submitted by G&U
“It is inconceivable to me how the Town of Grafton and other state and federal elected officials, including Congressman James McGovern, can continue to state that we are not being forthcoming on the railroad’s plans for the LPG transfer facility in North Grafton.”
“On December 4, 2012, the Town held a public meeting and invited both the Railroad and the federal Surface Transportation Board to attend. The Railroad answered all questions and disclosed and discussed health and safety plans for the facility. Shortly thereafter, instead of entering into further dialogue with the G&U, which was always ready to continue discussions, the Town obtained a restraining order in Worcester Superior Court. This legal action brought construction of the facility to a halt. It also ended, due to the nature of litigation, any chance to continue an open dialogue with the town.”
“In 2014 two STB decisions stated emphatically that the G&U’s plan to build storage track and to build and operate the LPG transfer facility constitutes transportation by a rail carrier. Shortly after the STB rulings, the Worcester Superior Court dismissed the Town’s restraining order removing all legal barriers to the G&U. These actions removed any legal barrier to moving forward with the facility.”
“In spite of these legal setbacks, the Town once again elected to go to court. Instead of entering into a dialogue with the G&U, the town precluded dialogue when it filed an appeal of the STB’s recent decision to the Federal 1st Circuit Court of Appeals. Even while doing so, various Town officials publicly admitted that they have almost no likelihood of success. The Town also elected to hold another public meeting on January 14, 2015 and did not invite either the Railroad or the STB to attend.”
“As the Town has continued to refuse to enter into any real dialogue with the G&U, we have simply gone forward with the construction and plans as discussed and shared in 2012. Most recently, the G&U has hired a new fire safety engineer who is also a state Department of Environmental Protection certified Licensed Site Professional and who holds the highest federal Department of Homeland Security certification. The G&U has re-engaged the original design and construction contractor to complete the facility. Together with G&U personnel, these experts will make sure the terminal meets or exceeds applicable safety rules and regulations. When all of our plans are updated and complete, we will share them with all required parties, as we have been willing to do all along.”
“It is also worth noting that even while being sued by the Town, the G&U has spent tens of thousands of dollars on equipment and training for area fire departments. This includes chemical foam firefighting equipment for both Grafton and Upton fire departments, and hosting a regional firefighter training session in Upton and a CSX Safety Train training event in Hopedale. This May we are hosting another joint training for the region in Upton with the CSX Safety Train, Upton Fire Department and the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy based in Stow, MA. Numerous fire departments, emergency responders and other railroads will all attend this training. Since I have owned and operated the G&U, I have always put safety first, and I will continue to do so when the LPG transfer facility is finally operational.”
How Safe Is the Grafton & Upton LPG Facility
According to the U.S. Department of Energy “LPG Land Transportation and Storage Safety” statistics published December, 1981
The voluntary lifetime risk of a fatality due to motor vehicle accident is 1 in 4,700.
The voluntary lifetime risk of a fatality in an airplane crash is 1 in 140,000.
The involuntary risk of a fatality by lightning strike is 1 in 3,750,000.
The involuntary risk of a fatality in a tornado is 1 in 2,450,000.
The involuntary risk of a fatality in a dam failure is 1 in 6,300,000.
The involuntary risk of a fatality in an airplane crash as an innocent bystander on
the ground is 1 in 37,000,000.
The involuntary risk of a fatality from a LPG Transportation/Storage accident is 1 in 37,000,000.
Jon Delli Priscoli is the owner of the Grafton & Upton Railroad
UPTON DAILY 
John, This is Donna Kiley, John Kiley’s wife in Framingham. We met you and your wife some time ago on one of Fred Heim’s cruises on the Rachel H. More to the point, what I am writing about is can you tell us what is the progress, if any, on the beautiful Garfield/Burnett house. We have just watched the interview that was conducted with you regarding the property. Carl Cioppa e-mailed it to us and we found it fascinating and I was curious if any progress had been made, hoping of course that it can be saved exactly the way you spoke about it. We admire it every time we drive by. It would be a shame if it were destroyed. Just looking over at it makes me happy. If you find the time could you just drop me a short note. I would love to know if there is hope. Thank you.
Sincerely, Donna Kiley