So far, Bettendorf, Iowa and Hampshire, Illinois are the only two cities that have approved settlements with the railroad.
Andy Cummings is the Community Relations Manager for Canadian Pacific. He says the $31 billion merger will be good for the economy and the environment.
Canadian Pacific is waiting for the Surface Transportation Board to release a draft, Environmental Impact Statement about the merger. Cummings says it will examine the effects of the merger on rail capacity and traffic, plus safety, delays, noise, and pollution.
Air pollution is of particular concern in Muscatine because it's an area of "non-attainment."
If approved, the number of trains traveling through the Iowa Quad Cities will triple.
Davenport, LeClaire, and Riverdale continue to study the merger and negotiate with Canadian Pacific.
In addition, a group of Chicago suburbs has formed the Coalition to Stop CPKC (Canadian Pacific Kansas City). Each of the local governments has sent a letter to the Surface Transportation Board to express their opposition to the proposed merger. The coalition includes DuPage County, Bartlett, Bensenville, Elgin, Itasca, Hanover Park, Roselle, Wood Dale, and Schaumburg.