[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 109 (Thursday, June 6, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39097-39098]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-14214]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Surface Transportation Board

[STB Docket No. AB-55 (Sub-No. 614X)]


CSX Transportation, Inc.--Abandonment Exemption--in Richmond 
County, GA

    CSX Transportation, Inc. (CSXT) has filed a notice of exemption 
under 49 CFR 1152 Subpart F--Exempt Abandonments to abandon 
approximately 1.60 miles of railroad from Valuation Station 0+00 at 
milepost ANS 0.2 to Valuation Station 84+44, in Augusta, Richmond 
County, GA. The line traverses United States Postal Service Zip Code 
30901.
    CSXT has certified that: (1) No local traffic has moved over the 
line for at least 2 years; (2) there is no overhead traffic on the 
line; (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 these exemptions, any employee adversely affected 
by the abandonment or discontinuance 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, these exemptions will be 
effective on July 6, 2002, 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 
June 17, 2002. Petitions to reopen or requests for public use 
conditions under 49 CFR 1152.28 must be filed by June 26, 2002, with: 
Surface Transportation Board, Case Control Unit, 1925 K Street, NW, 
Washington, DC 20423.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \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 (SEA) 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, as of April 8, 2002, is set at $1,100. See 49 
CFR 1002.2(f)(25).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    A copy of any petition filed with the Board should be sent to 
applicants' representative: Natalie S. Rosenberg, CSX Transportation, 
Inc., 500 Water Street J150, Jacksonville, FL 32202.
    If the verified notice contains false or misleading information, 
the exemption is void ab initio.
    CSXT has filed an environmental report which addresses the effects, 
if any, of the abandonment on the environment and historic resources. 
SEA will issue an environmental assessment (EA) by June 11, 2002. 
Interested persons may obtain a copy of the EA by writing to SEA (Room 
500, Surface Transportation Board, Washington, DC 20423) or by calling 
SEA, at (202) 565-1552. [TDD for the hearing impaired is available at 
1-800-877-8339.] 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), CSXT shall file 
a notice of consummation with the Board to signify that it has 
exercised the authority

[[Page 39098]]

granted and fully abandoned the line. If consummation has not been 
effected by CSXT's filing of a notice of consummation by June 6, 2003, 
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 Web site at 
``WWW.STB.DOT.GOV.''

    Decided: May 31, 2002.

    By the Board, David M. Konschnik, Director, Office of 
Proceedings.
Vernon A. Williams,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 02-14214 Filed 6-5-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915-00-P