Owatonna, pop. 24,533

The Owatonna Coal Train Coalition has been active since 2001. The group has raised community concerns about the impact that increased coal traffic would have on their community and the environment.

If the PRB expansion is built, every DM&E coal train – up to 43 a day – would go through Owatonna. It’s just a question of whether it would continue east on DM&E’s main line or switch to the southbound line of the Iowa, Chicago & Eastern Railroad (IC&E), a DM&E subsidiary with connections to Chicago and Kansas City.

The federal Surface Transportation Board (STB) has barred IC&E from carrying DM&E coal trains from the Powder River Basin and won’t consider granting that authorization without completion of an Environmental Impact Statement.

The City of Owatonna has signed an agreement with DM&E.

Contact
Roger Plath

People Power Works

Tens of thousands of taxpayers joined forces to oppose giving a $2.33 billion federal loan to DM&E, a small company with big political connections, and in February 2007 the Federal Railroad Administration rejected DM&E's application, echoing our position in labeling the loan an "unacceptably high risk to federal taxpayers."

DM&E's ambitions have not changed, and informed citizens remain concerned about multiple aspects of the company's rail construction plans. What can you do?

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