DM&E: The Saga Continues
Wednesday, April 11, 2007 at 10:18 am
- 4 Comments
Speculation continues as to what the next steps for the Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern Railroad will be after the Federal Railroad Administration turned down its request for a $2.3 billion loan to finance an expansion into Wyoming’s coal-rich Powder River Basin.
Apparently, the Rochester Coalition and the Mayo Clinic have received approximately 12 pounds of DM&E records in answer to a Freedom of Information Act request made about a year ago by lawyers for the two groups. The records weren’t released until after the groups sued the FRA to enforce the FOIA request and the FRA rejected the loan.
Meanwhile, the railroad has suspended development work on the so-called “southern bypass” alternative route around Mankato, Minn. The city and Blue Earth County have stated their preference for an in-city route currently owned by the Union Pacific should the DM&E project move forward. But the UP has not shown any interest in negotiating with the DM&E or the city to allow for a DM&E expansion on its right-of-way.
more insideContractors for the DM&E had been approaching landowners about doing soil borings and survey work for the alternative route. They had also asked Blue Earth County for permission to perform soil borings on county-owned land, but the county refused citing environmental reasons, according to the Mankato Free Press.
The Rochester Post-Bulletin speculated today today that three recent railroad stock purchases by billionaire investor Warren Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway holding company might have a bearing on the DM&E. Berkshire now owns almost 11% of Burlington Northern Santa Fe, making the holding company its largest stockholder. The BNSF is one of the two railroads that currently haul coal from the Powder River Basin, the other being the UP.
While Berkshire specifically named BNSF in its press release about the railroad stock purchases, it declined to name the other two. This has led the Post-Bulletin’s Jeff Kiger to speculate: Could one of those be the DM&E?
4 Comments
Comment posted April 11, 2007 @ 3:34 pm
More rumors… Well, as long as we’re speculating… The other two railroads Buffett owns interest in are UP and NS. As I and other rails and railfans have speculated earlier, UP still has right of first refusal should DM&E be put up for sale. UP also owns and controls some critical sections of track that DM&E needs to traverse to access those lucrative coal markets…
BNSF may also be a player here- last year they advertised for Maintainence of Way workers in towns along DM&E’s tracks. Was BNSF just trying to hire away DM&E’s underpaid workers, or were they anticipating buying DM&E?
Comment posted April 11, 2007 @ 11:54 pm
The Green movement is on its way to Rochester Gov. Arnold Schwartznager at Georgetown University, Washington D.C.
addressed an enormous gathering regarding California’s Green Movement.
Event sponsored by Newsweek. Salient points:
1. A “hydrogen highway” from California through Washington (state) to Canada, with hydrogen fueling stations every 20 miles.
2. THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA WILL NOT PURCHASE ELECTRICITY FROM ANY SUPPLIER OF COAL GENERATED ELECTRICITY. OFFICIAL STATE POLICY NOW.
3. Carbon caps . i.e. a tax on carbon generating fuels.
4. He also suggested the State of Wisconsin get off its duff and stop grousing about the cost of converting to alternative fuels. (State will have outlays in converting from coal fired energy systems.)
5 A number os states have already joined the movement, so his project has legs.
No, not running for President; his aim is “to tip the balance on this continent” towards a “green society.” California he reasons is a large enough state to tip the balance away from carbon technology.
Comment posted April 11, 2007 @ 10:34 am
More rumors… Well, as long as we're speculating… The other two railroads Buffett owns interest in are UP and NS. As I and other rails and railfans have speculated earlier, UP still has right of first refusal should DM&E; be put up for sale. UP also owns and controls some critical sections of track that DM&E; needs to traverse to access those lucrative coal markets…
BNSF may also be a player here- last year they advertised for Maintainence of Way workers in towns along DM&E;'s tracks. Was BNSF just trying to hire away DM&E;'s underpaid workers, or were they anticipating buying DM&E;?
Comment posted April 11, 2007 @ 6:54 pm
The Green movement is on its way to Rochester Gov. Arnold Schwartznager at Georgetown University, Washington D.C.
addressed an enormous gathering regarding California's Green Movement.
Event sponsored by Newsweek. Salient points:
1. A “hydrogen highway” from California through Washington (state) to Canada, with hydrogen fueling stations every 20 miles.
2. THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA WILL NOT PURCHASE ELECTRICITY FROM ANY SUPPLIER OF COAL GENERATED ELECTRICITY. OFFICIAL STATE POLICY NOW.
3. Carbon caps . i.e. a tax on carbon generating fuels.
4. He also suggested the State of Wisconsin get off its duff and stop grousing about the cost of converting to alternative fuels. (State will have outlays in converting from coal fired energy systems.)
5 A number os states have already joined the movement, so his project has legs.
No, not running for President; his aim is “to tip the balance on this continent” towards a “green society.” California he reasons is a large enough state to tip the balance away from carbon technology.
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