2008-02-22_APPLICATION CORRESPONDENCE - C2008086 (39)

Home Browse Search

CHAPTERFOUR Environmental Consequences and Mitigation mine would be constructed, and an operational phase, during which the coal would be mined, cleaned, and shipped out. Affected Community The affected community, as described in Section 3.1.5, identified the following "anticipated social impacts" through scoping comments and interviews (Moore 2007): • Loss in property values due to the rail spur • Isolation of 20,000 to 30,000 acres of deeded land • Impact on rural flavor and sense of community • A sense that the old way of life will be lost • A redefinition of the area as an industrial corridor due to the railroad spur • The noise of the railroad, both the horn used when coming to the crossings and the sound of the train itself • Safety issues associated with the proposed at grade railroad crossings at County Roads M8 and 10 • Disruption of automobile traffic patterns due to the proposed at grade railroad crossings at County Roads M8 and 10, including school buses which currently operate 6 to 8 times per day at these intersections • Displeasure with CAM's interactions with the community. In order to achieve a more coherent analysis of the social impacts and consequences, both those anticipated and expected, the analysis of the issues and concerns found through scoping and interviews were examined within the following thematic framework Property Values/Social Dislocation: Some residents believe that building the rail spur as proposed will reduce property values. Their concern about a potential loss in property values appears to be related to changes they foresee occurring in the character of the landscape, from rural agricultural to semi-industrial, and concerns over safety and inconvenience issues described below. In contrast to this perspective, other community representatives, particularly as reflected in the BLM Public Scoping Report, believe that the purchases of real estate being made by CAM are already raising real estate prices. An Anticipated Loss of Rural Values: One of the social impacts most often mentioned by community members is an anticipated loss of rural values that are rooted within the affected community and the surrounding physical environment. Many community residents in the vicinity of Mack believe that the noise of the train, the disruption of agricultural activities, and changes in the visual landscape will negatively affect the rural character of the community, will present overwhelming consequences to the values they hold dear, and will give people the sense that an old way of life will be lost as a result of the mine and rail spur. Impacts on Safety: Community concerns about decreases in transportation safety are among the impacts which might be viewed as most tangible. This interaction is often expressed as increasing the potential for accidents in relationship to school buses, and interfering with 4-14 DBMS 569