[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 207 (Thursday, October 26, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54883-54884]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-26579]



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INTERSTATE COMMERCE COMMISSION
[Docket No. AB-290 (Sub-No. 176X)]


Norfolk and Western Railway Company--Abandonment Exemption--Des 
Moines, IA

    Norfolk and Western Railway Company (NW) has filed a verified 
notice under 49 CFR Part 1152 Subpart F--Exempt Abandonments to abandon 
a 2.3-mile rail line between mileposts SD-334.6 and SD-336.8 and 
between mileposts SD-339.6 and 339.7 in Des Moines, IA.
    NW has certified that: (1) No local traffic has moved over the line 
for at least 2 years; (2) any overhead traffic on the line can be 
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 complainant's favor within the last 2 
years; and (4) the requirements at 49 CFR 1105.7 (environmental 
report), 49 CFR 1105.8 (historic report), 49 CFR 1105.11 and 
1152.50(d)(1) (notice to government agencies), and 49 CFR 1105.12 
(newspaper publication) 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 employees 
are adequately protected, a petition for partial revocation under 49 
U.S.C. 10505(d) must be filed.
    This exemption will be effective November 25, 1995, unless stayed 
or a statement of intent to file an offer of financial assistance (OFA) 
is filed. Petitions to stay that do not involve environmental 
issues,1 statements 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 3 must be filed by November 6, 1995. Petitions to reopen 
or requests for public use conditions under 49 CFR 1152.28 must be 
filed by November 15, 1995. An original and 10 copies of any such 
filing must be sent to the Office of the Secretary, Case Control 
Branch, Interstate Commerce Commission, Washington, DC 20423. In 
addition, one copy must be served on James R. Paschall, Norfolk 
Southern Corporation, Three Commercial Place, Norfolk, VA 23510.

    \1\ The Commission will grant a stay if an informed decision on 
environmental issues (whether raised by a party or by the Commission 
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 Commission may take appropriate 
action before the exemption's effective date.
    \2\ See Exempt. of Rail Abandonment--Offers of Finan. Assist., 4 
I.C.C.2d 164 (1987).
    \3\ The Commission will accept late-filed trail use requests so 
long as the abandonment has not been consummated and the abandoning 
railroad is willing to negotiate an agreement.
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    If the verified notice contains false or misleading information, 
the exemption is void ab initio.
    NW has filed an environmental report which addresses the 
abandonment's effects, if any, on the environment and historic 
resources. The Commission's Section of Environmental Analysis (SEA) 
will issue an environmental assessment (EA) by October 31, 1995. A copy 
of the EA may be obtained by writing to SEA (Room 3219, Interstate 
Commerce Commission, Washington, DC 20423) or by calling Elaine Kaiser 
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.

 
[[Page 54884]]

    Decided: October 20, 1995.

    By the Commission, Joseph H. Dettmar, Acting Director, Office of 
Proceedings.
Vernon A. Williams,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 95-26579 Filed 10-25-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7035-01-P