By Will County Executive Larry Walsh, Will County Board Chairman Jim Moustis and Village of New Lenox Mayor Tim Baldermann
We applaud the recent news of the Illinois Commerce Commission opposing the EJ&E Railway acquisition by Canadian National (CN) Railway. As the most respected authority on rail issues in Illinois, the ICC clearly understands the direct negative impact it will have on hundreds of thousands of people. While some have decided to give in to this transaction, Will County and the Village of New Lenox continue to vehemently oppose the measure.
Our resistance to the $300 million purchase of nearly 200 miles of track by CN has everything to do with the incredibly negative environmental impact it may have on our citizens. This issue can be spun in many ways to justify the acceptance of such an enormous change in our environment. Some have said we don’t have a legal leg to stand on, but the record of facts and legal proceedings say just the opposite.
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