[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 177 (Monday, September 14, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49153-49154]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-24572]
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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 environmental review process schedule.
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SUMMARY: On July 15, 1998, Canadian National Railway Company (CN) and
Illinois Central Corporation (IC), along with their railroad
affiliates, collectively referred to as CN/IC or Applicants, filed a
joint application with the Surface Transportation Board (Board) seeking
authority for CN to acquire control of IC. (This proposed transaction
is subsequently referred to as the Acquisition or the CN/IC
Acquisition.) The proposed CN/IC system would extend to both 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.
In Decision No. 6, served August 14, 1998, the Board accepted for
consideration the proposed CN/IC Acquisition and issued a 300-day
procedural schedule that will provide for the issuance of the Board's
final written decision no later than May 11, 1999. The Board also
announced that preparation of an Environmental Assessment is
appropriate for this proceeding. The purpose of this notice is to
advise that the Board's Section of Environmental Analysis (SEA) plans
to issue a Draft Environmental Assessment (Draft EA) on the proposed
CN/IC Acquisition for public review by November 1998. The public will
then have 30 days to review and comment on the Draft EA. After
reviewing all public comments on the Draft EA and conducting additional
analyses, SEA will complete the Final Environmental Assessment (Final
EA). SEA will issue the Final EA prior to the Board's Oral Argument
which is currently scheduled for March 8, 1999. The Board will consider
all public comments, the Draft EA and Final EA, and SEA's environmental
mitigation recommendations in making its final decision on the proposed
Acquisition. The Board plans to serve the final written decision on the
proposed CN/IC Acquisition on May 11, 1999. Any party may file an
administrative appeal within 20 days of the final written decision.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: A Fact Sheet on the proposed
Acquisition, which includes a general discussion on the environmental
review process and schedule, is available by calling SEA's toll-free
environmental hotline at 1-888-869-1997. For additional
[[Page 49154]]
information regarding environmental issues, or the environmental review
schedule, contact SEA's Project Manager for the proposed CN/IC
Acquisition, Michael Dalton, at (202) 565-1530.
By the Board, Elaine K. Kaiser, Chief of the Section of
Environmental Analysis.
Vernon A. Williams,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 98-24572 Filed 9-11-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915-00-P