[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 231 (Friday, December 1, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61708-61709]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-29340]



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INTERSTATE COMMERCE COMMISSION

[Docket No. AB-463X]


Alabama Railroad Co.--Abandonment Exemption--in Monroe County, AL

    Alabama Railroad Co. (AR) has filed a notice of exemption under 49 
CFR 1152 subpart F--Exempt Abandonments to abandon a 3.68-mile portion 
of its rail line between milepost 662.62 at Beatrice and milepost 666.3 
at Corduroy, in Monroe County, AL.
    AR has certified that: (1) No local traffic has moved over the line 
for at least 2 years; (2) any overhead traffic can be rerouted over 
other lines; (3) no formal complaint filed by a user of rail service on 
this line (or by a state or local government entity acting on behalf of 
such user) regarding cessation of service over the line is either 
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 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 

[[Page 61709]]
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 December 31, 1995, 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 
1152.29 must be filed by December 11, 1995.3 Petitions to reopen 
or requests for public use conditions under 49 CFR 1152.28 must be 
filed by December 21, 1995, with: Office of the Secretary, Case Control 
Branch, Interstate Commerce Commission, Washington, DC 20423-2191.

    \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 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 a late-filed trail use request so 
long as the abandonment has not been consummated and the abandoning 
railroad is willing to negotiate an agreement.
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    A copy of any petition filed with the Commission should be sent to 
applicant's representative: Patricia E. Dietrich, 1224 Seventeenth 
Street NW., Washington, DC 20036.
    If the notice of exemption contains false or misleading 
information, the exemption is void ab initio.
    AR 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 December 6, 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 becomes 
available to the public.
    Environmental, historic preservation, public use, or other trail 
use/rail banking conditions will be imposed, where appropriate, in a 
subsequent decision.

    Decided: November 27, 1995.

    By the Commission, David M. Konschnik, Director, Office of 
Proceedings.
Vernon A. Williams,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 95-29340 Filed 11-30-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7035-01-P