[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 216 (Monday, November 9, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60441-60442]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-29981]


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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.


[[Page 60442]]


ACTION: Decision No. 19; Notice of Availability of Draft Environmental 
Assessment and 30-day public comment period.

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SUMMARY: The Surface Transportation Board's (Board) Section of 
Environmental Analysis (SEA) issued a Draft Environmental Assessment 
(Draft EA) for the proposed acquisition of control of Illinois Central 
Corporation and its railroad affiliates (IC) by Canadian National 
Railway Company (CN). The Draft EA is available for public review and 
comment for 30 days. Public comments are due by December 11, 1998. Any 
interested party may request a copy of the Draft EA or submit comments 
on the Draft EA by following the procedures discussed below. The Draft 
EA addresses potential acquisition-related environmental impacts and 
includes SEA's preliminary environmental mitigation recommendations. In 
addition, the Draft EA includes a Safety Integration Plan prepared by 
CN and IC that explains how they propose to safely integrate their 
separate operations if the Board approves the proposed acquisition. 
After fully considering all public comments, SEA will consult with 
appropriate public agencies and conduct additional environmental 
analysis, as appropriate, in preparing a Final Environmental Assessment 
(Final EA). SEA plans to issue the Final EA prior to the Board's Oral 
Argument and Voting Conference, which are currently scheduled for March 
1999. In making its final decision on the proposed acquisition, the 
Board will consider the entire environmental record, including all 
public comments; the Draft EA; and the Final EA, including SEA's 
environmental mitigation recommendations. The Board plans to serve the 
final written decision on May 25, 1999. Any party may file an 
administrative appeal within 20 days of the Board's final written 
decision.

DATES: The Draft EA is available for public review and comment for 30 
days. Public comments are due by December 11, 1998.

ADDRESSES: All interested agencies, organizations, and individuals are 
encouraged to comment on the Draft EA by submitting written comments 
(include an original plus 10 copies) to the address listed below by 
December 11, 1998, the close of the comment period:
Office of the Secretary, Case Control Unit, Finance Docket No. 33556, 
Surface Transportation Board, 1925 K Street, N.W., Washington, DC 
20423-001, Attn: Elaine K. Kaiser, Environmental Project Director, 
Environmental Filing

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request a copy of the Draft EA or 
further information on the proposed CN/IC acquisition, interested 
parties may call SEA's toll-free Environmental Hotline at 1-888-869-
1997 (TDD for the hearing impaired: (202) 565-1695), or access SEA's 
website for the CN/IC acquisition at http://www.cnicacquisition.com. 
For additional information regarding environmental issues, or the 
environmental review process, contact SEA's Project Manager for the 
proposed CN/IC acquisition, Michael Dalton, at (202) 565-1530.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On July 15, 1998, CN and IC, collectively 
referred to as CN/IC or applicants, filed a joint application 
1 with the Board seeking authority for CN to acquire control 
of IC. The proposed CN/IC system would extend to both the east and west 
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. The applicants also state that they anticipate relatively 
minor changes in rail operations as a result of the proposed 
acquisition. The applicants have proposed no rail line abandonments and 
only five minor construction projects (one rail line connection and 
four rail yard bypass tracks) as part of the proposed acquisition.

    \1\ 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, STB Finance Docket No. 33556.
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    By the Board, Elaine K. Kaiser, Chief of the Section of 
Environmental Analysis.
Vernon A. Williams,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 98-29981 Filed 11-6-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915-00-P