The Draft Environmental Impact Study or EIS for the proposed Uinta Basin Railway is now available for review and the public comment period is now open. Mike McKee, Executive Director of the 7 County Infrastructure Coalition, recently joined Uintah Basin Today Show’s hosts Mike Stengel and Mark Winterton for an interview on Newstalk KVEL AM920, providing an update on the project. Among the news shared, McKee explained that the $27.9 million dollars in Community Impact Board grant money used to fund the environmental process of the project will be paid back to the Community Impact Board by Drexel Hamilton once the Uinta Basin Rail is commercialized. While that is not legally required, it is great news for the state of Utah because once that money is back with the Community Impact Board it can then be used for other projects in Utah communities. In the interview, McKee also provides his thoughts on the future of the project depending on who is named President of the United States as well as the positive ways a railway will impact the Uintah Basin. The Draft EIS is open now for public review until December 14th. After that, the Surface Transportation Board in Washington D.C. will evaluate everything, decide on a route, release a Final EIS and McKee is hoping they will issue a License to Construct by February or March. At present, the preferred route for the Uinta Basin Railway is called the Whitmore Park alignment which travels through Indian Canyon with over 3 miles of tunneling then continues along Emma Park Road until it meets Highway 6 where it ties into the rail system. Public comment is encouraged and can be done through the EIS website. For those that want to join the virtual public meetings to comment that is also possible. Visit www.uintabasinrailway.com for more information and to submit comments. McKee says the support for the project has been overwhelming and he hopes that level of support is made known during this comment period so the rail can become a reality. To listen to the entire interview click here: https://basinnow.com/public_affairs.php
