Submission Number: UBR-DEIS-00384 -- Oral Comment at Public Meeting 

Received: 12/1/2020 12:00:00 AM
Commenter: Will Munger
Organization: 
State: 

Agency: STB
Initiative: Uinta Basin Railway EIS
Attachments: No Attachments
Submission Text
Hi, there, can you hear me?

[pause]

Thank you.· Well, thanks to everyone for taking the time to chime in on this. These sorts of projects have long-term impacts, and I think that is an important thing to consider in a Draft EIS statement.

We all understand that the point of this railroad is to increase Uinta Basin oil production. And I have friends who work in that industry, and I myself have worked out in the Uinta Basin in ranching. And yes, oil has powered the Uinta Basin for a long time, but that's not the future.

As young people, we understand that we need to be moving toward a clean economy, and it's frustrating to see public money and private money being used to lock us into a future of dirty energy.· And the thing that needs to be considered in a draft environmental impact statement is how that lock-in affects not only climate, not only air quality, not only wildlife, not only water, but the long-term economic future for the people who live in the Uinta Basin and live across Utah. 

We need to be thinking about how we use our money wisely and conservatively to transition into a clean energy future.· And so, while a number of the details of the environmental impacts have been well put today, I just want to think about the future of people in the Uinta Basin, because when the -- when oil and gas production is increased, what that means is that those wells that are [audio distortion] are next to native communities.· They are next to rural communities.· And I really appreciate the locals who are jumping on this call to talk about what that means for their water and their livelihood.

And so I'll leave it there.· Thank you for the opportunity to comment and thank you for your attention to -- listen to our concerns.