Old Lyme — The town has sent the Federal Railroad Administration a rebuttal of an Old Saybrook to Kenyon, R.I., rail bypass that challenges the proposal on environmental, cultural and economic grounds.

Town officials are calling on the FRA to remove the proposed bypass through Old Lyme and other communities in the region from FRA's overall plan. The FRA's proposal recommends a total of more than $120 billion in long-term investments along the Northeast Corridor from Washington, D.C., to Boston.

The 82-page response to the FRA submitted by Old Lyme covers issues related to the plan's impact on the Connecticut River Estuary, effects of noise and vibration, and potential dangers to the town's artistic heritage, prehistoric cultural resources, historic landmarks and economy.

"The potential negative impact of this bypass on the region, I believe, is far greater than the benefit," First Selectwoman Bonnie Reemsnyder said in a phone interview. "And, yes, we are protective of our region, and we have every reason to be. We are lucky to have the kind of resources we have in our community and the surrounding communities, so I think the FRA has to really think hard before they risk doing irreparable harm to this area."

The FRA says it will accept comments on the plan's Final Environmental Impact Statement until it issues a final Record of Decision, "which is not anticipated prior to March 1, 2017." The FRA said it is recommending the bypass to boost resiliency, speed up travel times along the Northeast Corridor, and avoid moveable bridges and at-grade crossings in southeastern Connecticut.

Within the 82-page document, the town argues that the state and federal government's first priority should be to upgrade rail service, address safety concerns and replace aging infrastructure, including the railroad bridge across the Connecticut River.

"Planning now for the expansion of service and the creation of new segments and high speed transit is an impractical, unrealistic and harmful distraction from focusing on these improvements, especially in light of the fact that the proposal for high speed rail is 20-30 years distant and requires considerable Federal and State appropriations when such funds are scarce," the document's executive summary states.

The FRA's proposal already is having "material, adverse consequences" on real estate, property values, and business and residential decision-making, the document continues.

The town also raises several environmental concerns over a proposed tunnel under the Connecticut River, including that the FRA "has failed to make a case that an additional crossing of the Connecticut River estuary can safely be constructed in light of the unique geomorphology of CRE and the sensitive nature of its ecosystem."

The document details concerns over the tunnel's potential effects on threatened and endangered species, wetlands and aquifers, as well as whether construction would release toxins long buried in the river bed.

A core strategy team worked on Old Lyme's response to the proposal and consulted with different experts, Reemsnyder said.

For example, the document notes that the Atlantic sturgeon, a prehistoric fish, has been identified in the Connecticut River, a good sign that it is returning to the river, Reemsnyder said. The team spoke to an expert at the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to learn more about the fish, its history and the dangers facing the species.

The document further said the bypass through Old Lyme — whether it is a tunnel, or the aerial structure that originally was proposed but later dropped due to public comments — would threaten historic landmarks and art institutions.

The FRA said the final step in the NEC FUTURE Tier 1 federal environmental review process will be the release of the Record of Decision, or ROD.

"The ROD will identify a selected alternative that will encompass a package of investment projects to improve passenger rail service in the region served by the NEC over the next several decades," the FRA said in a written statement. "Each project would require additional project-level planning work, including environmental analysis and engineering, in advance of any future construction. The recommendations in the NEC FUTURE ROD, like other infrastructure projects in this country, will require significant funding and community partnership before any specific projects are advanced."

k.drelich@theday.com