PHILIPSBURG - Residents of Centre and Clearfield counties who have staunchly objected to the construction of two landfills in Rush and Boggs townships are now criticizing proposed $15 million railroad construction in the same areas.
All three Clearfield County commissioners are opposed to the plan, which would reconstruct and operate the abandoned 10-mile rail line between Wallaceton Junction and Winburne, as well as rebuilding the track on a connecting 9.3-mile line between Winburne and Gorton, Centre County.
The project includes the rebuilding and operation of the former Beech Creek Railroad to serve a new quarry, landfill and industrial park being developed by Resource Recovery LLC, near Gorton.
Representatives from the U.S. Surface Transportation Board and engineers from Skelly and Loy Inc. of Harrisburg were on hand for two hours Wednesday night at Philipsburg-Osceola High School to answer questions from about 150 people.
In May, R.J. Corman Railroad filed a construction request petition with the STB. Rail officials anticipate the proposed rail system would serve the Resource Recovery site with one round trip a day, six days a week, with 55 railcar loads per trip. It is estimated that the reactivated rail line will keep more than 300 trucks off local roads and highways a day.
Audrey Hoover of Clearfield said she was disappointed with the evening's format, which included a number of ''wall stations" depicting various stages of the proposal.
''I'm disappointed that there was no discussion," she said.
Hoover and others at the meeting oppose the proposed landfills. While the proposed Boggs site has been denied by the state Department of Environmental Protection, officials are still debating the Rush site.
Another public hearing is expected to be held this fall.
The STB is expected to conduct a final review of the proposal early next year, with a final decision coming in spring or summer 2010.
