Submission Number: UBR-DEIS-00413 -- Oral Comment at Public Meeting 

Received: 12/3/2020 12:00:00 AM
Commenter: Pamela Underwood
Organization: 
State: 

Agency: STB
Initiative: Uinta Basin Railway EIS
Attachments: No Attachments
Submission Text
Can you hear me?

[pause]

Hi, my name is Pamela Underwood, and I'm a landowner in Argyle.· This property has been in my family for over 40 years. I have -- I also come from a family who has worked in the oil field for over 30 years.

I support drilling and keeping the country oil-independent, but not at a cost of destroying the environment, people's health, communities, the destruction of private-owned land and the possibility my grandchildren will not have the opportunity to enjoy this land.

I've heard the comments about people who support this.· What they so easily forget is just a few years ago during the last boom, rent went from $500 a month to $2,000 a month in the basin.· They forgot how after the boom was over, people lost their homes and their way of life.· I ensure you, this will happen again, as Melissa Peck said.· As soon as we get a democratic president, it will happen.

I live in Price, and I heard people say, "Oh, the railway is going to bring more industry here." That railway has not brought any new industry to Carbon County in decades.· We rely on coal.· That is the only thing we use that railway for.

I would like to see the Whitmore route removed from consideration because it was the
last-minute route added to the paperwork that was submitted to the STB.· We did not get an opportunity to comment on that route during public comments.

Now, that Drexel and Hamilton has agreed to finance the railway, they should return the $28 million to the CIB so they can put the Colorado route back on the table since it does make the most logical and economical sense.


The last thing I oppose, the petition for exemption and the request for a refund for filing fees. The SCIC has not been transparent about this railway and have shown how deceitful they are and therefore they should be required to meet or exceed all requirements.· In fact, since they are requesting to destroy forest, endanger wildlife, contaminate water and destroy people's property all in the name of oil, they should be held to a higher standard.

[pause]

Thank you, I'm done.