nicely done, thank you. An anecdote for your amusement...
Back in the day, I did several projects for the Surface Transportation Board. They were then, anyway, one of the "good guys" when it came to NEPA. I was preparing an EA for a new rail line that would be used to transport coal. It was a good project - solid economics, few impacts. One of the major benefits to the work was public safety; it would move coal transport from trucks over the local highways to rail, reducing roadway wear and tear and greatly enhancing public safety. But the EPA's position was clear: the EPA would never approve a project that made it easier to mine coal, regardless of its benefits. I understand the STB eventually approved the work (I had retired in the meantime), but it was never constructed. Sad deal...
nicely done, thank you. An anecdote for your amusement...
Back in the day, I did several projects for the Surface Transportation Board. They were then, anyway, one of the "good guys" when it came to NEPA. I was preparing an EA for a new rail line that would be used to transport coal. It was a good project - solid economics, few impacts. One of the major benefits to the work was public safety; it would move coal transport from trucks over the local highways to rail, reducing roadway wear and tear and greatly enhancing public safety. But the EPA's position was clear: the EPA would never approve a project that made it easier to mine coal, regardless of its benefits. I understand the STB eventually approved the work (I had retired in the meantime), but it was never constructed. Sad deal...