[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 177 (Monday, September 14, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49153-49154]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-24572]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Surface Transportation Board
[Finance Docket No. 33556]


Canadian National Railway Company, Grand Trunk Corporation, and 
Grand Trunk Western Railroad Incorporated--Control--Illinois Central 
Corporation, Illinois Central Railroad Company, Chicago, Central and 
Pacific Railroad Company, and Cedar River Railroad Company

AGENCY: Surface Transportation Board.

ACTION: Notice of environmental review process schedule.

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SUMMARY: On July 15, 1998, Canadian National Railway Company (CN) and 
Illinois Central Corporation (IC), along with their railroad 
affiliates, collectively referred to as CN/IC or Applicants, filed a 
joint application with the Surface Transportation Board (Board) seeking 
authority for CN to acquire control of IC. (This proposed transaction 
is subsequently referred to as the Acquisition or the CN/IC 
Acquisition.) The proposed CN/IC system would extend to both coasts of 
North America and the Gulf of Mexico. The Chicago area would serve as 
the hub of the combined system. This new system would cover 
approximately 18,670 miles of rail lines and related facilities, of 
which, approximately 4,520 miles would be in the United States. The 
Applicants state that integrating CN and IC operations would allow both 
rail systems to provide more reliable, efficient, and competitive 
service.
    In Decision No. 6, served August 14, 1998, the Board accepted for 
consideration the proposed CN/IC Acquisition and issued a 300-day 
procedural schedule that will provide for the issuance of the Board's 
final written decision no later than May 11, 1999. The Board also 
announced that preparation of an Environmental Assessment is 
appropriate for this proceeding. The purpose of this notice is to 
advise that the Board's Section of Environmental Analysis (SEA) plans 
to issue a Draft Environmental Assessment (Draft EA) on the proposed 
CN/IC Acquisition for public review by November 1998. The public will 
then have 30 days to review and comment on the Draft EA. After 
reviewing all public comments on the Draft EA and conducting additional 
analyses, SEA will complete the Final Environmental Assessment (Final 
EA). SEA will issue the Final EA prior to the Board's Oral Argument 
which is currently scheduled for March 8, 1999. The Board will consider 
all public comments, the Draft EA and Final EA, and SEA's environmental 
mitigation recommendations in making its final decision on the proposed 
Acquisition. The Board plans to serve the final written decision on the 
proposed CN/IC Acquisition on May 11, 1999. Any party may file an 
administrative appeal within 20 days of the final written decision.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: A Fact Sheet on the proposed 
Acquisition, which includes a general discussion on the environmental 
review process and schedule, is available by calling SEA's toll-free 
environmental hotline at 1-888-869-1997. For additional

[[Page 49154]]

information regarding environmental issues, or the environmental review 
schedule, contact SEA's Project Manager for the proposed CN/IC 
Acquisition, Michael Dalton, at (202) 565-1530.

    By the Board, Elaine K. Kaiser, Chief of the Section of 
Environmental Analysis.
Vernon A. Williams,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 98-24572 Filed 9-11-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915-00-P