[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 84 (Tuesday, May 3, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-10558]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: May 3, 1994]


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INTERSTATE COMMERCE COMMISSION
[Docket No. AB-290 (Sub-No. 133X)]

 

Virginia & Southwestern Railway Company; Abandonment Exemption; 
in Bristol, VA and Bristol, TN

    Virginia & Southwestern Railway Company (V&S) has filed a notice of 
exemption under 49 CFR Part 1152 Subpart F--Exempt Abandonments to 
abandon 0.18 mile of track between milepost 68.24-T and milepost 68.42-
T at Bristol, VA, and 0.8 mile of track between milepost 70.6-T and 
milepost 71.4-T at Bristol, TN, a total distance of 0.98 mile.
    V&S 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 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 (service of environmental report on 
agencies), 49 CFR 1105.8 (service of historic report on State Historic 
Preservation Officer), 49 CFR 1105.11 (transmittal letter), 49 CFR 
1105.12 (newspaper publication), and 49 CFR 1152.50(d)(1) (notice to 
government agencies) have been met.
    As a condition to use of this exemption, any employee 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 expression of intent to file an offer of 
financial assistance (OFA) has been received, this exemption will be 
effective on June 2, 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 requests under 49 CFR 1152.29 must be filed by 
May 13, 1994.\3\ Petitions to reopen or requests for public use 
conditions under 49 CFR 1152.28 must be filed by May 23, 1994, with: 
Office of the Secretary, Case Control Branch, Interstate Commerce 
Commission, Washington, DC 20423.
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    \1\A stay will be issued routinely by the Commission in those 
proceedings where an informed decision on environmental issues 
(whether raised by a party or by the Commission's 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 on 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 the 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.
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    A copy of any pleading filed with the Commission should be sent to 
applicant's representative: James R. Paschall, Norfolk Southern 
Corporation, Three Commercial Place, Norfolk, VA 23510.
    If the notice of exemption contains false or misleading 
information, the exemption is void ab initio.
    V&S 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 May 6, 1994. Interested persons may 
obtain a copy of the EA 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 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: April 22, 1994.

    By the Commission, David M. Konschnik, Director, Office of 
Proceedings.
Sidney L. Strickland, Jr.,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 94-10558 Filed 5-2-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7035-01-P