[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 135 (Friday, July 14, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Page 36308]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-17330]



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INTERSTATE COMMERCE COMMISSION
[Docket No. AB-55 (Sub-No. 510X)]


CSX Transportation, Inc.--Abandonment Exemption--in St. Clair 
County, MI

    CSX Transportation, Inc. (CSXT) has filed a notice of exemption 
under 49 CFR 1152 Subpart F--Exempt Abandonments to abandon 
approximately 1.5 miles of its float operation over the St. Clair River 
between milepost CBD-90.01 at Port Huron and the United States-Canada 
Boundary line, in St. Clair County, MI.1

    \1\ The full scope of the operation extends to milepost CUB-
70.33 at Sarnia in the Province of Ontario, Canada. The Commission 
does not have jurisdiction to exempt operations outside of the 
United States. CSXT must file its request for any necessary 
approvals relating to service in Canada with the National 
Transportation Agency of Canada.
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    CSXT 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 (environmental report), 49 CFR 1105.8 
(historic report), 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. 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 August 13, 1995, unless stayed pending reconsideration. 
Petitions to stay that do not involve environmental issues,2 
formal expressions of intent to file an OFA under 49 CFR 
1152.27(c)(2),3 and trail use/rail banking requests under 49 CFR 
1152.29 4 must be filed by July 26, 1995. Petitions to reopen or 
requests for public use conditions under 49 CFR 1152.28 must be filed 
by August 3, 1995, with: Office of the Secretary, Case Control Branch, 
Interstate Commerce Commission, Washington, DC 20423.

    \2\ 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 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 this exemption.
    \3\ See Exempt. of Rail Abandonment--Offers of Finan. Assist., 4 
I.C.C.2d 164 (1987).
    \4\ 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: Charles M. Rosenberger, Senior Counsel, CSX 
Transportation, Inc. 500 Water Street, J150 , Jacksonville, FL 32202.
    If the notice of exemption contains false or misleading 
information, the exemption is void ab initio.
    CSXT 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 July 19, 1995. 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: July 10, 1995.

    By the Commission, David M. Konschnik, Director, Office of 
Proceedings.
Vernon A. Williams,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 95-17330 Filed 7-13-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7035-01-P