SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD'S SECTION OF ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS ISSUES ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT WITH WASHINGTON STATE DEPT. OF TRANSPORTATION FOR PROPOSED NORTHERN COLUMBIA BASIN RAILROAD PROJECT

[STBNews@xxxxxxxxxxx]

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>From the Surface Transportation Board, Washington, D.C.
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The Surface Transportation Board announced today that its Section of
Environmental Analysis (SEA) and the Washington State Department of
Transportation (WSDOT) have issued an Environmental Assessment (EA) for
public review and comment concerning the proposed Northern Columbia Basin
Railroad Project (Project) in the State of Washington.  Working together as
co-lead agencies on the Project's environmental review, the Board and WSDOT
are providing the public 30 days—until December 8, 2008—for the filing of
comments on the EA.


 The EA identifies and analyzes the potential environmental impacts (both
 beneficial and adverse) that could occur as a result of the Project.  The
 EA also sets forth preliminary recommended mitigation measures to minimize
 or avoid adverse environmental impacts, should the Board approve the
 proposal.  At the conclusion of the comment period, SEA and WSDOT will
 prepare a Final Environmental Assessment (Final EA) in response to the
 comments received.  The Board will then issue a final decision, based on
 all public and agency comments received in the public record in this
 proceeding, addressing the transportation merits of the proposal and the
 entire environmental record, including the EA and the Final EA.


 To facilitate public participation on all aspects of the EA, SEA and WSDOT
 will hold a Public Open House on November 20, 2008 in Moses Lake, WA to
 present the EA's findings and to receive comments.  Instructions for how
 to submit comments, which must be postmarked December 8, 2008, as well as
 information about the venue, date, and time of the Public Open House in
 Moses Lake, are attached as a Fact Sheet.


 The EA was issued today, November 7, 2008, in Northern Columbia Basin
 Railroad Project—Construction Exemption—in Moses Lake, Washington, STB
 Finance Docket No. 34936(
 http://www.stb.dot.gov/decisions/readingroom.nsf/WebDecisionID/39479?OpenDocument
 )
  and in Northern Columbia Basin Railroad Project—Acquisition Exemption—in
 Moses Lake, Washington, STB Finance Docket No. 34936 (Sub-No. 1).  The EA
 is available for viewing and downloading via the Board's Web site, at
 http://www.stb.dot.gov, under "E-Library," then under "Decisions &
 Notices," beneath the date "11/07/08."  A Fact Sheet is attached.


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 ATTACHMENT
 _____________
 FACT SHEET


 Comments on the Environmental Assessment (EA) issued today, November 7,
 2008, in Northern Columbia Basin Railroad Project—Construction
 Exemption—in Moses Lake, Washington, STB Finance Docket No. 34936 and in
 Northern Columbia Basin Railroad Project—Acquisition Exemption—in Moses
 Lake, Washington, STB Finance Docket No. 34936 (Sub-No. 1), must be
 postmarked by December 8, 2008, and can be submitted as set forth below.


 The Surface Transportation Board's Section of Environmental Analysis (SEA)
 and the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), working
 together as co-lead agencies for the environmental review of the proposed
 Project, will co-host a November 20, 2008 Public Open House in the State
 of Washington to present the EA's findings and to receive public comments.
 The Public Open House will be held from 4:00 – 7:00 p.m. Pacific Standard
 Time, on Thursday, November 20, at the Grant County International Airport,
 7810 Andrews Street, NE, Moses Lake, WA 98837.


 Comments may be submitted as follows:


 Written Comments:  Comments may be submitted in hard-copy form at the
 Public Open House or postmarked by December 8, 2008 and mailed to either
 SEA or WSDOT at the following addresses:



   ATTN:  34936
                                     ATTN:  34936
   Christa Dean
                                     Elizabeth Phinney
   Section of Environmental Analysis Surface Transportation Board
                                     Washington State Department of
                                     Transportation, Rail Office
   395 E Street, SW, Room 1108
                                     P.O. Box 47407
   Washington, DC  20423-0001
                                     Olympia, WA  98504-7407


 In addition, comment forms will be provided at the Public Open House.


 Electronic Comments:   Comments may be filed electronically via the
 Board's Web site, at http://www.stb.dot.gov, by clicking the "E-FILING"
 button on the home page then, when the "Welcome" page appears, by clicking
 the "Environmental Comments" link at the center-right of the page.  Basic
 name and address information is next requested, and provision is made for
 the submission of "PDF" attachments.  To fill one or more of the final, "
 Attachments" boxes, filers need only click the "Browse…" button to the
 right of the boxes and select the name of their electronic PDF file(s)
 from among the file names that will be displayed.


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