CN announced a voluntary mitigation agreement (VMA) with the Village of Hawthorn Woods, IL, located approximately 40 miles northwest of downtown Chicago, that addresses the municipality's environmental issues with CN's acquisition of the principal lines of the former Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railway Company (EJ&E). CN completed the acquisition on Jan. 31, 2009, and is running trains over the line.
CN will provide funding for a number of initiatives, including the maintenance of an existing quiet zone, noise mitigation, emergency response training, pedestrian crossing protection and traffic signals.
CN now has VMAs with 18 municipalities, more than half of the 33 villages and municipalities along the EJ&E in Illinois and Indiana.
Jim Vena, CN senior vice-president, Southern Region, said: "CN is pleased to have reached this agreement with Hawthorn Woods, which reflects CN's ongoing commitment to mitigate the impact of its EJ&E acquisition on communities along the line. We will continue to work closely with all communities as we move forward with the integration of the EJ&E into CN's rail network and complete planned infrastructure improvements."
Hawthorn Woods Mayor Joseph Mancino said: "The Hawthorn Woods Village Board carefully weighed the merits of the agreement negotiated by our representatives and CN and concluded it is in the best interests of the municipality to work on mitigation efforts immediately. The agreement will address the community impact of CN's acquisition of the EJ&E, thus safeguarding the quality of life in the village. In the months and years ahead, we will maintain a close dialogue with CN as it proceeds to integrate the railroad into its operations."
CN expects that full integration of the CN and EJ&E networks will be accomplished within three years, and it will communicate changes in a timely manner to the communities affected by the acquisition.
