[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 180 (Wednesday, September 17, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48918-48919]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-24706]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Surface Transportation Board
[STB Docket No. AB-32 (Sub-No. 80X)]
Boston and Maine Corporation--Abandonment Exemption--in Hartford
County, CT
Boston and Maine Corporation (B&M) has filed a notice of exemption
under 49 CFR 1152 Subpart F--Exempt Abandonments and Discontinuances to
abandon and discontinue service over the Wethersfield Secondary line
between milepost 3.0 in Hartford, CT, and milepost 7.0 in Wethersfield,
CT, a distance of approximately 4.0 miles, in Hartford County, CT. The
line traverses United States Postal Service Zip Codes 06109 and 06067.
B&M has certified that: (1) no local traffic has moved over the
line for at least 2 years; (2) overhead traffic has been rerouted over
other lines; (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 October 17, 1997, unless stayed pending reconsideration.
Petitions to stay that do
[[Page 48919]]
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 must be filed by September 29, 1997.
Petitions to reopen or requests for public use conditions under 49 CFR
1152.28 must be filed by October 7, 1997, with: Surface Transportation
Board, Office of the Secretary, Case Control Unit, 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).
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A copy of any petition filed with the Board should be sent to
applicant's representative: Robert A. Wimbish, Esq., Rea, Cross &
Auchincloss, Suite 420, 1920 N Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20036.
If the verified notice contains false or misleading information,
the exemption is void ab initio.
B&M 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 September 22, 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), B&M 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 B&M's filing of a notice of
consummation by September 17, 1998, and there are no legal or
regulatory barriers to consummation, the authority to abandon will
automatically expire.
Decided: September 10, 1997.
By the Board, David M. Konschnik, Director, Office of
Proceedings.
Vernon A. Williams,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 97-24706 Filed 9-16-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915-00-P
