[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 69 (Tuesday, April 11, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Page 18407]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-5092]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Surface Transportation Board

[STB Docket No. AB-43 (Sub-No. 177X)]


Illinois Central Railroad Company-Abandonment Exemption--In 
Lawrence County, MS

    Illinois Central Railroad Company (IC) has filed a notice of 
exemption under 49 CFR 1152 Subpart F--Exempt Abandonments to abandon a 
4.1-mile line of railroad between milepost 53.0 near Silver Creek and 
milepost 57.1 near Ferguson, in Lawrence County, MS. The line traverses 
United States Postal Service Zip Code 39663.
    IC has certified that: (1) No 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 
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 of 49 
CFR 1105.7 (environmental report), 49 CFR 1105.8 (historic report), 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 May 11, 2006, 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 
April 21, 2006. Petitions to reopen or requests for public use 
conditions under 49 CFR 1152.28 must be filed by May 1, 2006, with the 
Surface Transportation Board, 1925 K Street, NW., Washington, DC 20423-
0001.
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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 $1,200, but is scheduled to increase to $1,300, 
effective April 19, 2006. See Regulations Governing Fees for 
Services Rendered in Connection With Licensing and Related 
Services--2006 Update, STB Ex Parte No. 542 (Sub-No. 13) (STB served 
Mar. 20, 2006). See 49 CFR 1002.2(f)(25).
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    A copy of any petition filed with the Board should be sent to IC's 
representative: Michael J. Barron, Jr., Fletcher & Sippel LLC, 29 North 
Wacker Dr., Suite 920, Chicago, IL 60606-2832.
    If the verified notice contains false or misleading information, 
the exemption is void ab initio.
    IC has filed environmental and historic reports which address the 
effects, if any, of the abandonment on the environment and historic 
resources. SEA will issue an environmental assessment (EA) by April 14, 
2006. 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), IC 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 IC's filing of a notice of consummation by April 
11, 2007, 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: April 3, 2006.

    By the Board, David M. Konschnik, Director, Office of 
Proceedings.
Vernon A. Williams,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E6-5092 Filed 4-10-06; 8:45 am]
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