Submission Number: UBR-DEIS-00143 

Received: 12/3/2020 12:33:00 PM
Commenter: Russell Brinkerhoff
Organization: 
State: Utah

Agency: STB
Initiative: Uinta Basin Railway EIS
Attachments: No Attachments
Submission Text
Joshua, Our office has been through every down turn in the oil economy since the 70s. Each one has its own set of challenges. This last one we are in really brings to light how much our economy needs diversity. Oil drives everything around here. We insure many oil companies or I should say we did. Many are going out of business, but what surprises me more are the number of businesses going out of business that are not in the oilfield. Many of our other clients we insure that are not in the oilfield still are going out of business with the oil bust. Grocery stores sales are dropping. Those in the entertainment business are hanging on by a thread if not closed. The food industry is a tossup on who is open. I have heard many mention it is because of Covid-19 and some of that may be true. However we have gone through enough down turns throughout the years that I can tell you it happens every time the oil busts. It doesn’t matter what shuts the oil down, because when its down most don’t have any other way to provide for the family. Having the railroad in the basin could bring the diversity we need to have a stable economy. We could have a community that can flourish through the years instead of recessing every couple of years. For what it is worth I believe it is the change that needs to happen in the Uinta Basin. Thank you, Russell Brinkerhoff