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It takes time, effort, people power, and resources to fight big money.

Although our most valuable asset is our voices (and we will continue to use them), it takes some money to fight big money.

We are fighting big money.

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The R.J. Corman Railroad is quickly and seriously pursuing rail reactivation to the Resource Recovery Landfill. In May, R.J. Corman filed a series of notices with the Surface Transportation Board (STB) including a notice to vacate the Certificate of Interim Trail Use for the section that encompasses the Snow Shoe Rail Trail. This means 9.3 miles of the Snow Shoe Rail Trail, including the Peale Tunnel and the Viaduct Bridge, will be no longer be available for rail trail use if we cannot stop this proposal.

The following letters and dockets posted by R.J. Corman Railroad—Pennsylvania Division to the STB are being provided as a service to allow the public to make informed comment:

• STB Notice from RJ Corman RR letter and map
   
• 222411 RJ Corman Railroad Acquisition and Operation Exemption, Line of Norfolk Southern Railway (Fletcher & Sippel)
   
• RJ Corman Partial Dismissal of Construction and Operation Exemption (Fletcher & Sippel)
   
• 222408 RJ Corman Railroad Petition to Partially Vacate Certificate of Interim Trail Use or Abandonment, Snow Shoe Track, Centre and Clearfield Counties (Fletcher & Sippel)
   
• 222416 RJ Corman Railroad Construction and Operation Exemption, Clearfield Co. PA (Fletcher & Sippel)
   

PPC responded with the assistance of an STB-seasoned attorney, which seems to be the accepted standard with the STB. The PPC Petitions and Exhibits submitted to the STB on June 16, 2008 follow:

• PPC Petition to STB Cover Letter
   
• Petition for Leave to Late File
   
• Petition to Hold Proceedings in Abeyance
   
• Declaration of Joann Gillette
   
  • Exhibit 1: Point of Access Study for I-80/Gorton Road Interchange
     
  • Exhibit 2: Centre County MPO Coordinating Committee Minutes (Sept 27, 2005)
     
  • Exhibit 3: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Letter dated November 5, 2005
     
  • Exhibit 4: Centre County Planning Office Consistency Review for Federal Highway Administration (July 19, 2005)
     
  • Exhibit 5: Centre County MPO Coordinating Committee Minutes (March 28, 2006)
     
  • Exhibit 6: PennDOT to Federal Highway Administration (December 1, 2006)
     
  • Exhibit 7: Federal Highway Administration to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Jan 19, 2007)
     
  • Exhibit 8: Federal Highway Administration response to PennDOT dated January 25, 2007
     
  • Exhibit 9: Federal Highway Administration response to Rush Township (Apr 19, 2007)
     
  • Exhibit 10: DEP Notice of Suspended Review dated October 2, 2006
     
  • Exhibit 11: DEP Notice of Suspended Review response dated February 7, 2007
     
  • Exhibit 12: DEP response to PPC on status of Landfill Permit Application dated May 19, 2008
     
  • Exhibit 13: DEP Water Management deficiency letter dated October 2, 2006
     
  • Exhibit 14: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Public Comment Notice (Jan 16–Feb 14, 2007)
     
  • Exhibit 15: U.S. EPA Comments dated Feb 13, 2007
     
  • Exhibit 16: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Comments dated Feb 14, 2007
     
  • Exhibit 17: PA DEP Small Minerals Surface Mine Permit Application Notification to Centre County Planning (Feb 5, 2007)
     
  • Exhibit 18: PA DEP response to PPC and Deficiency letter for Small Minerals Surface Mine Permit Application (Aug 24, 2007)

RJ Corman Railroad Lines—Pennsylvania Lines response to PPC’s Petition:

• Reply of R.J. Corman Railroad Company/Pennsylvania Lines Inc. to Petition to Hold Proceedings in Abeyance

Resource Recovery, LLC, response to PPC’s Petition:

• Resource Recovery, LLC’s Verified Statement of Support for the R.J. Corman Railroad Company/Pennsylvania Lines Construction and Operation Exemption

DCNR's Statement of Support of PPC's Petition to Hold Proceedings in Abeyance and Intent to Participate filed with the STB on July 10, 2008:

• DCNR's Statement of Support of our Petition to Hold Proceedings in Abeyance and Intent to Participate

Reply of R.J. Corman Railroad Company/Pennsylvania Lines Inc. to DCNR's Statement of Support:

• Reply of R.J. Corman Railroad Company/Pennsylvania Lines Inc. to Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Statement of Support

Ed Abel, president of RRLLC, responds to the DCNR Statement of Support of our Petition to Hold Proceedings in Abeyance:

• Verified Statement OF E B. Abel Jr. in Response to Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resource's Statement of Support for PPC's Petition to Hold Proceedings in Abeyance

Stay tuned on this issue. The STB has a Freedom of Information Act website that is updated daily. Most correspondence received on this "docket" application can be found at the STB website. Scroll down to FD_35116_0 to see if the STB received your letter and/or what (and if) your representatives and other citizens are writing!

Send letters—They make a difference!

You can take action on this issues in just a few minutes or write a letter of your own. If you have trouble writing letters or want to brief yourself on this issue, use our sample letter to help you get started or check our tips for effective letterwriting.

Please send a copy of any letter you write to your State Representative and Senator and PPC. If you are a registered voter, make sure they know that. People power is our best resource in fighting this project. Click here for the names and addresses of elected officials and agencies.

Contact the Surface Transportation Board ASAP to let them know this is not acceptable. Use our sample letter to help you get started. Please add your own comments to this letter and mail, fax or email (copy and paste into the body of the email) to:

Victoria Rutson
Chief, Section of Environmental Analysis
Surface Transportation Board
1925 K Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20423
Phone: 202-565-1545; Fax: 202-565-9000
Email: rutsonv@stb.dot.gov

Now more than ever we must step up our efforts to "Stop the Landfill!"

We have been told by other grassroots organizations that telephone calls are a very effective means of communicating concerns to elected officials. Call and ask these elected officials for their help in stopping the reactivation of this rail line.

Thank you to Representatives George and Hanna and Senator Corman for writing to the Surface Transportation Board to express their concerns about this plan!

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