Northern Plains has fought a coal-hauling railroad since it was first proposed in 1980. This Tongue River Railroad will result in the condemnation of productive ranch and farm country for 131 miles along the Tongue River Valley. This is quintessential Montana ranch country, it is a valued historical region, and it provides great habitat for game and non-game wildlife. The railroad also seeks an easement through state land at the Miles City Fish Hatchery.
The railroad would run near the Northern Cheyenne Reservation and the Custer National Forest (which includes the Tongue River Breaks) possibly ruining sites sacred to the Northern Cheyenne and Crow people
Primarily, the Tongue River Railroad – unless its plans are changed dramatically – will service Wyoming coal mines. But the Otter Creek coal tracts have become the main justification used to persuade Montana policymakers to back it.
Northern Plains petitioned the National Transportation Safety Board in July 2010 to re-open the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) process so that the impacts of Otter Creek coal mining on climate change can be considered. The EIS for the Tongue River Railroad:
- Relies on data that goes back to the 1970s;
- Doesn’t mention of the effect of all this new coal development on the climate;
- Doesn’t consider the cumulative impacts of the railroad and the Otter Creek coal development.
- Our hope is that the environmental impact statement for the Tongue River Railroad will be forced to examine more current and complete data.
