While much is clear about Clark County’s lease of Chelatchie Prairie Railroad to Eric Temple, there is still a central mystery.
It is clear that the railroad project has caused environmental damage to local streams and surrounding lands, despite Temple’s protestations to the opposite (“Local railroad remains diligent,” Our Readers’ Views, Nov. 24). It is clear that the citizens most impacted by the project are against the current plans for development, which would bring thousands of tons of aggregate through Battle Ground, create environmental havoc along a 33-mile swath through Clark County and disrupt homes and families along the route. It is clear that Temple believes he is not accountable to the Clark County Council or its citizenry. It is clear that he treats the council with disdain, exhibiting both arrogance and rudeness in his interactions with them.
The mystery is, why is this behavior allowed to continue? What is stopping the county council from terminating this lease and finding a new operator? Why is the council allowing this operator to run roughshod when the county owns the railroad line? Why are county councilors allowing themselves and their citizens to be treated with such disrespect and disregard? Please tell me why.
