Haze and trains in Cheney

What’s wrong with this picture? On Aug. 19, at 5:15 p.m., I took a walk from Sutton Park to Cheney High School through the Eastern Washington University campus. It was hot, it was windy, it was smoky. The sun was covered with a haze. Never had I seen anywhere look like this except during the two weeks I spent in Chengdu, China, three years ago.

Added to this experience were four trains (carrying oil, coal?) blowing their whistles, one of which I heard as I rounded the corner at the high school and Betz grade school. By their representatives, the railroads assured us there are 52 BNSF Railway trains and 12 Union Pacific trains running through Cheney on average per day. Yet in less than an hour, four trains passed through Cheney. Do the math.

Compounding it all, there were many gas-guzzling SUVs and RVs cruising around the streets. OK. Go figure. What is wrong with this picture?

Nancy Street

Cheney