The Seven County Infrastructure Coalition Board voted to add a new preliminary route to the environmental study being conducted for the Uinta Basin Railway. The Coalition will request that the U.S. Surface Transportation Board (STB), the lead federal agency that is responsible for preparing the environmental impact statement in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), consider this new route in addition to the routes already being considered.

The new route, which the Coalition has dubbed the Whitmore Park route, would reduce impacts to property owners by shifting the proposed railway south closer to Emma Park Road, and further away from residential homes in the Emma Park and Duchesne Mini Ranches areas. The Whitmore Park route is a variation of the Indian Canyon route and would affect fewer property owners overall.

"We want property owners to know we are listening to their concerns and demonstrating our commitment to find solutions to reduce impacts while also providing a viable route for the Uinta Basin Railway that will help us solve the freight transportation needs in the Uinta Basin," said Seven County Infrastructure Coalition Executive Director Mike McKee.

The Coalition is planning to ask the STB to consider the Whitmore Park route as the Coalition's preferred alternative.

The Coalition is the project proponent of the proposed railway that seeks to solve the freight transportation challenges in the Uinta Basin by connecting various industries to the national rail network. This common-carrier railway will move goods in a safe and cost-effective way to enable economic stability, sustainable communities and enriched quality of life.