The environment would bear the brunt of this modal shift. The powerplants on locomotives are much less environmentally-friendly than vessels, so emissions into the atmosphere will increase dramatically. Other societal disbenefits would be the congestion of increased rail traffic at many highway rail crossings and a corresponding increase in fatal accidents at rail crossings. For steelmakers battling dumped foreign steel, these additional costs will only further weaken their ability to maintain marketshare. The impacts on limestone are even more dramatic.
Limestone is one of the most widely-consumed raw materials.
National Stone Association calculates that, on average, each American uses 8,000 pounds a year. The HSF continues this flaw by again exempting cargo moving to and from Alaska, Hawaii, and the U.S. possessions. Virtually every region of the country has similar examples, but only Hawaii, Alaska, Guam, and Puerto Rico have gained such favored status. It is also here where more legal and philosophical problems arise. Actually, this expansion of the HSUF disadvantages the Great Lakes perhaps more than any other region in the country.