[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 196 (Tuesday, October 10, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Page 60246]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-25757]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Surface Transportation Board

[STB Docket No. AB-88 (Sub-No. 10X)]


Bessemer and Lake Erie Railroad Co.--Abandonment Exemption--in 
Armstrong and Butler Counties, PA

    Bessemer and Lake Erie Railroad Company (B&LE) has filed a verified 
notice of exemption under 49 CFR part 1152 subpart F--Exempt 
Abandonments and Discontinuances to abandon and discontinue service 
over its line of railroad known as the Western Allegheny Branch, 
extending from Station 1400+80 East to End of Track, at Station 
2460+98, in Armstrong and Butler Counties, PA, a distance of 20.1 miles 
(line). The line traverses United States Postal Service Zip Codes 
16025, 16028, 16041, and 16061.
    B&LE has certified that: (1) No local traffic has been handled over 
the line for at least 2 years; (2) no overhead traffic has been handled 
over the line for at least 2 years; (3) no formal complaint filed by a 
user of rail service on the line (or by a state or local government 
agency acting on behalf of such user) regarding cessation of service 
over the line is either pending with the Surface Transportation Board 
(Board) or 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 November 
9, 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 October 20, 2000. 
Petitions to reopen or requests for public use conditions under 49 CFR 
1152.28 must be filed by October 30, 2000, with the Surface 
Transportation Board, Office of the Secretary, Case Control Unit, 1925 
K Street, NW., 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: Thomas R. Ogoreuc, Esq., Bessemer and Lake 
Erie Railroad Company, 135 Jamison Lane, Monroeville, PA 15146. If the 
verified notice contains false or misleading information, the exemption 
is void ab initio.
    B&LE 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 October 16, 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), B&LE 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 B&LE's filing of a notice of 
consummation by October 10, 2001, 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: September 28, 2000.

    By the Board, David M. Konschnik, Director, Office of 
Proceedings.
Vernon A. Williams,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 00-25757 Filed 10-6-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915-00-P