[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 40 (Monday, March 2, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10260-10262]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-5303]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Surface Transportation Board
[STB Finance Docket No. 33388]


CSX Corporation and CSX Transportation Inc., Norfolk Southern 
Corporation and Norfolk Southern Railway Company--Control and Operating 
Leases/Agreements --Conrail, Inc. and Consolidated Rail Corporation

AGENCY: Surface Transportation Board

ACTION: Notice of availability of additional environmental information 
on the Proposed Conrail Acquisition and Opportunity for public review 
and comment by those who could be affected by that information.

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SUMMARY: On December 12, 1997, the Surface Transportation Board's 
(Board) Section of Environmental Analysis (SEA) issued a Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement (Draft EIS) for the Proposed Acquisition 
of Conrail by Norfolk Southern (NS) and CSX.

[[Page 10261]]

Comments on the Draft EIS were due February 2, 1998. In its continuing 
process of evaluation, SEA has identified some additional potential 
hazardous materials transportation safety, noise, and highway/rail at-
grade crossing safety and delay impacts of the Proposed Acquisition. 
This information was not included in the Draft EIS and is based in part 
on updated data that was not received until after the Draft EIS was 
issued. Specifically, (1) on November 24, 1997, CSX advised SEA that it 
would revise its calculation of the transportation of hazardous 
materials due to an error in methodology; (2) on December 23, 1997 and 
February 20, 1998, CSX provided SEA with the revised hazardous 
materials transportation safety data; and (3) SEA identified sensitive 
receptors within noise contours using aerial photographs and more 
precise analytical tools, such as geographic information systems (GIS), 
that were not available prior to SEA completing the Draft EIS.
    SEA's additional analysis has identified four rail line segments 
with potential hazardous materials transportation safety impacts that 
SEA did not identify as such in the Draft EIS. In addition, SEA has 
identified eight rail line segments that now may warrant noise 
mitigation. Although SEA had identified these segments in the Draft EIS 
as being potentially affected by noise, SEA did not recommend noise 
mitigation for them in the Draft EIS. The affected rail line segments 
and their locations that fall into these two categories include:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Segment description               Affected  counties/cities     
------------------------------------------------------------------------
New Hazardous Material Transport                                        
 Safety Segments:                                                       
    NJ Cabin, KY to Columbus, OH...  KY: Greenup County; OH: Franklin,  
                                      Pickaway, Pike, Ross, and Scioto  
                                      Counties; Cities of Columbus,     
                                      Circleville, Chillicothe, and     
                                      Portsmouth.                       
    CP Newtown Jct., PA to CP Wood,  Bucks, Montgomery, and Philadelphia
     PA.                              Counties; City of Philadelphia.   
    CP Wood, PA to Trenton, NJ.....  PA: Bucks County; NJ: Mercer       
                                      County; City of Ewing.            
    Deshler, OH to Toledo, OH......  Henry and Wood Counties.           
Segments That May Warrant Noise                                         
 Mitigation:                                                            
    Warsaw, IN to Tolleston, IN....  Kosciusko, La Porte, Lake,         
                                      Marshall, Porter, and Starke      
                                      Counties; Cities of Gary, Hobart, 
                                      Lake Station, Plymouth, Portage,  
                                      Valparaiso, and Warsaw.           
    Sinns, PA to Brownsville, PA...  Allegheny, Fayette, and            
                                      Westmoreland Counties; Cities of  
                                      Clairton, McKeesport, and         
                                      Monessen.                         
    Riverton Jct., VA to Roanoke,    Augusta, Botetourt, Clarke, Page,  
     VA.                              Roanoke, Rockbridge, Rockingham,  
                                      and Warren Counties; Cities of    
                                      Buena Vista, Roanoke, and         
                                      Waynesboro.                       
    Corning, NY to Geneva, NY......  Chemung, Ontario, Schuyler,        
                                      Steuben, and Yates Counties;      
                                      Cities of Corning and Geneva.     
    Alexandria, IN to Muncie, IN...  Delaware and Madison Counties;     
                                      Cities of Alexandria and Muncie.  
    Bellevue, OH to Sandusky Dock,   Erie and Huron Counties; Cities of 
     OH.                              Bellevue and Sandusky.            
    Elmore, WV to Deepwater, WV....  Fayette, Raleigh, and Wyoming      
                                      Counties; Cities of Mullins and   
                                      Oak Hill.                         
    Deepwater, WV to Fola Mine, WV.  Fayette and Nicholas Counties.     
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    As a result of the refined analysis described above, SEA has also 
concluded that 12 additional rail line segments may have high, adverse 
and disproportionate effects on minority or low-income communities 
listed below, as a result of potential effects of hazardous materials 
transportation safety, noise, and/or highway/rail at-grade crossing 
safety and delay. These rail line segments and communities include:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Segment description                Affected counties/cities     
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Potential Impacted Minority and Low-                                    
 Income Populations:                                                    
    Manchester, GA to La Grange, GA  Meriwether and Troup Counties;     
                                      Cities of La Grange and           
                                      Manchester.                       
    West Falls, PA to CP Newtown     Philadelphia County; City of       
     Jct, PA.                         Philadelphia.                     
    Bethlehem, PA to Allentown, PA.  Lehigh and Northampton Counties;   
                                      Cities of Allentown and Bethlehem.
    Asheville, NC to Leadvale, TN..  NC: Buncomb and Madison Counties;  
                                      City of Asheville; TN: Cocke      
                                      County; City of Newport.          
    Frisco, TN to Kingsport, TN....  Hawkins and Sullivan Counties; City
                                      of Kingsport.                     
    Poe ML, VA to Petersburg, VA...  Chesterfield County; Cities of     
                                      Colonial Heights and Petersburg.  
    Park Jct., PA to Frankford       Philadelphia County; City of       
     Jct., PA.                        Philadelphia.                     
    Frankford Jct., PA to Camden,    NJ: Camden County; City of Camden; 
     NJ.                              PA: Philadelphia County; City of  
                                      Philadelphia.                     
    Ashtabula, OH to Buffalo, NY...  OH: Ashtabula County; Cities of    
                                      Ashtabula and Conneaut; PA: Erie  
                                      County; City of Erie; NY:         
                                      Chautauqua and Erie Counties;     
                                      Cities of Buffalo, Dunkirk, and   
                                      Lackawanna.                       
    PN, NJ to Bayway, NJ...........  Union County; City of Elizabeth.   
    Warsaw, IN to Tolleston, IN....  Kosciusko, La Porte, Lake,         
                                      Marshall, Porter, and Starke      
                                      Counties; Cities of Gary, Hobart, 
                                      Lake Station, Plymouth, Portage,  
                                      Valparaiso, and Warsaw.           
    Alexandria, IN to Muncie, IN...  Delaware and Madison Counties;     
                                      Cities of Alexandria and Muncie.  
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    This new information does not change or alter SEA's prior analysis, 
results, or preliminary mitigation recommendations in other impact 
areas, nor does it affect the integrity of the information contained in 
the Draft EIS. However, to ensure that anyone affected by the results 
of the refined analysis noted above has the opportunity to review and 
comment on it, through this notice SEA is providing a limited, 45-day 
comment period. During this

[[Page 10262]]

period, anyone affected by SEA's refined analysis may submit written 
comments to SEA on the potential environmental effects of that 
information on their community. Written comments addressing that 
information must be submitted to SEA no later than April 15, 1998. SEA 
will consider any timely comments received in the Final EIS, which is 
scheduled to be issued in late May 1998. The Board will then consider 
the entire environmental record, including all public comments, the 
Draft EIS, and the Final EIS in making its final decision on the 
Proposed Conrail Acquisition. The Board will hold an open voting 
conference on June 8, 1998 and intends to issue its final written 
decision on July 23, 1998.
    Individuals who wish to file a comment may submit one original. 
However, government agencies and businesses are required to submit an 
original plus 10 copies.

Addresses: Office of the Secretary, Case Control Unit, Finance Docket 
No. 33388, Surface Transportation Board, 1925 K Street, N.W., 
Washington, DC 20423-0001.
    In the lower left-hand corner of the envelope, indicate: Attn: 
Elaine K. Kaiser, Environmental Project Director, Section of 
Environmental Analysis, Environmental Filing.

For Additional Information: Contact Michael Dalton, SEA Program Manager 
for the Proposed Conrail Acquisition at (202) 565-1530 [TDD for the 
hearing impaired: (202) 565-1695]. Information about the Proposed 
Acquisition and Draft EIS can be found at the web site <http://
www.conrailmerger.com> and SEA's toll-free Environmental Hotline at 
(888) 869-1997.

    Issued: March 2, 1998.

    By the Board, Elaine K. Kaiser, Chief, Section of Environmental 
Analysis.
Vernon A. Williams,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 98-5303 Filed 2-27-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915-00-P