The following is being provided in response to Norfolk Southern’s request for comments after viewing their video presentation related to the Merchant Street Bridge. The time stamps below correspond to the time statements were made in their video narrative. http://www.nscorp.com/content/nscorp/en/in-your-community/the-pittsburgh-vertical-clearance-projects/merchant-street-bridge-video.html
The following comments solely represent RP3’s opinions and beliefs.
Executive Summary
Understanding that you have much else on your minds, it is submitted that Rail Pollution Protection Pittsburgh’s (RP3) requested comments below amply demonstrate that Norfolk Southern appears to be:
- effectively and purposefully excluding individual and neighborhood community voices;
-misleading city and state representatives. After being repeatedly a promised a “robust Public Involvement Process,” in the last 26 months a very small percentage of impacted residents have seen only a room full of placards, and an impersonal video presentation;
- entirely disregarding determinations of both Judge Pellegrini and
the Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Office relating to the interconnected nature of the project, the applicability of the Pennsylvania Environmental Rights Amendment, and the expanded area of potential effects;
-unwilling to acknowledge and to mitigate increased pollution that will result for 128,000 people who live in Environmental Justice Areas adjacent to their proposed modified route- thereby increasing their vulnerability to the virus especially in black and brown communities.
As described in more detail below, it is suggested that cause exists to freeze taxpayer funding for the Pittsburgh Vertical Clearance Project.
Let Senator Fontana know if you agree:
fontana@pasenate.com
(412) 344-2551
RP3’s full response is linked on our website here: https://railpollutionprotectionpittsburgh.files.wordpress.com/2020/08/response-to-norfolk-southern-merchant-street-bridge-video-executive-summary-and-comments.pdf
All of the documents cited in the detailed comments are available by request to info@railpollutionprotectionpittsburgh.org.
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