Environmentalists were stunned this summer when they learned that Iowa Pacific Holdings, which leases/owns the railroad line from Saratoga to Tahawus, was considering storing empty oil tankers along an unused section of the tracks in Essex and Hamilton Counties. That section of the line runs through the Adirondack Forest Preserve but the company owns the right of way.
A collective sigh of relief was given Tuesday night when the Glens Falls Post Star reported that Iowa Pacific was close to a deal that would allow them to move stone from former mines in Tahawus on the northern end of the line. This would keep the little used track open, meaning storage of empty oil tankers here wouldn't be possible.
Last week we walked the line with Peter Bauer of Protect the Adirondacks before the news came down. Click the video above to see the area in question and for reaction on yesterday's news.