Go to Stop Intermodals, Save Our County for information and links. 

The Hoosier Chapter opposes the construction of any intermodal rail facilities at the proposed sites west of LaPorte near Pinola and south of LaPorte between Union Mills and Kingsbury in LaPorte County because of the following environmental and public health concerns:

 1. The areas proposed for development include productive farmland along with woodlands, streams, and ponds. The facilities would significantly reduce the quality of the land for crops and wildlife with the loss of arable land and habitat from construction of roads, rail lines, container storage lots, and warehouses.

 2. Diesel engines of all types are a major source of nitrous oxide (ozone
precursor) and PM 2.5 particulate pollution (soot). In addition to diesel trucks, an intermodal facility would also require off-road diesel equipment to move goods between trucks and trains, diesel switcher engines in the train yard, and diesel locomotives.

 3. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) notes that 1/3 of the American
population is vulnerable to death and disease from soot pollution, including
children (especially children who are active outdoors), older adults, people with heart or lung disease, and people of all ages who are physically active.

 4. The EPA lists the following health risks from exposure to soot:

Premature death

Aggravation of respiratory and cardiovascular disease

Lung disease, including cancer

Decreased lung function

Asthma attacks

Heart attacks

Irregular heart beat

 
5. According to AIG Environmental, “These activities (rail yards) use many hazardous materials and produce a variety of hazardous wastes, spent solvents, combustible solids, acid solutions, oil and grease, paint wastes, and heavy metals.”

 

The chapter supports smart land use planning and redevelopment of brownfields instead of building on good farmland. The redevelopment should be energy efficient and use energy from renewable sources whenever possible. Electric and hybrid engines should be used on upgraded tracks to move goods both in transit and in the yards in order to reduce the amount of soot, NOx, CO2, and other pollutants.

Areas with wide roads, access to rail and ports already exist in North Lake and Porter and LaPorte counties, so a better site or sites should be located. The facility must also be designed and constructed in a manner that minimizes its impact on the people living nearby and on the environment. It should not be built in an area where people’s health is already at risk from existing high soot levels in the air.