[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 133 (Tuesday, July 13, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42084-42085]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-15610]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Surface Transportation Board

[STB Docket No. AB-355 (Sub-No. 30X)]


Springfield Terminal Railway Company--Abandonment Exemption--in 
Hampden County, MA

    Springfield Terminal Railway Company (ST) has filed a notice of 
exemption under 49 CFR 1152 Subpart F--Exempt Abandonments to abandon a 
4.8-mile line of railroad known as the Westover Industrial Track 
extending from milepost 0.0 to milepost 4.8 in Chicopee, Hampden 
County, MA. The line traverses United States Postal Service Zip Code 
01022.\1\
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    \1\ Pursuant to 49 CFR 1152.50(d)(2), the railroad must file a 
verified notice with the Board at least 50 days before the 
abandonment or discontinuance is to be consummated. The applicant 
initially indicated a proposed consummation date of August 11, 2004, 
but because the verified notice was filed on June 23, 2004, 
consummation may not take place prior to August 12, 2004. By letter 
filed on June 30, 2004, applicant's representative confirmed that 
the consummation date will be on or after August 12, 2004.
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    ST 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 
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 August 12, 2004, unless stayed pending reconsideration. 
Petitions to stay that do not involve environmental issues,\2\ formal 
expressions of intent to file an OFA under 49 CFR 1152.27(c)(2),\3\ and 
trail use/rail banking requests under 49 CFR 1152.29 must be filed by 
July 23, 2004. Petitions to reopen or requests for public use 
conditions under 49 CFR 1152.28 must be filed by August 2, 2004, with 
the Surface Transportation Board, 1925 K Street, NW., Washington, DC 
20423-0001.
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    \2\ 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.
    \3\ Each OFA must be accompanied by the filing fee, which 
currently is set at $1,100. See 49 CFR 1002.2(f)(25).
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    A copy of any petition filed with the Board should be sent to ST's 
representative: Katherine E. Potter, Esq., Springfield Terminal Railway 
Company, Iron Horse Park, North Billerica, MA 01862.
    If the verified notice contains false or misleading information, 
the exemption is void ab initio.
    ST 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 July 16, 
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) 565-1539. [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), ST 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 ST's filing of a notice of consummation by July 
13, 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: July 2, 2004.


[[Page 42085]]


    By the Board, David M. Konschnik, Director, Office of 
Proceedings.
Vernon A. Williams,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 04-15610 Filed 7-12-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915-01-P