[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 162 (Tuesday, August 23, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-20649]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: August 23, 1994]


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INTERSTATE COMMERCE COMMISSION
[Docket No. AB-290 (Sub-No. 144X)]

 

Norfolk Southern Railway Company--Abandonment Exemption--
Jefferson County, AL

    Norfolk Southern Railway Company (NS) has filed a notice of 
exemption under 49 CFR 1152 Subpart F--Exempt Abandonments to abandon 
its 2.2-mile line of railroad extending between NS milepost 35.0-R, at 
Burstall, and milepost 37.2-R, at Valley Creek Junction, both in 
Jefferson County, AL.
    NS 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 September 22, 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 
1152.293 must be filed by September 2, 1994. Petitions to reopen 
or requests for public use conditions under 49 CFR 1152.28 must be 
filed by September 12, 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 Section of 
Environmental Analysis in its independent investigation) cannot be 
made before 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 this 
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.
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    A copy of any petition filed with the Commission should be sent to 
applicant's representative: Robert J. Cooney, Norfolk Southern 
Corporation, Three Commercial Place, Norfolk, VA 23510-2191.
    If the notice of exemption contains false or misleading 
information, the use of the exemption is void ab initio.
    Applicant has filed an environmental report which addresses the 
abandonment's effects, if any, on the environmental and historic 
resources. The Section of Environmental Analysis (SEA) will issue an 
environmental assessment (EA) by August 26, 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 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: August 15, 1994.

    By the Commission, David M. Konschnik, Director, Office of 
Proceedings.
Vernon A. Williams,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 94-20649 Filed 8-22-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7035-01-P