Submission Number: UBR-DEIS-00039 

Received: 11/19/2020 7:12:34 PM
Commenter: Tyler Callantine
Organization: 
State: Utah

Agency: STB
Initiative: Uinta Basin Railway EIS
Attachments: No Attachments
Submission Text
I would like to comment on the Uintah Basin Railway proposal. First I understand that we need to look at options to help the energy extraction industry and a railway might be a feasible answer in moving oil from the Uintah Basin to refineries. One strong thing to consider is that the energy industry is a boom and bust market, particularly here in the basin where it is all or nothing. What type of industry will be in place to make a railway feasible and pay for its self with private funds when energy is in a down market? Currently there is no industry large enough in the basin to pay for shipping goods on a railway system with out government subsidies or social handouts paying for the railway to operate and ship these goods. My next concern is the extremely large volume of public monies that have been spent in the initial phases of planning, studying and engineering that has occurred. If this railway is built and becomes operational will the energy companies repay the publics money that has been spent to make the train a reality? My understanding is the CIB funds that have been used so far are supposed to better an entire community not just a particular group or business sector. Not a deal breaker for me but the location of the railway still relies heavy truck traffic to move the oil to the railway station so the train is not fully changing the current operating dynamics of oil extraction in the basin. Last is the location is a fair distance away from most of the basin's current energy business's base of operations. I foresee the wise business owners moving their base of operations close to the railway and outside of Uintah County taking away a substantial tax base in Uintah County. Thank you for considering my comments.