[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 247 (Monday, December 27, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 72376-72377]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-33183]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Surface Transportation Board
[STB Docket No. AB-290 (Sub-No. 192X)]
Norfolk Southern Railway Company--Abandonment Exemption--in
Anderson and Woodford Counties, KY
Norfolk Southern Railway Company (NSR) has filed a verified notice
of exemption under 49 CFR part 1152 Subpart F--Exempt Abandonments to
abandon its line of railroad between milepost 0.7-LL, at Lawrenceburg,
and milepost 3.5-LL, at Tyrone, in Anderson and Woodford Counties, KY,
a distance of approximately 2.8 miles (line). The line traverses United
States Postal Service Zip Codes 40342 and 40383.
NSR has certified that: (1) no local traffic has moved over the
line for at least 2 years; (2) no overhead traffic has moved over the
line for at least 2 years and that overhead traffic, if there were any,
could be rerouted over other lines; (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 January
26, 2000, 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),2 and trail
use/rail banking requests under 49 CFR 1152.29 must be filed by January
6, 2000. Petitions to reopen or requests for public use conditions
under 49 CFR 1152.28 must be filed by January 18, 2000, with the
Surface Transportation Board, Office of the Secretary, Case Control
Unit, 1925 K Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20423-0001.
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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\ Each offer of financial assistance must be accompanied by
the filing fee, which currently is set at $1000. See 49 CFR
1002.2(f)(25).
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A copy of any petition filed with the Board should be sent to
applicant's representative: James R. Paschall, Norfolk Southern
Corporation, Three Commercial Place, Norfolk, VA 23510. If the verified
notice contains false or misleading information, the exemption is void
ab initio.
NSR 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 3, 2000. Interested persons
may obtain a copy of the EA by writing to SEA (Room 500, Surface
Transportation Board, Washington, DC 20423-0001) or by calling SEA, at
(202) 565-1545. 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.
Pursuant to the provisions of 49 CFR 1152.29(e)(2), NSR shall file
a notice of consummation with the Board to signify that it has
exercised the authority granted and fully abandoned the line. If
consummation has not been effected by NSR's filing of a notice of
consummation by December 27, 2000, and there are no legal or regulatory
barriers to consummation, the authority to abandon will automatically
expire.
Board decisions and notices are available on our website at
``WWW.STB.DOT.GOV.''
Decided: December 16, 1999.
[[Page 72377]]
By the Board, David M. Konschnik, Director, Office of
Proceedings.
Vernon A. Williams,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 99-33183 Filed 12-23-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915-00-P
