[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 150 (Friday, August 2, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40476-40477]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-19687]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
\1\ The ICC Termination Act of 1995, Pub. L. 104-88, 109 Stat.
803, which was enacted on December 29, 1995, and took effect on
January 1, 1996, abolished the Interstate Commerce Commission and
transferred certain functions to the Surface Transportation Board
(Board). This notice relates to functions that are subject to the
Board's jurisdiction pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 10903.
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[[Page 40477]]
[STB Docket No. AB-475 (Sub-No. 2X)]
New Hampshire and Vermont Railroad Company--Abandonment
Exemption--in Coos County, NH
New Hampshire and Vermont Railroad Company (NHVT) has filed a
notice of exemption under 49 CFR Part 1152 Subpart F--Exempt
Abandonments and Discontinuances to discontinue service over
approximately 1.1 miles of railroad from milepost 154.6 (Station
1587.50 on Val. Sec. 24.2), to milepost 155.7 (Station 1645+23.5 on
Val. Sec. 24.2), in Berlin Coos County, NH.2
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\2\ Under 49 CFR 1152.50(d)(2), the railroad must file a
verified notice with the Board at least 50 days before the
abandonment or discontinuance is to be consummated. NHVT's verified
notice indicated a proposed consummation date of September 1, 1996.
Because the verified notice was not filed until July 15, 1996,
consummation should not have been proposed to take place prior to
September 3, 1996. NHVT's representative has confirmed that the
correct consummation date is on or after September 3, 1996.
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NHVT 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 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 September 3, 1996, unless stayed pending reconsideration.
Petitions to stay that do not involve environmental issues,3
formal expressions of intent to file an OFA under 49 CFR
1152.27(c)(2),4 and trail use/rail banking requests under 49 CFR
1152.29 5 must be filed by August 12, 1996. Petitions to reopen or
requests for public use conditions under 49 CFR 1152.28 must be filed
by August 22, 1996, with: Office of the Secretary, Case Control Branch,
Surface Transportation Board, 1201 Constitution Avenue, NW.,
Washington, DC 20423.
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\3\ 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.
\4\ See Exempt. of Rail Abandonment--Offers of Finan. Assist.,
4 I.C.C.2d 164 (1987).
\5\ The Board will accept late-filed trail use requests so 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: David H. Anderson, 288 Littleton Road,
Suite 21, Westford, MA 01886.
If the verified notice contains false or misleading information,
the exemption is void ab initio.
NHVT 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 August 7, 1996. 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: July 29, 1996.
By the Board, David M. Konschnik, Director, Office of
Proceedings.
Vernon A. Williams,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 96-19687 Filed 8-1-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915-00-P
