Thank you, Chair Badawey.

Imagine being trapped beneath an insurmountable rock. That’s what life is like when you're at the mercy of the CTA and the wrath of CN Rail.

Port Robinson was once a quiet rural community when I moved there to start my family 17 years ago. It all changed four months later. Where did all this train activity come from? Why did CN move a successful, functioning shunting yard to Port Robinson, which is grossly undersized? How many complaints were documented at the previous location? What was the process?

I can feel the trains idling in my bones, almost like tinnitus pulsing through your ears. With COVID, your home is your castle...unless you live in Port Robinson, where it’s your prison. Our houses shake day and night. There's the pungent smell of diesel, the smell of rail ties, the constant vibration that rattles any two objects in your house that touch together. There's a film of diesel fuel on the windshields of our vehicles. Dust coats cars moments after they’re washed. Perhaps CN should volunteer a shovelful of dirt from their rail yard near their lines for content and chemical analysis. That dust is breathed in by my kids every day they want to play outside. What if I told you 90% of the pot lights in my basement are dead? They're a year old. There are cracks in our foundations. Beautiful concrete around our pools has heaved and our driveways have sunk.

Most people know the holidays based on the calendar. We know them by the trainyard. At Christmas, Easter and Thanksgiving, our houses shake violently. We don’t invite friends or family over. It’s too embarrassing. Then there's the volatile cargo that could kill on contact or upon explosion.

My wife and I are teachers. We have no margin for error. Suicide, abuse, depression and anxiety—we’re expected to psychoanalyze 20 to 30 kids with each interaction while delivering a curriculum. Now figure in minimal sleep due to trains shunting all night. We’re not talking a two cups of coffee fix. Nurses, paramedics, firefighters, police officers and other frontline workers who live in our subdivision have suffered at work due to the implications of COVID and at home due to CN’s operations.

I was invited to the mediation with the CTA and CN Rail in 2020. I refused to sign the NDA, which was a prerequisite for participation. In a democratic country under the guise of an arbitrary mediation, why hide the contents of the meetings? It's simple: Show us your info; we'll do nothing, and you will be muzzled. If you're looking for proof, we've had two meetings in mediation with not an ounce of resolve.

Why did CN idle its trains north, past the subdivision, last night? Is it a coincidence that we're testifying today? Wait a second; you can voluntarily move your operations north without complaints? Sadly, I still felt those trains in my bones as I sat in the chair in my basement.

On Tuesday evening, I learned that CN cannot block a crossing for more than five minutes while shunting. That's shocking. CN's safety record should have them on the CTA's speed dial, yet Tuesday night, the CTA admitted the best they can do is levy a fine to a company that earned record profits of $3.2 billion in 2020. CN has repeatedly said it can't afford to move its shunting yard from our community.

I’m curious what a CTA fine might be. How about legislation that holds rail companies legally responsible and fines that reflect their earnings? Bill Gates, a significant investor in CN Rail and proponent of the environment, says on his website, “We need to reward people who have the courage to take difficult steps.” That's why we are all here today.

The committee will be forced to investigate rail incidents on CN lines, CN's rail yard derailment reports and its cargo manifest. Is there federal compliance? Are there dangerous activities? For volatile chemicals, what do the warning labels say in the event of disaster? How long do they block rail crossings? What is their rate of compliance? How long does it take to separate a railcar in the event of an emergency? How often has that threshold been met?

The tail should not wag the dog. Legislation can be changed. Ethics are what allow you to sleep at night. This panel was elected to be leaders, not followers. It all starts with holding CN Rail and the CTA accountable right now.

My hope, once the final report is written and due diligence is served, is that their operations can no longer represent a function of neglect, complacency or entitlement. They have caused headaches probably for every elected official on this committee and their constituents. They will be shamed into changing their policies and procedures, which easily could have been made in good conscience and stewardship without this committee.

I thank you for the opportunity to speak.

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