[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 52 (Wednesday, March 18, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Page 13301]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-6852]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Surface Transportation Board
[STB Docket No. AB-531 (Sub-No. 1X)]
Pioneer Valley Railroad Company, Inc.--Abandonment Exemption--in
Hampshire County, MA
Pioneer Valley Railroad Company (PVRR) has filed a notice of
exemption under 49 CFR 1152 Subpart F--Exempt Abandonments to abandon
an approximately 4.6-mile line of railroad from milepost 9.4 near
Easthampton to milepost 14.0 at Mount Tom, in Hampshire County, MA. The
line traverses United States Postal Service Zip Code 01027.
PVRR has certified that: (1) no local traffic has moved over the
line for at least 2 years; (2) any overhead traffic formerly handled on
the line can 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 April 17,
1998, 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 March
30, 1998. Petitions to reopen or requests for public use conditions
under 49 CFR 1152.28 must be filed by April 7, 1998, with: Surface
Transportation Board, Office of the Secretary, Case Control Unit, 1925
K Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20423.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\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 $900. See 49 CFR
1002.2(f)(25). This fee is scheduled to increase to $1000, effective
March 20, 1998.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
A copy of any petition filed with the Board should be sent to
applicant's representative: Thomas J. Litwiler, Oppenheimer Wolff &
Donnelly, Two Prudential Plaza, 45th Floor, 180 North Stetson Avenue,
Chicago, IL 60601.
If the verified notice contains false or misleading information,
the exemption is void ab initio.
PVRR 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 March 23, 1998. Interested persons may
obtain a copy of the EA by writing to SEA (Room 500, Surface
Transportation Board, Washington, DC 20423) 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), PVRR 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 PVRR's filing of a notice of
consummation by March 18, 1999, and there are no legal or regulatory
barriers to consummation, the authority to abandon will automatically
expire.
Decided: March 10, 1998.
By the Board, David M. Konschnik, Director, Office of
Proceedings.
Vernon A. Williams,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 98-6852 Filed 3-17-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915-00-P
