Submission Number: UBR-DEIS-00389 -- Oral Comment at Public Meeting 

Received: 12/1/2020 12:00:00 AM
Commenter: Raphael Cordray
Organization: 
State: 

Agency: STB
Initiative: Uinta Basin Railway EIS
Attachments: No Attachments
Submission Text
Hi -- [audio distortion.]

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Can you hear me now?

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Okay.· Well, thank you for allowing me to speak.· I am -- my name is Raphael Cordray, and I have spent years and years out in the Uinta Basin, and I am concerned about this project. I don't think that we should build the railroad.· I'm sure that's clear.· One -- but I want to bring up another issue that is concerning me.

I feel that the STV should grant the extension of time for folks to look into this longer.
And I don't know why they're delaying doing that.·I am concerned that -- that -- that I -- I want to know what is being done to include the residents of the Uintah Ouray Reservation.· Why is there no copies showing up on the reservation?· The website says you have got one at every library in that area, but nothing at the Uintah Ouray Reservation.

I don't speak for the tribe.· I'm not a member of the tribe, but I do want to say for the record, that there are many concerns about the lack of inclusion of the people of the Ute Indian Tribe.· And there are also people who live on the Uintah Ouray Reservation who are not registered members of the tribe, including the Uintah Valley Shoshone tribe.· And they are not here at the table.· I am concerned about that.

How are the people at the tribe being contacted?· The Ute reservation has temporarily closed some of its government functions because of Covid.· And I don't believe they're given a proper opportunity to participate in this process.· And I -- I think that needs to be raised as an issue.· They're a huge part of the people who live in that area and will be the most impacted by that -- by the environmental impacts.· They suffer from purple air days.

And I also just want to reflect that the Seven County Infrastructure Coalition and other local people in the basin claim that the Ute tribe wants this railway.· But why don't we hear people from the Ute tribe saying that?

I also am concerned that the Seven County Infrastructure Coalition is part of a group with other states claiming to be helping native tribes get energy development and, you know, I just feel like they're dishonest and disingenuous and I would --

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-- that you put more information for people on the reservation of where they can physically look at the environmental impact statement and expand the comment period and time frame
into next year.·Thank you.