[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 247 (Monday, December 27, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 72376-72377]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-33183]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Surface Transportation Board
[STB Docket No. AB-290 (Sub-No. 192X)]


Norfolk Southern Railway Company--Abandonment Exemption--in 
Anderson and Woodford Counties, KY

    Norfolk Southern Railway Company (NSR) has filed a verified notice 
of exemption under 49 CFR part 1152 Subpart F--Exempt Abandonments to 
abandon its line of railroad between milepost 0.7-LL, at Lawrenceburg, 
and milepost 3.5-LL, at Tyrone, in Anderson and Woodford Counties, KY, 
a distance of approximately 2.8 miles (line). The line traverses United 
States Postal Service Zip Codes 40342 and 40383.
    NSR has certified that: (1) no local traffic has moved over the 
line for at least 2 years; (2) no overhead traffic has moved over the 
line for at least 2 years and that overhead traffic, if there were any, 
could be rerouted over other lines; (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.
    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 
26, 2000, 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 must be filed by January 
6, 2000. Petitions to reopen or requests for public use conditions 
under 49 CFR 1152.28 must be filed by January 18, 2000, with the 
Surface Transportation Board, Office of the Secretary, Case Control 
Unit, 1925 K Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20423-0001.
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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\ Each offer of financial assistance must be accompanied by 
the filing fee, which currently is set at $1000. See 49 CFR 
1002.2(f)(25).
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    A copy of any petition filed with the Board should be sent to 
applicant's representative: James R. Paschall, Norfolk Southern 
Corporation, Three Commercial Place, Norfolk, VA 23510. If the verified 
notice contains false or misleading information, the exemption is void 
ab initio.
    NSR 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 January 3, 2000. Interested persons 
may obtain a copy of the EA by writing to SEA (Room 500, Surface 
Transportation Board, Washington, DC 20423-0001) or by calling SEA, at 
(202) 565-1545. 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.
    Pursuant to the provisions of 49 CFR 1152.29(e)(2), NSR shall file 
a notice of consummation with the Board to signify that it has 
exercised the authority granted and fully abandoned the line. If 
consummation has not been effected by NSR's filing of a notice of 
consummation by December 27, 2000, and there are no legal or regulatory 
barriers to consummation, the authority to abandon will automatically 
expire.
    Board decisions and notices are available on our website at 
``WWW.STB.DOT.GOV.''

    Decided: December 16, 1999.


[[Page 72377]]


    By the Board, David M. Konschnik, Director, Office of 
Proceedings.
Vernon A. Williams,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 99-33183 Filed 12-23-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915-00-P