Stop Oil Trains Along the Colorado River

The proposed Uinta Basin Railway is misguided. The project is highly speculative, but the negative impacts that drastically increasing oil extraction in the region would have on air, water, land, wildlife and the climate are clear. This oil train proposal is completely counter to climate science that says we must quickly reduce our use of fossil fuels and transition to renewable energy. The project is being pushed forward hastily and without public input. The work is being done by a public entity using public funds, but the people — including private landowners in the area who stand to be devastated by the railway — have been cut out of the process. Tens of millions of dollars that should be spent on providing needed services to local communities are being squandered to benefit private industry. Instead, we should be investing in realistic, smart public projects and other initiatives that will diversify rural economies, serve the needs of the people, and lift up local communities. For these reasons, I am opposed to the proposed Uinta Basin Railway, regardless of the route.