Quality of LIfe

The railroad projects pose multiple threats to our quality of life:

• Potential chemical disaster. Canadian Pacific plans to haul unlimited amounts of poisonous, explosive, flammable and other hazardous materials through town on high-speed trains – putting the safety of local families in harm’s way. Peace of mind would vanish with the knowledge that a derailment and spill could kill or injure hundreds, even thousands of people at any moment.
   
• Traffic delays. Congestion at rail crossings would add time to commuting and errands with up to 50 trains roaring through town every day.
   
• Noise. Train horns and roaring locomotives would be a round-the-clock disruption. “Adverse” effects will extend far beyond the DM&E tracks – 2,220 feet for horns and 420 feet for diesel engines rumbling and steel wheels rolling on steel rails. Read about noise from BNSF coal trains in Gillette, Wyo.
   
• Vibration. Vibration from passing coal trains has potential to damage 259 structures within 100 feet of the tracks, according the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). Occupants of another 3,779 structures within 400 feet of the tracks would likely experience disturbance and inconvenience, such as rattling windows, FRA said. Heavier, faster and longer trains increase the magnitude of ground vibration. Coal unit trains are the heaviest in the rail industry and stretch about 1 1/2 miles in length. The specific type of soil surrounding the rail bed also influences vibration.Diesel fumes. So long to fresh air when an average of one freight train with multiple locomotives belches along every 29 minutes.  
    
• Diesel fumes. So long to fresh air when an average of one freight train with multiple locomotives belches along every 29 minutes.
   
• Coal Dust. If the railroad reaches its target for coal shipments, coal dust blowing from more than 2.1 million open-hopper coal cars a year would create a nuisance for those living, working and visiting near the tracks. Although “fugitive coal dust” is not considered harmful to health, it might cause residents to keep windows closed and see a need to wash coal dust from vehicles and homes. A 1996 study funded by Norfolk Southern Corporation found that one coal car typically lost 400 to 800 pounds of Eastern coal on a 500-mile trip. PRB coal has less potential for coal dust because it has a higher content of moisture and clay. In Wyoming, build-up of coal dust on tracks has caused BNSF and UP coal trains to derail.