[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 3 (Thursday, January 4, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 354-355]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-136]



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INTERSTATE COMMERCE COMMISSION

[Docket No. AB-43 (Sub-No. 169X)]


Illinois Central Railroad Company--Abandonment Exemption--in West 
Feliciana Parish, LA

    Illinois Central Railroad Company (IC) has filed a notice of 
exemption under 49 CFR 1152 Subpart F--Exempt Abandonments to abandon 
approximately 0.8 miles of its line of railroad between milepost LB-9.7 
to milepost LB-10.5 near Riddle (Zee), in West Feliciana Parish, LA.
    IC has certified that: (1) No local traffic has moved over the line 
for at least 2 years; (2) all overhead traffic previously routed over 
this line has been rerouted to alternate 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 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 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 February 3, 1996, 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 3 must be filed by January 16, 1996. Petitions to reopen 
or requests for public use conditions under 49 CFR 1152.28 must be 
filed by January 24, 1996, with: Office of the Secretary, Case Control 
Branch, Interstate Commerce Commission, 1201 Constitution Ave., N.W., 
Washington, DC 20423.4

    \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 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.
    \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.
    \4\ Legislation to sunset the Commission on December 31, 1995, 
and transfer remaining functions is currently under consideration. 
Until further notice, parties submitting pleadings should continue 
to use the current name and address.
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    A copy of any pleading filed with the Commission should be sent to 
applicant's representative: Myles L. Tobin, Illinois Central Railroad 
Company, 455 North Cityfront Plaza Dr., 20th Floor, Chicago, IL 60611.
    If the notice of exemption contains false or misleading 
information, the exemption is void ab initio.
    IC has filed an environmental report which addresses the 
abandonment's 

[[Page 355]]
effects, if any, on the environment and historic resources. The Section 
of Environmental Analysis (SEA) will issue an environmental assessment 
(EA) by January 9, 1996. 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: December 28, 1995.

    By the Commission, David M. Konschnik, Director, Office of 
Proceedings.
Vernon A. Williams,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 96-136 Filed 1-3-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7035-01-P