Canadian Pacific Railroad proposes filling 6.37 acres of Mississippi in St. Paul

by Alicia Uzarek

Photo: Canadian Pacific

Canadian Pacific Railroad (CP) has submitted a proposal to the City of Saint Paul for the Canadian Pacific Railroad Track Expansion Project. The project proposal includes lengthening five existing tracks to the east, adding a new sixth track, and building a new access road.

The project will take place within CPs existing property located in the southeast corner of St. Paul. The property runs along the eastern edge of Pigs Eye Lake and Pigs Eye Regional Park. It has been designated by the Minnesota Biological Survey as partially within or adjacent to a Site of Moderate Biodiversity Significance. The DNR reports that the vicinity of the site is habitat for blanding turtles (a state-listed threatened species) as well as state-listed mussels. Additionally, the site is located across the lake from the Pigs Eye Island Heron Rookery Scientific Natural Area.

The project triggered the environmental review process because of the impacts the project will have to wetlands and public waters, namely filling 6.37 acres of wetlands. CP and City of St. Paul staff completed an Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW) to provide information about the potential for significant environmental effects. There was a 30-day public comment period for the EAW that ended April 30. A public open house was held as part of the comment period on April 23. The meeting was very well attended and of the many who testified, not one person spoke in favor of the project.

FMR has many concerns about this project. First and foremost, we would like to see an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) completed for the project to better explore alternatives, including a no-build alternative. Other concerns include:

• Ensuring St. Pauls Great River Passage plan is implemented to the fullest extent. This includes maintaining and enhancing natural buffers, not only mitigating but also enhancing the natural environment, and improving connections to the river such as the two grade-separated pedestrian crossings through CP property and a trail in Pigs Eye Regional Park below the site.
• The bluff and setback policies within the City of St. Paul Mississippi River Corridor Plan are not being followed in the bluff and setback plans for the site included in the EAW.
• The impact of disturbing and permanently reducing habitat in the area for many fish, wildlife, plant communities, and sensitive ecological resources, especially state-listed blanding turtles and mussels.
• The impact of filling the wetland on the flood capacity of the Mississippi River in St. Paul.

FMR will continue to monitor this project as the process continues. We expect to receive a response to our comments from the City of St. Paul at the end of May and hear about additional next steps at that time. For CP to move forward with their proposed project, they must complete the environmental review process and then file for conditional use permits, variances, and rezoning from the City of St. Paul.

For more information on this project, please contact Alicia Uzarek at auzarek@fmr.org or 651.222.2193 x29.