City asks for local hearings on coal trains

Whitefish wants to be included in public hearings concerning coal exports from the Powder River Basin of Eastern Montana.

Whitefish City Council on Sept. 2 voted unanimously to request the U.S. Surface Transportation Board and Montana Department of Environmental Quality include Whitefish in public hearings during the review process for the proposed Tongue River Railroad and Otter Creek coal mine.

A draft letter to be sent to the Surface Transportation Board states the city’s concern about a possible increase in freight traffic through Whitefish if the mine and proposed railroad are approved.

Tongue River Railroad Company is seeking to construct and operate a rail line to transport coal from a planned coal tract currently in the permitting process at Otter Creek. In 2012, Otter Creek Coal, a subsidiary of Arch Coal Inc., filed an application for a surface coal mining permit.

In the draft letter, Mayor John Muhlfeld notes that past derailments have spilled toxic materials in Whitefish Lake, “and we are very concerned about possible derailments affecting our area and Glacier National Park.”

“We believe it is the responsibility of the Surface Transportation Board to ensure that communities such as Whitefish do not bear additional costs or have our economy and environment negatively affected by such increased rail traffic from the proposed Tongue River Railroad.”

Muhlfeld goes on to note that the city doesn’t have adequate funding for additional quiet zones at railroad crossing. He says those costs should be paid for by the entities creating the increased rail traffic.

“Whitefish should not have to use taxpayer funds to mitigate the effects of increased trail traffic,” he said.

Jan Metzmaker, speaking on behalf of the Whitefish Visitor and Convention Bureau, expressed concerns about increased freight traffic putting more pressure on the Amtrak service that already struggles with on-time arrivals and departures.

“We used to promote [Amtrak] a great deal,” she said. “But Whitefish doesn’t want to promote it if the trains are so late.”

BNSF spokesman Matt Jones said the company is not expecting Whitefish will be impacted by the coal mine or new rail road line. BNSF is a partial owner of the Tongue River Railroad.

Currently, Jones said, BNSF handles more than 40 loaded coal trains a day originating in the Powder River Basin. In 2013, five loaded coal trains passed through Whitefish. So far this year, two have traveled through town.

Jones said the Otter Creek mine operating at full capacity would produce enough coal to fill four trains a day. He said some of that coal would likely travel east to the Midwest, not through Whitefish.

Deliveries from Otter Creek also might displace other coal orders, “resulting in no net increase in volume,” he said.

In motioning to send the letter to the Surface Transportation Board, councilor Richard Hildner said it is important that Whitefish residents have the opportunity to comment on the proposed projects.

Councilor Jen Frandsen agreed.

“We have citizens who have asked to be heard — and they should be heard,” she said.

A draft Environmental Impact Statement on the Tongue River Railroad is expected to be issued in the spring of 2015.