[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 56 (Thursday, March 21, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11679-11680]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-6827]



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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Surface Transportation Board 1
[STB Docket No. AB-55 (Sub-No. 523X)]


CSX Transportation, Inc.--Abandonment Exemption--in Raleigh 
County, WV

    CSX Transportation, Inc. (CSXT) has filed a notice of exemption 
under 49 CFR 1152 Subpart F--Exempt Abandonments to abandon 
approximately 6.23 miles of its line of railroad between milepost CAQ-
13.72 at Stotesbury and milepost CAQ-19.95 at Stone Coal Junction, in 
Raleigh County, WV.2

    \1\ The ICC Termination Act of 1995, Pub. L. No. 104-88, 109 
Stat. 803 (the Act), which was enacted on December 29, 1995, and 
took effect on January 1, 1996, abolished the Interstate Commerce 
Commission (ICC) and transferred certain functions to the Surface 
Transportation Board (Board). This notice relates to functions that 
are subject to Board jurisdiction pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 10903.
    \2\ In CSX Transportation, Inc.--Abandonment Exemption-- In 
Raleigh County, WV, Docket No. AB-55 (Sub-No. 394X), a notice of 
exemption was served on September 21, 1991, of CSXT's abandonment of 
it's line segment between milepost CAQ-5.45 at Pemberton, and 
milepost CAQ-13.72, at Stotesbury.
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    CSXT has certified that: (1) No local traffic has moved over the 
line for at

[[Page 11680]]
least 2 years; (2) overhead traffic that formerly moved over this line 
is now moving via CSXT over a leased NS line parallel to this 
line;3 (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 Board or with any U.S. District Court or has been 
decided in favor of complainant within the 2-year period; and (4) the 
requirements at 49 CFR 1105.7 (environmental reports), 49 CFR 1105.8 
(historic reports), 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.

    \3\ See CSX Transportation, Inc.--Lease and Operation 
Exemption--Norfolk and Western Railway Company, Finance Docket No. 
32768 (ICC served Oct. 27, 1995).
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    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. 10502(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 April 20, 1996, unless stayed pending reconsideration. 
Petitions to stay that do not involve environmental issues,4 
formal expressions of intent to file an OFA under 49 CFR 
1152.27(c)(2),5 and trail use/rail banking requests under 49 CFR 
1152.29 6 must be filed by April 1, 1996. Petitions to reopen or 
requests for public use conditions under 49 CFR 1152.28 must be filed 
by April 10, 1996, with: Office of the Secretary, Case Control Branch, 
Surface Transportation Board, 1201 Constitution Avenue, N.W., 
Washington, DC 20423.

    \4\ The Board will grant a stay if an informed decision on 
environmental issues (whether raised by a party or by the Board's 
Section of Environmental Analysis 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 Board may 
take appropriate action before the exemption's effective date.
    \5\ See Exempt. of Rail Abandonment--Offers of Finan. Assist., 4 
I.C.C.2d 164 (1987).
    \6\ The Board 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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    A copy of any petition filed with the Board should be sent to 
applicant's representative: Charles M. Rosenberger, Senior Counsel, CSX 
Transportation, Inc., 500 Water Street J150, Jacksonville, FL 32202.
    If the verified notice contains false or misleading information, 
the exemption is void ab initio.
    CSXT has filed an environmental report which addresses the 
abandonments effects, if any, on the environment and historic 
resources. The Section of Environmental Analysis (SEA) will issue an 
environmental assessment (EA) by March 26, 1996. Interested persons may 
obtain a copy of the EA by writing to SEA (Room 3219, Surface 
Transportation Board, 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 trail use/rail 
banking conditions will be imposed, where appropriate, in a subsequent 
decision.

    Decided: March 13, 1996.

    By the Board, Joseph H. Dettmar, Acting Director, Office of 
Proceedings.
Vernon A. Williams,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 96-6827 Filed 3-20-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915-00-P