[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 17 (Monday, January 27, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Page 3941]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-1871]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Surface Transportation Board
[STB Docket No. AB-290 (Sub-No. 188X)]
Norfolk and Western Railway Company; Abandonment Exemption;
Between Edgefield and Escambia Junction, SC
Norfolk and Western Railway Company (NW) has filed a notice of
exemption under 49 CFR Part 1152 Subpart F--Exempt Abandonments to
abandon its 1.5-mile line of railroad between milepost AB-0.0 at
Edgefield and milepost AB-1.5 at Escambia Junction, SC.
NW has certified that: (1) No local traffic has moved over the line
for at least 2 years; (2) there is no overhead traffic on the line; (3)
no formal complaint filed by a user of rail service on the line (or by
a state or local government entity acting on behalf of such user)
regarding cessation of service over the line either is pending with the
Surface Transportation Board (Board) or with any U.S. District Court or
has been decided in favor of complainant within the 2-year period; and
(4) the requirements at 49 CFR 1105.7 (environmental reports), 49 CFR
1105.8 (historic reports), 49 CFR 1105.11 (transmittal letter), 49 CFR
1105.12 (newspaper publication), and 49 CFR 1152.50(d)(1) (notice to
governmental agencies) have been met.
As a condition to this exemption, any employee adversely affected
by the abandonment shall be protected under Oregon Short Line R. Co.--
Abandonment--Goshen, 360 I.C.C. 91 (1979). To address whether this
condition adequately protects affected employees, a petition for
partial revocation under 49 U.S.C. 10502(d) must be filed.
Provided no formal expression of intent to file an offer of
financial assistance (OFA) has been received, this exemption will be
effective on February 26, 1997, unless stayed pending reconsideration.
Petitions to stay that do not involve environmental issues, 1
formal expressions of intent to file an OFA under 49 CFR 1152.27(c)(2),
and trail use/rail banking requests under 49 CFR 1152.29 2 must be
filed by February 6, 1997. Petitions to reopen or requests for public
use conditions under 49 CFR 1152.28 must be filed by February 18, 1997,
with: Office of the Secretary, Case Control Branch, Surface
Transportation Board, 1201 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC
20423.
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\1\ The Board will grant a stay if an informed decision on
environmental issues (whether raised by a party or by the Board's
Section of Environmental Analysis in its independent investigation)
cannot be made before the exemption's effective date. See Exemption
of Out-of-Service Rail Lines, 5 I.C.C.2d 377 (1989). Any request for
a stay should be filed as soon as possible so that the Board may
take appropriate action before the exemption's effective date.
\2\ The Board will accept late-filed trail use requests as long
as the abandonment has not been consummated and the abandoning
railroad is willing to negotiate an agreement.
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A copy of any petition filed with the Board should be sent to
applicant's representative: James R. Paschall, General Attorney,
Norfolk Southern Corporation, Three Commercial Place, Norfolk, VA
23510.
If the verified notice contains false or misleading information,
the exemption is void ab initio.
NW has filed an environmental report which addresses the
abandonment's effects, if any, on the environment and historic
resources. The Section of Environmental Analysis (SEA) will issue an
environmental assessment (EA) by January 31, 1997. Interested persons
may obtain a copy of the EA by writing to SEA (Room 3219, Surface
Transportation Board, Washington, DC 20423) or by calling Elaine
Kaiser, Chief of SEA, at (202) 927-6248. Comments on environmental and
historic preservation matters must be filed within 15 days after the EA
becomes available to the public.
Environmental, historic preservation, public use, or trail use/rail
banking conditions will be imposed, where appropriate, in a subsequent
decision.
Decided: January 21, 1997.
By the Board, David M. Konschnik, Director, Office of
Proceedings.
Vernon A. Williams,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 97-1871 Filed 1-24-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915-00-P
