[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:
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Segment description Affected counties/cities
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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:
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Segment description Affected counties/cities
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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.
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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