[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 138 (Wednesday, July 20, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41813-41814]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-14078]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Surface Transportation Board

[STB Docket No. AB-290 (Sub-No. 261X)]


Norfolk Southern Railway Company--Abandonment Exemption--in 
Spartanburg, SC

    Norfolk Southern Railway Company (NSR) has filed a notice of 
exemption under 49 CFR part 1152 subpart F--Exempt Abandonments to 
abandon a 1.92-mile line of railroad between former milepost W 68.69 
and former milepost W 70.61, in Spartanburg, SC.\1\ The line traverses 
United States Postal Service Zip Codes 27101, 27104, 27105, and 27107.
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    \1\ NSR states that the line mileposts are described as former 
because a new main line replaced the subject line as the main line 
many years ago and that the construction of the new main line 
resulted in the subject line becoming a stub-end branch line. NSR 
also states that the milepost numbers were reused on the new line 
and no new milepost designations were given to the subject line.
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    NSR has certified that: (1) No local traffic has moved over the 
line for at least 2 years; (2) no overhead traffic has moved over the 
line for at least 2 years; (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 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.--

[[Page 41814]]

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 19, 2005, 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 
August 1, 2005. Petitions to reopen or requests for public use 
conditions under 49 CFR 1152.28 must be filed by August 9, 2005, 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 $1,200. See 49 CFR 1002.2(f)(25).
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    A copy of any petition filed with the Board should be sent to NSR's 
representative: James R. Paschall, Senior General Attorney, Norfolk 
Southern Corporation, Three Commercial Place, Norfolk, VA 23510.
    If the verified notice contains false or misleading information, 
the exemption is void ab initio.
    NSR has filed an environmental and historic report which addresses 
the effects, if any, of the abandonment on the environment and historic 
resources. SEA will issue an environmental assessment (EA) by July 25, 
2005. 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), NSR 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 NSR's filing of a notice of 
consummation by July 20, 2006, 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 http://www.stb.dot.gov.

    Decided: July 11, 2005.

    By the Board, David M. Konschnik, Director, Office of 
Proceedings.
Vernon A. Williams,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 05-14078 Filed 7-19-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915-01-P