[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 29 (Friday, February 11, 1994)] [Unknown Section] [Page 0] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 94-3291] [[Page Unknown]] [Federal Register: February 11, 1994] ======================================================================= ----------------------------------------------------------------------- INTERSTATE COMMERCE COMMISSION [Docket No. AB-55 (Sub-No. 479X)] CSX Transportation, Inc.; Abandonment Exemption; in Putnam and Owen Counties, IN CSX Transportation, Inc. (CSXT), has filed a notice of exemption under 49 CFR part 1152 subpart F--Exempt Abandonments to abandon approximately 13.1 miles of rail line between milepost Q-190.0, at Cloverdale, and milepost Q-203.1, at Gosport, in Putnam and Owen Counties, IN. CSXT has certified that: (1) No local traffic has moved over the line for at least 2 years; (2) overhead traffic on the line 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 Commission or with any U.S. District Court or has been decided in favor of the complainant within the 2-year period; and (4) the requirements at 49 CFR 1105.7 (environmental), 49 CFR 1105.8 (historic requirement), 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 use of 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. 10505(d) must be filed. Provided no formal expressions of intent to file an offer of financial assistance (OFA) has been received, this exemption will be effective on March 13, 1994, 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 statements under 49 CFR 1152.293 must be filed by February 22, 1994. Petitions to reopen or requests for public use conditions under 49 CFR 1152.28 must be filed by March 3, 1994, with: Office of the Secretary, Case Control Branch, Interstate Commerce Commission, Washington, DC 20423. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- \1\ A stay will be routinely issued by the Commission in those proceedings where an informed decision on environmental issues (whether raised by a party or by the Commission's Section of Environmental Analysis in its independent investigation) cannot be made prior to the effective date of the notice of exemption. See Exemption of Out-of-Service Rail Lines, 5 I.C.C.2d 377 (1989). Any entity seeking a stay involving environmental concerns is encouraged to file its request as soon as possible in order to permit the Commission to review and act on the request before the effective date of this exemption. \2\ See Exempt, of Rail Abandonment--Offers of Finan. Assist., 4 I.C.C.2d 164 (1987). \3\ The Commission will accept a late-filed trail use request as long as it retains jurisdiction to do so. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- A copy of any petition filed with the Commission should be sent to applicant's representatives: Charles M. Rosenberger, 500 Water Street, J150, Jacksonville, FL 32202. If the notice of exemption contains false or misleading information, the exemption is void ab initio. CSXT have filed an environmental report which addresses the effects of the abandonment's effect, if any, on the environment or historic resources. The Section of Environmental Analysis (SEA) will issue an environmental assessment (EA) by February 16, 1994. Interested persons may obtain a copy of the EA from SEA by writing to SEA (room 3219, Interstate Commerce Commission, 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 is 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: February 7, 1994. By the Commission, David M. Konschnik, Director, Office of Proceedings. Sidney L. Strickland, Jr., Secretary. [FR Doc. 94-3291 Filed 2-10-94; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7035-01-P