E'scontroversial Powder River Basin (PRB) expansion.
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"The Coalition has never opposed the Canadian Pacific's acquisition ofDM&E. While not surprised by the ruling, we are nonetheless disappointed thatour reasonable safety concerns weren't addressed. This failure to protect ourcommunity against increased rail traffic and speeds places us at significantrisk," said Chris Gade, spokesman for the Rochester Coalition.
Members of the Rochester Coalition have opposed any increase in railtraffic by DM&E and CP through Rochester. "Our ultimate concern is protectingthe safety of our community. More frequent train traffic through downtownRochester increases the odds of a train derailment and disrupts emergencyresponse vehicles. The higher speeds that these trains will travel increasesthe potential for a more serious derailment and the likelihood that thesetrains will carry hazardous materials makes the possibility of a terriblehuman tragedy a reality. It is unacceptable," said Dr. Dan Hankins, co-medicaldirector of Mayo Clinic Medical Transport.
In 2002, a Canadian Pacific Railway train derailed near Minot, N.D.,causing violent rupture to five tankers and spilling 220,000 gallons ofanhydrous ammonia. Roughly 11,600 people were evacuated or asked to stay intheir homes. The plume of corrosive gas gradually expanded five milesdownwind. More than 1,100 people were treated for chemical burns, mainly totheir eyes, nasal passage, throat and lungs. The DM&E rail line runs throughthe city of Rochester within a few hundred yards of medical facilities, seniorliving centers and major businesses. Disaster preparedness officials inRochester have said a similar accident to the one in Minot would bedevastating, as hundreds or thousands of patients and vulnerable individualswould be unable to escape.
"Because of the STB's refusal to address our community's safety concerns,we will continue oppose any plan that would jeopardize our safety and vitalityby increasing train traffic, speed, and shipments of hazardous materials,"said Rochester Mayor Ardell Brede.
The Rochester Coalition continues to engage in an ongoing dialogue withofficials from Canadian Pacific Railway, eager to hear specifics of theirplans to ensure public safety and ensure the long-term economic vitality ofsoutheastern Minnesota.
The Rochester Coalition represents the city of Rochester, Olmsted County,the Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce and Mayo Clinic. For more information,visit http://www.protectrochester.com.
Background
For more than a decade, DM&E has pursued a major rail expansion acrosssouthern Minnesota and South Dakota, hoping to haul large amounts of coal fromWyoming's Powder River Basin to power plants in the Midwest and East. Unableto secure private financing for the project, DM&E sought the largest federalloan to a private company in American history -- a $2.3 billion loan from U.S.taxpayers. On Feb. 26, 2007, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) deniedDM&E's application, stating that the loan "would pose an unacceptably highrisk" to federal taxpayers.
In early September 2007 the Canadian Pacific announced an agreement toacquire DM&E.
The Rochester Coalition is committed to protecting the people of Rochesterand the patients and staff at Mayo Clinic as well as other affectedcommunities. The Rochester Coalition represents the city of Rochester, OlmstedCounty, the Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce and Mayo Clinic.
SOURCE Rochester Coalition
