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Last week, the Surface Transportation Board’s Section of Environmental Analysis (SEA) issued a Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for Tongue River Railroad Inc.’s proposed 17.3-mile line in Rosebud and Big Horn counties, Montana.

The Final SEIS incorporates comments the SEA received in October 2004 on its Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and includes the agency’s environmental mitigation recommendations.

The STB previously authorized Tongue River Railroad to build and operate 89 track miles between Miles City and Ashland, Mont., and a contiguous 41-mile line between Ashland and Decker to move coal from existing and future Montana mines to Midwestern and Northeastern U.S. markets. The 17.3-mile line is the proposed project’s third phase.

STB members now will consider the project’s entire environmental record — including all public comments, and the Draft and Final statements — before deciding whether to approve the line.