Grafton & Upton Railroad (G&U) Discussion

papabarn wrote:I'll check with Friends of The Grafton and Upton Railroad's facebook page for confirmation that it will be livestreamed.

Friends of The Grafton and Upton Railroad' has posted on their facebook page that the meeting will not be live streamed but will be available "on demand" after the meeting

I'm admittedly disappointed.

Got wind of this from the Friends of The Grafton and Upton Railroad's facebook page..
[quote="On January 9, 2015 In an article entitled "Experts to talk at railroad information session", Richard Price of the Grafton Villager staff"]

Experts to talk at railroad information session



photo: GCTV

On Wednesday, Jan. 14 at 7 p.m. the town will hold an informational meeting plus answer questions about the Grafton & Upton Railroad’s plans to install a propane transfer terminal to be located on Westborough Road adjacent to the CSX rail.

Town Administrators, police and fire officials, an attorney representing the town, and the superintendent of Grafton Public Schools, will be on hand as well as experts from the state fire Marshall and the Environmental Protection Agency.

The meeting will be moderated by Sen. Michael Moore, the Democrat from Millbury, inside the atrium of Grafton High School at 24 Providence Road.

Assistant Town Administrator Doug Willardson said he did not expect a representative from the Grafton & Upton Railroad to attend.

The legal fight between the town and the railroad stretches back to December, 2012 when the owner of the railroad, Jon Delli Priscoli, announced he was planning on trucking four 120 foot tanks to his Westborough Road site and set up a propane transfer terminal. A series of legal battles ensued. In September, 2014 the Surface Transportation Board ruled that the railroad was federally pre-empted from local zoning restrictions because the business fell under the definition of transportation by rail carrier.[/quote]

Be sure to read the rest of the article at Grafton Villager's web site. ESPECIALLY the seventh paragraph. It tells the "rest of the story" (not that it should surprise anyone)..

Hi
Just passing this along , there is some heavy equipment sitting by the cematary in Milford . A front end loader and a esavator looks like they are getting ready to put down some ties or something .

So when the Grafton Villager G&U meeting article says "...However, Willardson said the likely hood of a win at this stage is remote..." are they referring to Delli Priscolli as the "likely hood"? Doesn't make sense...

Looks like the article poster Richard Price didn't do well in vocabulary spelling!

johnpbarlow wrote:So when the Grafton Villager G&U meeting article says "...However, Willardson said the likely hood of a win at this stage is remote..." are they referring to Delli Priscolli as the "likely hood"? Doesn't make sense...

Looks like the article poster Richard Price didn't do well in vocabulary spelling!

They'll publish anything from anyone with a keyboard and a degree these days.

Pat Fahey wrote:Hi
Just passing this along , there is some heavy equipment sitting by the cematary in Milford . A front end loader and a esavator looks like they are getting ready to put down some ties or something .

I stopped by today and saw RoW grading has been performed toward the CSX/MBTA track at Milford. Other overgrown parts of the RoW south of Hopedale have also been cleared and graded between the rte 16 crossing and other previously installed crossings near Pinz. there are some stacks of ties at Hopedale and N Grafton, where two track propane unloading area is built awaiting holding tanks. Lots of "stop the LPG" lawn signs are planted around N Grafton.

[quote="On Wednesday, January 14, 2015 In an article entitled "Rep. McGovern vows to help fight railroad’s plan to offload propane in Grafton", Susan Spencer of the TELEGRAM & GAZETTE staff"]

Rep. McGovern vows to help fight railroad’s plan to offload propane in Grafton

GRAFTON — The federal Surface Transportation Board may have ruled that the Grafton & Upton Railroad’s plans for a 320,000-gallon propane facility in North Grafton pre-empt local zoning and environmental laws, but local officials aren’t throwing in the towel on blocking the project.


State, congressional and municipal representatives told more than 100 people at a meeting Wednesday at Grafton High School they would pursue every legal and regulatory option they could find.

The proposed site is in a residential neighborhood and within 500 yards of North Grafton Elementary School, which serves approximately 250 children. It is in a water protection overlay district for an aquifer for the town’s drinking water.

In September, the federal board ruled that federal regulations trump local ones for the railroad’s plan to build and operate the propane-offloading facility at its rail yard at 42 Westboro Road.

A 2013 preliminary injunction upholding Grafton’s cease-and-desist order against the railroad’s plans was dissolved in October by Judge David Ricciardone in Worcester Superior Court.

Ginny Kremer, town counsel, said Wednesday the town has appealed to the First Circuit Court of Appeals.

In addition to seeking recourse through the court, officials are looking at other angles.

“We’re going to work hand in hand with the town ... and make sure nothing is being overlooked in terms of federal regulation and federal law,” said U.S. Rep. James P. McGovern, D-Worcester.[/quote]

Read THE WHOLE article at telegram.com.

If the propane facility already existed, would the school be built where it is?

Can't believe the watershed argument; A propane leak is unlikely to contaminate water as it is a gas above -43F

[quote="On January 15, 2015 In an article entitled "Preparing for a propane terminal, residents get briefed on fire safety and legal options", Richard Price of the Grafton Villager staff"]

Preparing for a propane terminal, residents get briefed on fire safety and legal options


Senator Michael Moore, left, Town Administrator Tim McInerney (partially hidden) and Rep. James McGovern at
Wednesday night’s open meeting on the Grafton & Upton Railroad.

A panel of fire and safety experts, town officials and politicians spoke to about 200 worried residents clamoring for answers on what will happen to their families and homes if a propane transfer terminal, to be built on railroad property, catches fire or explodes.

Although no one in the room knew specifically what the Grafton & Upton Railroad’s timeline is for completion, the discussion on Wednesday night inside Grafton High School turned quickly on what measures to take if a current Court of Appeals process fails.

But most residents in attendance were focused on the safety process that assures the four tanks — which can hold up to 320,000 gallons of liquid propane on Westborough Road near neighborhoods, a school and churches — will not turn into the unthinkable.

“The state fire marshal must review the tanks before installation,” said Jacob Nunnemacher from the Office of the State Fire Marshal. He said before the giant tanks can be put to use the railroad would be required to submit documents which would include, among other things, design drawings for his office to review. He said the state has a liquefied gas petroleum standard that would examine the setback distance in case of a fire as well as shut off valves and fencing to secure the site.

The state will also inspect the tanks by performing a hydrostatic pressure test to evaluate its strength and find any possible leaks. “We will be looking for defects,” Nunnemacher said.

After that, he said, ongoing inspections occur every five years.[/quote]

Read more at The Grafton Villager's' web site.


Found this on The Grafton and Upton Railroad's facebook page..

Video of 1/15/2015 Meeting in Grafton


http://vp.telvue.com/preview?id=T02135&video=223328

The Upton people who lost the fight against G&U have filed an appeal of the STB decision establishing that the wood pellet transload operation enjoys the benefits of federal preemption. The appeal was filed on Tuesday January 13 by Attorney Mark Bobrowski. The Town of Grafton's appellate brief in its appeal was filed the next day on Wednesday January 14. The Grafton brief mentions that the Upton decision is being appealed. Mark Bobrowski and Ginny Sinkel are partners in the same law firm and are thus combining the resources of all of teh anti-rail forces. Please recall that Bobrowski was also involved in the failed effort by the Town of Winchester to stop Pan Am from serving a rail served warehouse

Friend of G & U RR wrote:Video of 1/15/2015 Meeting in Grafton


http://vp.telvue.com/preview?id=T02135&video=223328

I started experiencing issues with the site [video kept crashing and returning to the Grafton TV page] when it came to the Q&A session so I'll try again later but [!Warning! Unqualified Opinion Follows] were I a member of the board of selectmen, from what I've seen so far, town counsel would not inspire in me a "warm, fuzzy feeling" of confidence. Her speech and body language seemed to convey to me quite a bit of nervousness which I find odd for an attorney who believes they have a decent case.

[quote="At 12:01 am on Jan. 16, 2015 In an article entitled "Grafton: Congressman announces opposition to railroad propane plans", Mike Gleason of the Milford Daily News staff"]

Grafton: Congressman announces opposition to railroad propane plans

GRAFTON - U.S. Rep. James McGovern, D-2nd, announced his support for residents fighting against a propane facility at the Grafton & Upton Railroad's Grafton rail yard.

McGovern attended a public meeting in Grafton on Wednesday to discuss the matter and listen to residents' concerns.

"The overwhelming consensus was that they do not want this to proceed," he said, noting the facility would be in a residential neighborhood and near a school. "I agree; I don't think this is the place for such a facility.

"Nobody at the meeting sounded like an alarmist - it was people asking thoughtful, reasonable questions and who had thoughtful, reasonable concerns," McGovern added.

The show of support comes in the wake of a September decision by the federal Surface Transportation Board in favor of the railroad. The board ruled that the storage of propane at the yard would constitute a "transportation activity," and would therefore be exempt from local and state bylaws.

"The town has filed an appeal - a very strong appeal - and I'm going to file an amicus brief," McGovern said. "What I said to (townspeople) is that I will work with them in any way I can to help try to block this."

McGovern said he thought the STB misinterpreted the law that would preempt the facility from local oversight, and said he was looking into legislation that might change the law. He said he would be reaching out to various federal agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Homeland Security, to ensure the facility would be in compliance with federal law.[/quote]

Read the rest at The Milford Daily News' website..

"He said he would be reaching out to various federal agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Homeland Security, ..."
DHS... SERIOUSLY??!??!?!?@!?!?!

Cosmo wrote:"He said he would be reaching out to various federal agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Homeland Security, ..."
DHS... SERIOUSLY??!??!?!?@!?!?!

Seemed to me like reality and this meeting were two separate things.. I found that McGovern was doing a dance that would make Fred Astaire proud. I won't comment further on Ms. Kremer's performance other than to state that my opinion remains unchanged.

IMHO they really did themselves a disservice by not inviting the railroad..

My rating over all on the meeting: