Submission Number: UBR-DEIS-00023 

Received: 11/12/2020 5:37:03 PM
Commenter: Sarah Stock
Organization: Living Rivers/ Colorado Riverkeeper
State: Utah

Agency: STB
Initiative: Uinta Basin Railway EIS
Attachments: No Attachments
Submission Text
Attention: Environmental filing, Docket No. FD 36284 Re: Request for extension of the public comment period for the Uinta Basin Railway Dear Mr. Wayland I am writing to you on behalf of Living Rivers/ Colorado Riverkeeper and our members to request an extension of the public review and comment period for the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the proposed Uinta Basin Railway. As you are aware, the Uinta Basin Railway DEIS is a complex document with many hundreds of pages. There are also numerous other important documents to review on the Uinta Basin Railway EIS webpage. It is very important to us that our organization, members, local residents, other community and environmental organizations, and business leaders have an adequate opportunity to review the DEIS and provide substantive comments. We believe that you share in our desire for robust public feedback, and hope that you grant an extension for comments on the DEIS. In addition to the complex and extensive nature of the EIS that needs to be reviewed, Utah is in the midst of a surge in covid cases that impacts us all in various ways. Many interested people are facing a crisis caused by the pandemic and need additional time to participate. Considering the scope, complexity and impact of this proposal, the short comment window of 45 days does not give enough time for the public to access and review the relevant information and make informed comments. So far, the Seven County Infrastructure Coalition (SCIC) has provided insufficient information for the public to meaningfully comment on the Uinta Basin Rail Project and the SCIC response to GRAMA (public record) requests has been slow. We appreciate the STB for posting so much information from the SCIC on the EIS webpage, but it will take time to review. We urge you to extend the DEIS comment period until Feb 14, 2021 and we request you hold additional public meetings on the DEIS in January 2021. Thank you for considering this request, Sarah Stock Program Director Living Rivers/ Colorado Riverkeeper PO Box 466 Moab, UT 84532 (435) 260-8557 sarah.livingrivers@gmail.com