[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 44 (Monday, March 8, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Page 11083]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-5625]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Surface Transportation Board
[Finance Docket No. 33556]
Canadian National Railway Company, Grand Trunk Corporation, and
Grand Trunk Western Railroad Incorporated--Control--Illinois Central
Corporation, Illinois Central Railroad Company, Chicago, Central and
Pacific Railroad Company, and Cedar River Railroad Company
AGENCY: Surface Transportation Board.
ACTION: Notice of availability of Final Environmental Assessment.
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SUMMARY: The Surface Transportation Board's (Board) Section of
Environmental Analysis (SEA) issued a Final Environmental Assessment
(Final EA) for the proposed acquisition of control of Illinois Central
Corporation (IC) and its railroad affiliates by Canadian National
Railway Company (CN). The Final EA addresses written public comments
made since issuance of the Draft Environmental Assessment (Draft EA) on
November 9, 1998 and the errata to the Draft EA on November 24, 1998,
and includes SEA's final recommendations for mitigating the potential
environmental impacts of the proposed CN/IC acquisition. In addition,
the Final EA responds to public comments regarding the Safety
Integration Plan prepared by CN and IC, in consultation with the
Federal Railroad Administration, that explains how they propose to
safely integrate their separate operations if the Board approves the
proposed acquisition. SEA believes that with the recommended
environmental mitigation, there will be no potential for significant
environmental impact. SEA assessed the potential environmental impacts
the proposed CN/IC acquisition could have on safety, transportation
systems, land use, energy, air quality, noise, biological resources,
water resources, historic and cultural resources, and environmental
justice, and addressed the potential impacts in the Draft and Final EA.
SEA determined that there would be potentially significant impacts on
only one issue area, hazardous materials transport safety. Accordingly,
in the Final EA, SEA is recommending mitigation to address the
potential acquisition-related increases in hazardous materials
transport, including potential disproportionately high and adverse
impacts these increases could have on minority and low-income
populations. With these final mitigation recommendations, SEA believes
there will be no potential for significant environmental effects on
hazardous materials transport safety or environmental justice
populations. SEA determined that none of the other environmental issue
areas would have a potential for significant environmental effects and
therefore do not warrant mitigation. However, because safety
integration is an ongoing process, the Safety Integration Plan is an
evolving document that will continue to be modified and refined until
the proposed acquisition is safely implemented.
SEA fully considered all comments received in response to the Draft
EA, consulted further with Federal, state, and local agencies, and
conducted additional environmental analysis where appropriate in
preparing the Final EA and in making its final environmental mitigation
recommendations to the Board. In making its final decision, the Board
will consider the entire environmental record, including all public
comments, the Draft EA, the Final EA, and SEA's final recommended
environmental mitigation.
DATES: The Board plans to conduct oral argument on March 18, 1999 and a
formal voting conference on March 25, 1999. The Board plans to serve
its final written decision on May 25, 1999. Any party may file an
administrative appeal within 20 days of the Board's final written
decision.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: To request a copy of the Final EA or for
further information on the proposed CN/IC acquisition, interested
parties may call SEA's toll-free Environmental Hotline at 1-888-869-
1997 (TDD for the hearing impaired: (202) 565-1695), or access SEA's
website for the CN/IC acquisition at www.cnicacquisition.com. For
additional information regarding environmental issues, or the
environmental review process, contact SEA's Project Manager for the
proposed CN/IC acquisition, Michael Dalton, at (202) 565-1530.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On July 15, 1998, CN and IC, collectively
referred to as CN/IC or applicants, filed a joint application
1 with the Board seeking authority for CN to acquire control
of IC. The proposed CN/IC system would extend to both the east and west
coasts of North America and the Gulf of Mexico. The Chicago area would
serve as the hub of the combined system. This new system would cover
approximately 18,670 miles of rail lines and related facilities, of
which approximately 4,520 miles would be in the United States. The
applicants state that integrating CN and IC operations would allow both
rail systems to provide more reliable, efficient, and competitive
service. The applicants also state that they anticipate relatively
minor changes in rail operations as a result of the proposed
acquisition. The applicants have proposed no rail line abandonments and
only five minor construction projects (one rail line connection and
four rail yard bypass tracks) as part of the proposed acquisition.
\1\ Canadian National Railway Company, Grand Trunk Corporation,
and Grand Trunk Western Railroad Incorporated--Control--Illinois
Central Corporation, Illinois Central Railroad Company, Chicago,
Central and Pacific Railroad Company, and Cedar River Railroad
Company, STB Finance Docket No. 33556.
By the Board, Elaine K. Kaiser, Chief of the Section of
Environmental Analysis.
Vernon A. Williams,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 99-5625 Filed 3-5-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915-00-P
