[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 176 (Tuesday, September 10, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47781-47782]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-23073]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
[STB Docket No. AB-290 (Sub-No. 185X)]


Norfolk Southern Railway Company--Abandonment Exemption--in Des 
Moines, Polk County, IA

    Norfolk  Southern Railway Company (NS) has filed a notice of 
exemption under 49 CFR 1152 Subpart F--Exempt Abandonments to abandon 
1.1 mile of its line of railroad between milepost SD-339.7 and SD-340.8 
in Des Moines, Polk County, IA.
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    \1\ The ICC Termination Act of 1995, Pub. L. No. 104-88, 109 
Stat. 803, which was enacted on December 29, 1995, and took effect 
on January 1, 1996, abolished the Interstate Commerce Commission and 
transferred certain functions to the Surface Transportation Board 
(Board). This notice relates to functions that are subject to the 
Board's jurisdiction pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 10903.
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    NS has certified that: (1) no local traffic has moved over the line 
for at least 2 years; (2) any overhead traffic on

[[Page 47782]]

the line has been rerouted; (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.
    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 October 10, 1996, 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 September 20, 1996. Petitions to reopen 
or requests for public use conditions under 49 CFR 1152.28 must be 
filed by September 30, 1996, with: Office of the Secretary, Case 
Control Branch, Surface Transportation Board, 1201 Constitution Avenue, 
N.W., Washington, DC 20423.
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    \2\ TThe 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.
    \3\ See Exempt. of Rail Abandonment--Offers of Finan. Assist., 4 
I.C.C.2d 164 (1987).
    \4\ 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: James R. Paschall, General Attorney, 
Norfolk Southern Corporation, Three Commercial Place, Norfolk, VA 
23510.
    If the verified notice contains false or misleading information, 
the exemption is void ab initio.
    NS 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 September 13, 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: September 4, 1996.

    By the Board, David M. Konschnik, Director, Office of 
Proceedings.
Vernon A. Williams,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 96-23073 Filed 9-9-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915-00-P