Two towns commit to their EJ&E views

The debate over whether Canadian National should buy the Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railway Co. continued Monday with different suburban villages continuing to show both their support and opposition to the deal.

In Buffalo Grove, trustees made their support of the $300 million transaction official with a resolution that will be included in the comments about the purchase, which are open through the end of the month. Buffalo Grove stands to gain from less freight traffic through town and the potential for more Metra service.

Trustee Jeff Berman said Monday the freight traffic could drop from 19 to 20 trains a day down to two.

CN wants to buy the EJ&E and use the line, which runs in an arc around the Chicago region, to reroute freight traffic from lines in Chicago and inner suburbs.

In Barrington, where residents could see an additional 15 to 24 trains a day if the deal is approved, village officials have been fighting hard to oppose to the move.

Barrington trustees Monday voted to extend a contract with Morreale Public Affairs Group for $7,086 to continue providing its services in helping the village spread its message to the public as well as local and national elected officials.

Barrington Village President Karen Darch said Morreale, led by company President Kim Morreale, has done a great job of helping make sure the village has a unified voice.

"Communications has been key through this whole process," Darch said.

The village also hired Patrice O'Donnell for public relations and consulting services for the opposition. The cost was not immediately available.

Barrington is not the only local suburb to spend money fighting the transaction. As of July, Aurora had spent $15,000 and Bartlett, Naperville and Wayne $10,000 each.

The deal is awaiting a decision by the Surface Transportation Board, a three-member, presidentially appointed board that has final say on the transaction.

Earlier this month, CN filed a lawsuit with the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C., asking justices to force the STB to rule on the merger with the EJ&E quickly. If CN doesn't get final approval from federal regulators soon, a deal with the EJ&E's owner, U.S. Steel, will fall through on Dec. 31.

Before that, the transportation board denied a request from CN to divide the decision process in half by ruling on the business merits of the merger before the end of the year and deciding on environmental factors later.