In our December 2, 2019 Comments, Concerns, and Defects in Norfolk Southern’s public outreach process, Rail Pollution Protection Pittsburgh (RP3) noted the need:

• to take into account the Environmental Rights Amendment, Article 1, Section 27 of the Pennsylvania Constitution;
• to significantly expand the Areas of Potential Effect;
• to address noise, air quality, and visual impacts related to the increase in the frequency of freight running along the entire proposed Pittsburgh Vertical Clearance Project corridor;
• to include indirect effects on historic properties along the entire corridor;
• to consider that the design of all bridges in, and adjacent to, Allegheny Commons are inextricably intertwined, and must be consolidated to properly evaluate potential effects on historic properties, and to preserve all viable options and alternatives;
• to provide information related to the location, age, depth, and condition of subsurface infrastructure, and that appropriate mitigation, and potential effect on historic properties cannot be determined until that data is received and reviewed; and,
• to provide the costs of relocating utilities.

 
The points outlined above were reiterated by RP3, the Northside Leadership Conference, and other consulting parties at the April 20, 2020 meeting to discuss the assessment of effects and mitigation for the Northside's Merchant Street Bridge.
 
The Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Office (PA SHPO) oversees public outreach, and reviews projects in accordance with state and federal laws.  By letter dated April 30, 2020 PA SHPO Chief of the Division of Environmental Review Douglas McLearen agreed with ALL of the points outlined above.  You can read a copy of the letter here.