Roughly 100 protestors banged pots and pans and formed a procession in the rain Sunday at a “Reckless Rail Rally” in Shelburne.
They called on state officials to challenge the federal preemption that has allowed Vermont Rail System to clear-cut trees and start construction on a rail yard and salt sheds in Shelburne without local or state environmental permits. Speakers made the case that it’s more than a one-town issue and said that Vermont needs to wake up to the danger of “freight hazmat.”
The days when there was something romantic about trains are over, Lydia Clemmons of Charlotte told the crowd. “We’re in a new era, an ugly era, the era of big rail.”
A member of the group Citizens for Responsible Railroads, Clemmons said Vermont needs to address the threat of rail accidents and toxic material spills that have occurred in other states and in Canada. In 2013, a runaway train carrying petroleum crude oil exploded and killed 47 people in Québec. Clemmons said that if there is an accident in Vermont, it won’t just be a tragedy, it will be an outrage.
“We cannot as a state pretend we didn’t know this was coming,” said Clemmons, who got involved in the issue after Vermont Rail System stockpiled freight cars on tracks near her home in Charlotte.
The Shelburne project will include a rail spur, two large salt sheds and parking for a fleet of trucks. It will replace a similar facility in Burlington’s South End, where City Market/Onion River Co-op plans to build a second store.
Vermont Rail System President David Wulfson has said that the trains coming into Shelburne might transport fuel, lumber and heavy equipment, as well as road salt.
The town of Shelburne is suing to halt the project. Evidentiary hearings are scheduled in federal court this week.
The project should go through the same review as any other development, said Mike Schramm of Shelburne, who marched in the rally with his wife, Erika Schramm and their two young sons. If it meets the hurdles and wins a permit, “Then so be it,” he said.
Shelburne resident Lisa Espenshade also questioned the preemption and said it was “deeply depressing” that the salt shed project could proceed with no Act 250 review.
The crowd marched from Shelburne Community School to the Shelburne Town Hall, chanting “What do you do when your town’s under attack? Fight back.” At the town hall, the clanging of pots and pans in their “casserole” demonstration was so loud that police asked them not to bring the cacophony out into the hall — the 911 dispatchers were having trouble hearing. The rally was organized by a Shelburne grassroots organization, Vermont United; Citizens for Responsible Railroads and Toxics Action Center.
Gary von Stange, chairman of the Shelburne selectboard, vowed to keep on battling the rail facility. “We not only have the right, we have the obligation to fight for our children and our children’s children. There is no compromising when it comes to safety.”
He added: “This project has not divided our town, it has united us,” he said.
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Thank you for reporting on this, Molly. If any of the readers here have questions about why this is the worst location for a project like this, please check out this amazing aerial video done by students at Lake Champlain Waldorf High School:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3CQgYlK_R…
Many people support the railway in this matter and moving the salt shed to a more sensible location in Shelburne. It’s too bad this group is trying to create so much hysteria over a reasonable plan that offers positive benefits to our area. Railways are the future and when we get around to improving infrastructure and moving away from fossil fuels, high speed railways will be a critical part of this effort. Yes, our railways need improvement but that is beside the point of moving the salt shed to a more accessible location. Shelburne is at the epicenter of heavy traffic off Route 7 and hosting this rail yard and salt shed is part of contributing to the greater community.
Susan,
Please tell me what about this plan is reasonable? This project is bordered by the LaPlatte river on one side, important wetlands and Nature Conservancy land on the other, and the exit from the property on to Rt. 7 is designated by the State as one of the most dangerous intersections in the County.
So you think this is a more accessible location? From who’s vantage point? It seems to me that the current location, directly adjacent to the Champlain Parkway scheduled to start construction next year (and a direct connection to I-189) is the best location, or any one of several industrial properties in South Burlington that already have rail spurs and are much closer to the Interstate.
You even state that Shelburne is the epicenter of heavy traffic off of Route 7. So, adding a trucking operation and salt trucks into this mix is a good idea?
This group is not being hysterical by a longshot. The number of environmental and traffic-concerned groups who spoke opposed to this plan is a long one, and these are not folks who have anything to do with Shelburne.
Are you a City Market or CHT employee, which is on record as wanting to build housing on the current site?
Wow, put the salt shed in South Burlington or anywhere else but beautiful and pristine Shelburne, huh? Nice! I kayak on the Laplatte river and it’s not exactly the Winooski or Lamoille. The river is impassable for much of the year because it’s so small. If we avoided putting buildings by any water sources, we wouldn’t build anything. This is a salt shed, it’s not a nuclear waste facility. It’s not a factory. I can’t believe I feel sorry for the railroad guy, but I think he’s getting ‘railroaded’ by residents in Shelburne who want to be surrounded by fairy dust, lollipops and rainbows. Don’t we all!
Road salt is a toxic substance. Many countries classify it as an actual poison. Ever notice how trees and foliage next to the side of frequently salted roads die? If your pets lick it off the road, they will get sick.
Road salt should not be stored near bodies of water, period. Shelburne Bay’s ecosystem is very fragile, and has already been heavily impacted by roads, development, and stormwater runoff from Shelburne, South Burlington, and Burlington. All of these communities have majorly impaired watersheds and do not meet EPA rules.
The majority of Chittenden County residents get their drinking water directly from Shelburne Bay. One Irene-type of event, and the Bay’s ecosystem will be destroyed. Think green slime and algae blooms covering the entire Bay…and then drinking water from it.
Here’s a synopsis of road salt, from the Canadian EPA:
“Road salt and ice melting products used for de-icing roads and sidewalks are an irritant and are increasingly recognized as a serious environmental toxin. They are described as a toxic substance as defined by the Canadian Environmental Protection Act of 1999 and pose a risk to plants, animals, and the aquatic environment. Most road salt is composed of chloride combined with sodium, calcium, magnesium or potassium, they may also contain ferrocyanide salts. Unlike table salt, they may contain other contaminants, including heavy metals depending on where they are sourced.”