[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 80 (Monday, April 26, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22595-22596]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-9252]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Surface Transportation Board

[STB Docket No. AB 6 (Sub-No. 411X)]


The Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway Company--Abandonment 
Exemption--in Lawrence County, AR

    The Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway Company (BNSF) has 
filed a notice of exemption under 49 CFR 1152 Subpart F--Exempt 
Abandonments to abandon and discontinue service over a 4.50-mile line 
of railroad between milepost 397.78 in Hoxie, and milepost 402.28, in 
Walport, and the 2.20-mile Walnut Ridge Industrial Spur, a total 
distance of 6.70 miles, in Lawrence County, AR. The line traverses 
United States Postal Service Zip Codes 72433 and 72476.
    BNSF has certified that: (1) No local traffic has moved over the 
line for at least 2 years; (2) there is no overhead traffic to be 
rerouted; (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 
1105.50(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 May 26, 
2004, 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 May 6, 2004. Petitions 
to reopen or requests for public use conditions under 49 CFR 1152. 28 
must be filed by May 17, 2004, with: Surface Transportation Board, 1925 
K Street, NW., Washington, DC 20423-0001.\3\
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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 (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 OFA must be accompanied by the filing fee, which 
currently is set at $1,100. See 49 CFR 1102.2(f)(25).
    \3\ Each trail use request and public use request must be 
accompanied by the filing fee, which is set at $150.00. See 49 CFR 
1002.2(f)(27). These fees are scheduled to increase to $200.00, 
effective April 28, 2004.
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    A copy of any petition filed with the Board should be sent to the 
applicant's representative: Michael Smith, Freeborn

[[Page 22596]]

& Peters, 311 S. Wacker Dr., Suite 3000, Chicago, IL 60606-6677.
    If the verified notice contains false or misleading information, 
the exemption is void ab initio.
    BNSF has filed an environmental report which addresses the 
abandonment's effects, if any, on the environment and historic 
resources. SEA will issue an environmental assessment (EA) by April 30, 
2004. 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) 565-1552 (Assistance for the hearing impaired 
is available through the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) 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), BNSF 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 BNSF's filing of a notice of 
consummation by April 26, 2005, 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: April 19, 2004.
    By the Board, David M. Konschnik, Director, Office of 
Proceedings.
Vernon A. Williams, Secretary.
[FR Doc. 04-9252 Filed 4-23-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915-01-P