Barrington calls for lawmakers to take action on EJ&E buyout
Barrington leaders called on members of Congress to take their opposition of Canadian National's proposed purchase of the Elgin Joliet & Eastern Railway Co. to the "next level" Monday night.
During a special board meeting, Barrington village President Karen Darch said while area communities appreciate the support shown by Illinois Sens. Richard Durbin and Barack Obama, as well as Congresswoman Melissa Bean, she thinks they need to be doing more.
"This critical rail issue facing our communities calls for congressional action now," Darch said.
Specifically, she asked for a congressional review of the transaction.
"We ask them to take a crucial step that provides a way to assure the best outcome of the more than 1 million people in Illinois and Indiana who will suffer if this federally regulated and controlled transaction is approved as proposed," Darch said.
The $300 million deal would allow CN to use the line, which runs in an arc from Waukegan to Gary, Ind., as a bypass for freight trains, alleviating delays caused by using tracks that run through the middle of the metropolitan area.
CN officials say the change will benefit the Chicago region overall and many areas will see less train traffic.
Jim Kvedaras, senior manager of U.S. public and government affairs for CN said Monday night it's important to remember that the transaction has widespread support among communities and suburbs within the EJ&E arc.
If called upon to review the deal, he said he believes the Illinois delegation as a whole would see the deal as positive for the region.
"We're confident that the larger Illinois Congressional delegation will see that a fairer distribution of rail traffic, which will ease congestion for 80 communities in the Chicago area, is sound transportation policy for the metro area as a whole," Kvedaras said.
If the deal is approved, Darch asked for federal legislation mandating CN pay for all necessary mitigation costs.
"Such a law is not unprecedented," she said. "It would hold CN to the same standards other businesses are held to everyday."
In a letter to Obama last month, CN CEO E. Hunter Harrison wrote the company is willing to pay for some of those costs.
"We understand that communities along the EJ&E have concerns about increases in train traffic on the line," Harrison wrote. "We are working with all of those communities willing to do so to find appropriate mitigation solutions and we are prepared to pay our fair share for mitigation."
Darch, however, said the $40 million CN has pledged is not enough.
The deal is being reviewed by the U.S. Surface Transportation Board, which has final say over the sale.
As part of that review, an environmental impact study is being conducted, which will focus on 15 factors including safety and quality of life. A draft of the study is expected sometime this summer.