[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 62 (Tuesday, April 1, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15562-15563]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-8236]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
[STB Docket No. AB-303 (Sub-No. 16X)]
Wisconsin Central LTD.--Abandonment Exemption--in Clark County,
WI
Wisconsin Central LTD. (WCL) has filed a notice of exemption under
49 CFR 1152 Subpart F--Exempt Abandonments to abandon approximately .64
miles of its line of railroad, known as the Abbotsford line, between
milepost 303.37 and milepost 304.01, in Abbotsford, Clark County, WI.
WCL has certified that: (1) No local traffic has moved over the
line for at least 2 years; (2) any overhead traffic on the line can be
rerouted; (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 May 1, 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),
2 and trail use/rail banking requests under 49 CFR 1152.29 3
must be filed by April 11, 1997. Petitions to reopen or requests for
public use conditions under 49 CFR 1152.28 must be filed by April 21,
1997, with: Office of the Secretary, Case Control Unit, Surface
Transportation Board, 1925 K Street, 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\ 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).
\3\ 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: 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.
WCL 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) byApril 4, 1997. 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), WCL 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 WCL's filing of a notice of
[[Page 15563]]
consummation by April 1, 1998, and there are no legal or regulatory
barriers to consummation, the authority to abandon will automatically
expire.
Decided: March 25, 1997.
By the Board, David M. Konschnik, Director, Office of
Proceedings.
Vernon A. Williams,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 97-8236 Filed 3-31-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 44915-00-P
