Letter: Should we be terrified of shipments from Crane?

In his recent letter to the editor, “Mid-States Corridor an investment in the future”, Doug Bawel, President and CEO of Jasper Engine and their subsidiary JET Transit, told us: “If people knew of the armaments that travel through Jasper many times daily, they would be terrified.”  He made a similar claim at the August 14th Jasper City Council meeting on the Mid-States Corridor. How terrified should we be?

First, let’s look at the regulations governing the shipment of military munitions. All shipments must comply with the Department of Transportation’s Regulations for the shipment of hazardous materials, Title 49 CFR.  These regulations govern how the shipments must be packaged and how the vehicles transporting them must be marked.  There are exceptions made for national security, but these shipments must be escorted by a separate vehicle. Even if the vehicle transporting the munitions is unmarked, the materials must still be transported in an approved secure manner.  They are not simply shipped unprotected in the back of a semi-trailer.

Also, the Department of Defense requires such shipments to comply with DA PAM 385?64, which further details how munitions will be packaged and transported. 

In summary, any shipment of munitions through this area is made in as safe and secure as possible, and pose no greater risk the tankers of gasoline which go through our communities on a daily basis.  There’s no danger unless there is an accident.

Secondly, let’s look at where the shipments are going.  Shipments from Crane are not made just anywhere.  They are made to other military installations.  The shipments will generally be made using fastest possible route.  There are no military installations other than Crane located along US 231.  There is an interstate highway, I-69, located just miles from the main gate at Crane.  The fastest possible route to other military installations will be to use I-69.  As someone who has lived among US 231 my entire life, I can say that the volume of trucks with the bright orange Class 1 explosives placard has decreased since I-69 was opened.  If anything, opening a new four-lane road between Crane and I-64 will result in an increase in such traffic. While it’s true that any munitions shipments being transported through the heart of our cities would be rerouted to the outskirts, the volume would likely increase if the Mid-States Corridor were built.

Don’t let the unsubstantiated fear tactics of those who stand to profit from the Mid-States Corridor take your eyes off the facts. The Mid-States Corridor is an unneeded, unwanted, and unaffordable boondoggle being pushed by a few who will benefit from it at our expense.  It’s time to let common sense prevail and stop the Mid-States Corridor.

Tom Bartelt
Huntingburg