[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 149 (Wednesday, August 4, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47207-47208]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-17641]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Surface Transportation Board

[Finance Docket No. 34391]


New England Transrail, LLC, d/b/a Wilmington and Woburn Terminal 
Railroad Co.--Construction, Acquisition, and Operation Exemption--in 
Wilmington and Woburn, MA

ACTION: Notice of availability of Environmental Assessment and Request 
for Comments.

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SUMMARY: On December 3, 2003, New England Transrail, LLC d/b/a the 
Wilmington and Woburn Terminal Railroad Company (Applicant or W&WTR) 
filed a petition with the Surface Transportation Board (Board) pursuant 
to 49 United States Code (U.S.C.) 10502 seeking exemption from the 
formal application procedures of 49 U.S.C. 10901 for authority to 
acquire 1,300 feet of existing track, construct 2,700 feet of new line, 
and to operate the entire approximately 4,000 feet of track located on 
and adjacent to a parcel of land owned by Olin Corporation (Olin) in 
Wilmington, Massachusetts, upon which Olin had in the past operated a 
chemical plant. The Olin-owned parcel is located in Wilmington, 
Massachusetts, but a portion of the line to be constructed and operated 
by W&WTR also would be located in Woburn, Massachusetts. The Board's 
Section of Environmental Analysis (SEA) has prepared an Environmental 
Assessment (EA) for this proposed

[[Page 47208]]

project. Based on the information provided from all sources to date and 
its independent analysis, SEA preliminarily concludes that the Proposed 
Action would have no significant environmental impacts if the Board 
imposes and the Applicant implements the environmental mitigation 
conditions recommended in the EA. Accordingly, SEA, recommends that if 
the Board approves the project, New England Transrail be required to 
implement the mitigation set forth in the EA. Copies of the EA have 
been served on all interested parties and will be made available to 
additional parties upon request. SEA will consider comments received 
when making its final environmental recommendation to the Board. The 
Board will consider SEA's final recommendations and the complete 
environmental record in making its final decision in this proceeding.

DATES: The EA is available for public review and comment for 30 days. 
Parties should provide written comments to the Board no later than 
September 3, 2004.

ADDRESSES: Comments (an original and one copy) should be sent to: Case 
Control Unit, Surface Transportation Board, 1925 K Street, NW., 
Washington, DC 20423. The lower left-hand corner of the envelope should 
be marked: Attention: Ms. Phillis Johnson-Ball, Environmental Comments, 
Finance Docket No. 34391. Environmental comments may also be filed 
electronically on the Board's Web site, http://www.stb.dot.gov by 
clicking on the ``E-FILING'' link.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions may be directed to Ms. 
Phillis Johnson-Ball, Environmental Project Manager, at (202) 565-1530 
(hearing impaired 1-800-877-8339). The EA is available on the Board's 
Web site at http://www.stb.dot.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Applicant proposes to acquire the Olin 
property, construct a reload facility, and to rehabilitate the 1,300 
feet of exiting track on the property, that is the subject of the 
Applicant's acquisition, to facilitate the transload of various 
commodities between truck trailers and rail cars.


    Decided: July 29, 2004.
    By the Board, Victoria J. Rutson, Chief, Section of 
Environmental Analysis.
Vernon A. Williams,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 04-17641 Filed 8-3-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915-01-P