[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 245 (Thursday, December 19, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67106-67107]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-32231]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
[STB Docket No. AB-88 (Sub-No. 8X)]


Bessemer and Lake Erie Railroad Company--Abandonment Exemption--
in Armstrong and Butler Counties, PA

    Bessemer and Lake Erie Railroad Company (B&LE) has filed a notice 
of exemption under 49 CFR 1152 Subpart F--Exempt Abandonments to 
abandon 3.13 miles of its line of railroad, known as the Western 
Allegheny Branch, extending from Station 2294+53 eastward to the end of 
the track at Station 2460+01, in Armstrong and Butler Counties, PA.
    B&LE has certified that: (1) No local traffic has moved over the 
line for at least 2 years; (2) there is no overhead traffic on the 
line; (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 Surface Transportation Board (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.

[[Page 67107]]

    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 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 January 18, 1997, 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 December 30, 1996. Petitions to reopen 
or requests for public use conditions under 49 CFR 1152.28 must be 
filed by January 8, 1997, with: Office of the Secretary, Case Control 
Branch, Surface Transportation Board, 1201 Constitution Avenue, N.W., 
Washington, DC 20423.
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    \1\ 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.
    \2\ See Exempt. of Rail Abandonment--Offers of Finan. Assist., 4 
I.C.C.2d 164 (1987).
    \3\ The Board will accept late-filed trail use requests as 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: Robert J. Koch, Esq., Bessemer and Lake 
Erie Railroad Company, 135 Jamison Lane, P.O. Box 68, Monroeville, PA 
15146.
    If the verified notice contains false or misleading information, 
the exemption is void ab initio.
    B&LE 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 24, 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: December 12, 1996.

    By the Board, David M. Konschnik, Director, Office of 
Proceedings.
Vernon A. Williams,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 96-32231 Filed 12-18-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915-00-P