La Coalition’s Rail Safety Campaign is now an official Sierra Club campaign! Campaign volunteers and members of the Woods & Wetlands Conservation and Executive committees did a lot of work to make this happen.
Outcomes for the Rail Safety Campaign include:
- Protecting people, air, water, and land in Lake and northern Cook counties from the negative impacts of hazardous materials transported by rail. The Rail Safety Campaign will conform to the guidelines set by the Clean Power Lake County community agreement and will target underserved communities as identified under evironmental justice policy to reduce persistent environmental health disparities.
- Protecting children and staff at schools and other public facilities located within hazardous proximity to rail corridors where toxic and explosive materials are transported and/or stored.
Robin Weller, the local campaign's Research, Oversight & Planning Director, is working hard to connect with our elected officials. For example, she is planning a rail safety presentation with State Rep. Sam Yingling of Illinois’ 10th District and other local and state officials to communicate the need for local emergency preparedness and public access to important information:
- The number of high-hazard flammable trains rolling through our neighborhoods, along with routing and parking.
- Identification of hazardous materials that are regularly transported by rail in our area.
- Comprehensive emergency response information, including worst-case scenario models.
- Insurance to cover potential rail incidents. including types of insurance, costs and fees, and party responsible for paying insurance costs and fees.
Please visit us in person on Sunday, Sept. 19, 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.: We will have a booth at the Buffalo Grove Green Fair (Mike Rylko Community Park, 951 McHenry Road, Buffalo Grove).
La Coalition will hold its next Rail Safety Campaign planning meeting on Monday, Oct. 4, 7 p.m. Please register for the meeting to learn what you can do about this very important issue.
For more information, contact Gerri Songer or visit the La-Coalition.org website.