Submission Number: UBR-DEIS-00284 -- Oral Comment at Public Meeting
Received: 11/16/2020 12:00:00 PM
Commenter: Raphael Cordray
Organization:
State:
Agency: STB
Initiative: Uinta Basin Railway EIS
Attachments: No Attachments
Submission Text
Can you hear me now?
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Okay.· My name is Katherine Raphael Cordray.· It's R-A-P-H-A-E-L C-O-R-D-R-A-Y. · · · · · · I would like to say that I -- first of all, I believe I -- thank you for taking comments.· I feel that this --
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-- different and we could be together, and I do too.· But I feel like the government could do more to make the --
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-- meetings more together. We don't have any way of knowing how many people are participating in this meeting, and I would like to know that in the meeting.· I would like to be able to see more of who is here, and I think that you could do more to fix that, the STB. · · · · · · I also am very concerned because the Seven County Coalition, who is driving this project, is very closed off, and they are --
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-- who are pushing forward to try to -- the Uinta Basin into a future that we don't want.· And the people of this world do not want to be locked into this fossil fuel future that we can't afford, and people are turning away from it in droves right now around the world.· And there's not even going to be a market for colluding fossil fuels that they want to get out of the Basin. · · · · · · We don't -- there's not even enough money to build this railroad because people are seeing the foolishness to pursue this project.· We can't tolerate this.· Our health, our water, our air cannot tolerate this project.· The Uinta Basin faces purple air days. They have some of the worst air pollution in the entire nation, and they -- it is not from --
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-- regulated frac wells in, and Utah is an extremely poor regulator of environmental --
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-- and do not do a proper job managing the area.
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-- any type of pollution. Future generations do not deserve this, and they don't want to --
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-- public money is urgently being stolen to pay the lawyers for the --
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-- refused to listen to the public.· They moved their meetings online, and they don't even allow public comments on their meetings online, which is illegal, but they don't follow the law. Citizens have to follow the law, but these leaders do not follow the law.· They don't -- they are -- the Seven County Coalition are not properly registered with the Utah Governor's Office and --
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-- and so forth.· I want this committee to know that the environmental impacts of this are being -- are being minimized by that, the Seven -- and the future of this area --
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-- project.· We deserve better.· I'm done.
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Okay.· Thank you for taking another comment from me. · · · · · · I'm very offended that Mark Hyde took the time to characterize my comments as threatening.· I think that that is very rude and inappropriate, and this is a public forum.· I have the right to free speech.· · · · · · I do believe that the Seven County Coalition is, in fact, in violation of the law.· You know, I -- they are using community impact Board money.· That money is designated by the law for mitigation of environmental impacts of oil and gas, and, in fact, is not appropriate to be used by the Seven County Coalition.· · · · · · I believe that Eric Johnson is a bad lawyer, and I believe that Mike McKee is getting paid way too much to push forward a project that has been repeatedly brought to the attention that it's a bad idea for the community.· The environmental impacts are overwhelming, and the public has said in every single chance they've got a moment to speak that we are extremely concerned. We do not want this project. · · · · · · Calling the Seven County Coalition foolish is not being threatening.· That is my opinion.· And these white, male figures that are in, pushing this forward, are harming the future generations.· The Uinta Basin has an extreme infant mortality based on the air quality there, and I'm tired of these men threatening the lives of women and babies. · · · · · · And I'm tired of Mark Hyde and others telling me that I'm -- cannot have my opinion on this railway. Thank you.