[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 138 (Friday, July 18, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42801-42802]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-18332]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Surface Transportation Board

[STB Docket No. AB-490X]


Greenville County Economic Development Corporation--
Discontinuance of Service Exemption--in Greenville County, SC

    The Greenville County Economic Development Corporation (GCEDC) has 
filed a verified notice of exemption under 49 CFR part 1152, Subpart F-
Exempt Abandonments and Discontinuances of Service to discontinue 
service over 11.8 miles of railroad, known as the Greenville and 
Northern Railroad Line, extending from milepost 0.0, in Greenville, to 
milepost 11.8, at the northern limits of Traveler's Rest, in Greenville 
County, SC (line).\1\ The line traverses United States Postal Service 
Zip Codes 29601, 29609, 29611, 29613, 29617, and 29690.
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    \1\ South Carolina Central Railroad Company, Inc., d/b/a 
Carolina Piedmont Division was authorized to abandon the portion of 
the line between milepost 0.0 and milepost 2.0, in South Carolina 
Central Railroad Company, Inc., d/b/a Carolina Piedmont Division--
Abandonment Exemption--in Greenville County, SC, STB Docket No. AB-
312 (Sub-No. 2X) (STB served Apr. 1, 1998); however, it appears that 
the abandonment was never consummated.
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    GCEDC 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.\2\
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    \2\ As discussed below, GCEDC has complied with or is exempt 
from these requirements.
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    As a condition to this exemption, any employee adversely affected 
by the 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, this exemption will be 
effective on August

[[Page 42802]]

17, 2003,\3\ unless stayed pending reconsideration. Petitions to stay 
that do not involve environmental issues and formal expressions of 
intent to file an OFA for continued rail service under 49 CFR 
1152.27(c)(2),\4\ must be filed by July 28, 2003.\5\ Petitions to 
reopen must be filed by August 7, 2003, with: Surface Transportation 
Board, 1925 K Street, NW., Washington, DC 20423-0001.
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    \3\ Under 49 CFR 1152.50(d)(3), the earliest the exemption could 
become effective is 50 days after the verified notice of exemption 
was filed. In this case, notice was filed on June 30, 2003, and 
GCEDC proposed consummating the discontinuance of service on or 
about July 14, 2003. In a letter filed on July 8, 2003, Counsel for 
GCEDC acknowledged that the discontinuance of service could not be 
consummated until 50 days after the filing of the verified notice, 
or on August 17, 2003.
    \4\ Each OFA must be accompanied by the filing fee, which 
currently is set at $1,100. See 49 CFR 1002.2(f)(25).
    \5\ Because this is a discontinuance of service proceeding and 
not an abandonment, trail use/rail banking and public use conditions 
are not appropriate. Additionally, this proceeding is exempt from 
environmental and historic reporting requirements. GCEDC only 
intends to discontinue service over the line and to facilitate 
possible future operations in the event it is successful in securing 
funds to repair the line. Because GCEDC's discontinuance of service 
will merely result in the cessation of service over the line, this 
proceeding is exempt from the reporting requirements listed above 
and no environmental documentation will be prepared. See 49 CFR 
1105.6(c)(2) and 1105.8(a) and (b).
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    A copy of any petition filed with the Board should be sent to 
GCEDC's representative: Phyllis Henderson, President, Greenville County 
Economic Development Corporation, 301 University Ridge, Suite 2400, 
Greenville, SC 29601.
    If the verified notice contains false or misleading information, 
the exemption is void ab initio.
    Board decisions and notices are available on our Web site at 
www.stb.dot.gov.

    Decided: July 14, 2003.

    By the Board, David M. Konschnik, Director, Office of 
Proceedings.
Vernon A. Williams,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 03-18332 Filed 7-17-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915-00-P