Anyone who wants to get a comment in to the federal agency reviewing Great Lakes Basin Transportation's plans for a freight train line from Milton, Wis., to LaPorte County just got a little more time.
The Surface Transportation Board's Office of Environmental Analysis announced Friday the comment period about the project has been extended to July 15 from the previous deadline, June 15. The original deadline was May 16.
"OEA has received a number of requests for a further extension of the comment period and is issuing today's notice to advise the public and all interested parties that the comment period will be extended again an additional 30 days," the STB notice said."No further extensions of time will be granted."
The proposed 278-mile freight line would stretch through 11 counties in three states. Founder and managing partner Frank Patton said officials with GLBT were aware of the request to extend the comment period and they had told the federal agency it was OK with them.
Opponents of the project were pleased to hear the STB had extended the deadline. An official with the federal agency said last month that GLBT's proposal was bringing in an unprecedented number of comments, at a clip of 30 a day.
Porter County Commissioner Laura Blaney, D-South, whose Porter Township property would be bisected by the rail line was happy there would be an extension.
"It's taking people time to gather facts and respond appropriately," she said. "I appreciate the STB's responsiveness."
Patton has said the $8 billion project would be privately funded to serve the six Class 1 railroads that go through Chicago, though two of the railroads have publicly stated they won't use the rail line and the remaining four appear uncommitted to the project.
Patton has said the freight line, with the capacity for 110 trains a day, would provide a rail bypass around the congested Chicago rail yards and take trucks off the roads.
Patricia Mussman, of West Creek Township in Lake County, said residents there were hoping to put enough pressure on the STB to extend the comment period, and added there are still a lot of unanswered questions.
Residents were made aware of the project March 22 and three months is not a large enough window to respond, she said.
"We are trying to research as much as we can but it takes times," she said.
Freelance reporter Carrie Napoleon contributed.