June 1, 2009, 9 e-mails

From: Elisabeth Bruckmann

Do you live within 30 meters of the edge of the rail corridor?

As most of you know, the government is planning to run over 400 diesel trains every day along the rail lines which run on the west side of Brockton. The government has acknowledged that there will be a minimum 15% increase in air pollution in the community. Diesel is a particularly nasty pollutant which causes cancer and respiratory disease.

A large group of different communities has come together to form the Clean Train Coalition to force the government to put in electric trains instead. Electric is cleaner and quieter.

One of our strategies is to challenge the very limited Environmental Assessment which the government is performing. We have identified that the government is legally required to send a "Notice of Commencement" to every landowner whose land is within 30 meters of the project. We have found that many people have not received such a notice, but we need to identify names and addresses so that we can approach a lawyer and credibly say that there has been inadequate notice.

Is your land within 30 meters of the edge of the corridor? 30 meters is not much, but if you back onto the tracks or are directly across the street, then you ought to have received a notice. If you did not, please email me and tell me. The sooner we get this information, the sooner we can get a legal challenge moving. If you did receive a notice, please tell me that too and approximately when you received it so we can determine whether notice is being given late. If you would like to remain anonymous, say so, but we will need your address to show where you live.

Email to e_bruckmann@hotmail.com Visit the Clean Train Coalition website for more information at http://www.cleantrain.ca

D. B. wrote:

What happened to 8-4pm? It's now 4:45 and they're still driving.

G. B. wrote:

It's way after 4 pm and the piledrivers are still pounding and my house is still shaking. What fresh hell is this?

S. G. wrote:

Its 5:06 and they seem to have stopped, but our house was shaking all day and my nerves feel like someone put them through a juicer. My wife and two kids are all getting noticeably more aggravated as the noise and shaking is continuing.

I served for 3 years in the Israeli army- back in the 80's in south Lebanon and the West Bank. The current noise feels to me like a war zone, with constant shelling going on.

I was just informed by a grocer on Osler, Steve, that the Go workers get physical checkups every few weeks due to the stress of the shocks. Go obviously knows that their is the potential for long term injury.

S. G. wrote:

5: 35 p.m. on June 1st and they are at it again!

SRA wrote:

Thanks for letting everyone know. I'd suggest you call Kathryn Hanford and ask her what's happening. 416-604-9582

T. G. wrote:

I just spoke with Kath.,

Apparently they extended the hours tonight because of some change to the schedule later in the week...??? Apparently Kathryn didn't know this was going to happen tonight either - according to her, it should go until 6:30pm at the latest.

It really bothers me that we can be sent a "brochure" assuring us that the piledriving won't extend past 4, and then a few days later they are doing completely the opposite.

H. G. wrote:

This corporation obviously has no concern for the people living in this neighbourhood.

I am beginning to feel that all promises, head phones, and public relations are being undertaken simply to appease the wrath of the local inhabitants; because, as you pointed out Tara, they say one thing and do another.

G. S. wrote:

You have figured it out, just as our leaders group has. This is a callous bunch.

If you can, please attend the Wednesday community meeting at 6:30 PM at the Davenport-Perth Community Centre, 1900 Davenport (the big church set back from the road, just east of Symington). You’ll learn more of what’s going on and perhaps there may be something that you may have the time for and wish to offer to assist the group and the neighbourhood.

You know about really tough opponents. These guys are only tough because they won’t respond. We’re trying to deal with that.

Perhaps we’ll meet you on Wednesday.