98-24572. Canadian National Railway Company, Grand Trunk Corporation, and Grand Trunk Western Railroad IncorporatedControlIllinois Central Corporation, Illinois Central Railroad Company, Chicago, Central and Pacific Railroad Company, and Cedar River ...  

  • [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.
    
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------
    
    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
    
    
    

Document Information

Published:
09/14/1998
Department:
Surface Transportation Board
Entry Type:
Notice
Action:
Notice of environmental review process schedule.
Document Number:
98-24572
Pages:
49153-49154 (2 pages)
Docket Numbers:
Finance Docket No. 33556
PDF File:
98-24572.pdf