News Release

Concerned Community Members Form Arizona Common Sense, Inc. To Advocate For Alternate Routes For Proposed Union Pacific Routes From Punta Colonet Through Yuma County

Non-Profit Organization Not Opposed to Rail Line, Just Proposed Routes Through Southwestern Yuma Valley

YUMA, Ariz. (March 13, 2007): Concerned citizens and members of the greater Yuma business and agricultural communities have formed a nonprofit organization, Arizona Common Sense, to express serious concerns about a proposed Union Pacific Railroad line from Punta Colonet in Mexico through Southeastern Yuma County.

“We are not opposed to the rail line, just to any proposed routes that would cut across southwestern Yuma Valley,” said Arizona Common Sense spokesperson Paul Muthart. “There are too many risks and downsides. We are exploring sensible alternative routes that won’t negatively impact the community and our quality of life. We are committed to working with Union Pacific to help secure what is needed.”

The suggested route, which will originate from the proposed deep-water port of Punta Colonet, would be constructed through southern Yuma County, “effectively splitting up the county into many sections,” Muthart said.

“Safety is our primary concern,” he said. “The proposed rail line would force a reconfiguration of the roads, generating significantly more traffic and, as a result, significantly more risk. Passenger vehicles, agricultural employees and school buses already account for more than 50,000 passenger movements a day. With the addition of many new grade-level railroad crossings and rerouted traffic, south county commerce would be severely impacted and farm tractors and large implements would be forced onto main roads.”

“Think about what that would mean in wait time, delayed delivery schedules and general traffic back-ups,” he added.

Proposed routes through southwestern Yuma Valley would:

• Physically split the county in multiple sections.

• Require many new grade-level railroad crossings, which pose significant public safety risks and unacceptable traffic delays.

• Add diesel exhaust to Yuma’s already-tenuous PM10 issue.

• Cause increased concern about crop damage and food safety.

• Result in almost continuous rail traffic with up to 90 multi-car trains a day through Yuma County as the Punta Colonet port grows to an estimated 6-8 million containers.

• Dramatically reduce the already-limited amount of private land for future development.

• Run adjacent to 7000 new homes under development along old Highway 80.

• Create property rights issues through the railroad’s use of eminent domain.

“We are already on the edge of compliance with the EPA for the amount of particulate matter (PM 10) in the air, which even now threatens federal funding sources,” Muthart said. “That doesn’t even begin to address noise pollution and the impact of additional concentration of diesel exhaust on residential neighborhoods or food and crop safety. It would be impossible to even speculate the damage to our quality of life.”

Alternate routes being studied by Arizona Common Sense would run along the northern section of the Valley, posing significantly lower impact on commerce, traffic, neighborhoods and the environment, Muthart said.

Among the growing membership of Arizona Common Sense are the Greater Yuma Economic Development Corporation, The Greater Yuma Chamber of Commerce, Western Growers, the Gowan Company, Yuma County Farm Bureau, Better Yuma.org. and the Yuma Commerce Center.

A web site is under construction. For more information, call either Dave Mansheim at (928) 819-1589 or Paul Muthart at (928) 783-7813.

 back to main news releases page