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SMART TRAIN THREATENS ENDANGERED SALMON
PLEASE VOTE NO ON MEASURE Q
It's a complicated tale, but we want our friends in Sonoma and Marin to understand how SMART poses a threat to the Wild and Scenic Eel River.
1.What is Measure Q?
Measure Q is on the November 4 ballot in Marin and Sonoma. It proposes a ¼ cent sales tax in both counties for 20 years to raise more than a billion dollars for a commuter train between Cloverdale and Larkspur. It must receive 2/3 of the combined votes in Marin and Sonoma to be approved. Opponents to the measure cite SMART's costs, and the impacts of increased freight operations on people, the environment, and wildlife.
2. What's the connection between SMART, the North Coast Rail Authority (NCRA), and the Eel River?
The current plan calls for SMART and freight trains to run on some of the same track. According to SMART’s funding plan, the NCRA and SMART will share costs and revenues on the track they share. The NCRA will benefit from track improvements paid for by SMART. The NCRA right-of-way runs more than 300 miles, from Healdsburg to Eureka, through the Eel River Canyon.
The canyon is steep and prone to landslides. Originally, the railroad carried passengers, until it was deemed unsafe to do so. Despite derailments and safety issues, the line continued to haul freight until it was finally closed in 1998. The NCRA wants to reopen freight traffic to the Island Mountain Quarry, a now-closed gravel operation, located in the Eel River canyon.
There are no useable roads to the quarry. The only way to move the gravel out of the canyon is by rail. If plans to re-open the mine are approved, six million tons of gravel a year would be hauled from the canyon via thousands of rail car trips. Studies of quarry operations have shown devastating impacts on fish populations.
3. Isn't the Eel River protected as a Wild and Scenic River?
Yes, the Eel River was designated a Wild and Scenic River in 1981. But this hasn't stopped well-connected industries from logging, mining, and diverting water from the Eel River. The Eel River's salmon and steelhead, once in the millions, today are endangered. Friends of the Eel River wants to prevent further damage and restore salmon spawning grounds in the Eel River watershed.
4. Wouldn't an Environmental Impact Statement (EIR) address these concerns?
An EIR would require the NCRA to describe the environmental impacts associated with freight operations through the canyon. But the NCRA has not provided an Environmental Impact Report on its plan north of Willits. The NCRA has been sued by the City of Novato, which claims that under the California Environmental Quality Act, the NCRA must evaluate “the whole of the project” including freight rail service all the way to Eureka. An alliance of North Coast groups including Friends of the Eel River, the Environmental Protection Information Center (EPIC), and Californians for Alternatives to Toxins (CATs), have filed an "amicus" brief in the case.
5. If the threat of freight trains through the Eel River Canyon were removed, would Friends of the Eel River support SMART?
We believe that voters should know what they're getting when it comes to Measure Q. Many questions remain unanswered, including NCRA's relationship between the freight operators that want the track reopened and the Island Mountain Mine, and a recently disclosed plan to transport nuclear waste along NCRA track once the train connects with the federal rail system at Lombard.
We recognize the need for transportation alternatives that reduce global warming and traffic. We support a public transportation solution that serves the public and that meets needs of Marin and Sonoma residents without sacrificing the Eel River or endangered salmon. Until then, we're asking that you VOTE NO ON MEASURE Q
For more information: www.eelriver.org 707-923-2146
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