Ardenwald-Johnson Creek Neighborhood Association letter to Milwaukie City Council to recommend opposing coal transport trains through Milwaukie neighborhoods, including Ardenwald-Johnson Creek, is available for download (PDF).
Visit the Coal Train page for more information and resources.
Text of the letter:
September 25, 2012
To: Milwaukie City Council
From: Ardenwald-Johnson Creek Neighborhood District Association
Re: Coal Trains Through our Neighborhoods
Dear Council,
Neighborhoods, along with the City of Milwaukie, share responsibility to cultivate and protect livability in our community. The Ardenwald-Johnson Creek Neighborhood is deeply concerned over recent proposals to transport coal through the city of Milwaukie. Coal trains will have direct and detrimental impacts on the neighborhoods through which they travel.
Coal exports will have numerous adverse effects on the city of Milwaukie: toxic coal dust discharge from uncovered trains is linked to lung cancer and asthma; diesel pollution from increased train traffic will worsen local air pollution; multiple long, slow trains will divide the city every day, creating serious impediments for emergency vehicles and other traffic; coal dust on tracks can cause derailments and even spontaneous fires. The health and environmental impacts of coal trains are particularly troubling considering the close proximity of the rail line to schools, residential neighborhoods, the Hillside Park & Manor housing complex, and parts of the Johnson Creek watershed.
The cumulative effect of the impacts is a decreased quality of life and increased health and safety risks, as well as property devaluation in Milwaukie, leading to lower tax revenue for the city. While bringing numerous risks, coal exports bring no economic benefit for the city of Milwaukie and insignificant economic benefit regionally.
The Ardenwald-Johnson Creek Neighborhood strongly urges the Milwaukie City Council to stand in opposition to coal exports and be leaders in opposing coal train transportation through the City of Milwaukie. In addition, we encourage you to join with Governor Kitzhaber and other state leaders in calling for a fully comprehensive environmental impact study of coal trains, which will reveal the full deleterious impact on our community.
Sincerely,
(signed)
Matt Rinker
Co-Chair, AJC NDA(signed)
Jeff Davis
Co-Chair, AJC NDA