[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 122 (Tuesday, June 26, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35083-35084]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-12214]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Surface Transportation Board

[STB Docket No. AB-55 (Sub-No. 683X)]


CSX Transportation, Inc.--Abandonment Exemption--in Greenbrier 
County, WV

    CSX Transportation, Inc. (CSXT) has filed a verified notice of 
exemption under 49 CFR 1152 Subpart F--Exempt Abandonments to abandon a 
13.6-mile line of railroad on its Southern Region, Huntington 
Division--East, Rupert Subdivision extending from milepost CAH 7.2 at 
Rupert Junction to the end of the track at milepost CAH 20.8 at Clearco 
in Greenbrier County, WV. The station, Raders Run, at milepost CAH 11, 
FSAC 083117, OPSL 62455 is located on the line. The line traverses

[[Page 35084]]

United States Postal Service Zip Code 25984.\1\
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    \1\ In CSX Transportation, Inc.--Abandonment Exemption--in 
Greenbrier County, WV, STB Docket No. AB-55 (Sub-No. 598X) (STB 
served Oct. 12, 2001), CSXT was authorized to abandon this line of 
railroad subject to certain imposed environmental conditions. By 
decisions served on October 10, 2002, April 9, 2003, October 9, 
2003, and April 16, 2004, the due date for filing a notice of 
consummation was extended to October 9, 2004. However, CSXT did not 
exercise the abandonment authority within the given time frame, and 
therefore, the authority to abandon expired. On April 9, 2007, CSXT 
filed requests for the Board to reinstate the abandonment and 
seeking an extension of the deadline for filing its notice of 
consummation until June 1, 2007. By decision served on May 11, 2007, 
CXST's requests for reinstatement of the abandonment and an 
extension of time to file a notice of consummation were denied. In 
the May 2007 decision, CSXT was advised to file a new notice that 
should be in compliance with 49 CFR 1152 Subpart F and that it would 
require a new subnumber and a new filing fee.
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    CSXT has certified that: (1) No local traffic has moved over the 
line for at least 2 years; (2) any overhead traffic on the line can 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 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 
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 July 26, 2007, 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 6, 2007. Petitions to reopen or requests for public use conditions 
under 49 CFR 1152.28 must be filed by July 16, 2007, with the Surface 
Transportation Board, 395 E Street, SW., 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 $1,300. See 49 CFR 1002.2(f)(25).
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    A copy of any petition filed with the Board should be sent to 
CSXT's representative: Steven C. Armbust, Esq., CSX Transportation, 
Inc., 500 Water Street, Jacksonville, FL 32202.
    If the verified notice contains false or misleading information, 
the exemption is void ab initio.
    CSXT 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 June 29, 
2007. Interested persons may obtain a copy of the EA by writing to SEA 
(Room 1100, Surface Transportation Board, Washington, DC 20423-0001) or 
by calling SEA, at (202) 245-0305. [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), CSXT 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 CSXT's filing of a notice of 
consummation by June 26, 2008, 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: June 15, 2007.

    By the Board, David M. Konschnik, Director, Office of 
Proceedings.
Vernon A. Williams,
Secretary.
 [FR Doc. E7-12214 Filed 6-25-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915-01-P