CN submits EIS on Milton logistics hub

CN has submitted its environmental impact statement (EIS) to the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (CEAA) for a proposed logistics hub to be built in Milton, Ontario, the Class I announced yesterday.

The EIS describes measures the railroad plans to adopt to lessen the environmental impact of the $250 million (in Canadian dollars) project. Those measures include:
• an approximately 1-mile private road to be constructed on CN property to avoid truck queuing on public roads;
• a new underpass to be built for Lower Base Line to minimize the impact on commuters traveling in east and west directions past the hub;
• raised earthen berms topped off with native Ontario vegetation and trees to reduce the effects of noise and blend into the natural environment of the area;
• enhancements to be made to Indian Creek's natural habitat; and
• environmentally advanced technology and design in the hub, such as solar panels, rainwater capture, natural and LED lighting.

The EIS concluded that terminal-generated traffic on nearby roads would increase less than 3 percent of predicted volumes during peak hours.