[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 184 (Monday, September 24, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54321-54322]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-18761]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Surface Transportation Board

[STB Docket No. AB-43 (Sub-No. 180X)]


Illinois Central Railroad Company--Abandonment Exemption--in 
Adams County, MS

    Illinois Central Railroad Company (ICR) has filed a notice of 
exemption under 49 CFR Part 1152 Subpart F--Exempt Abandonments to 
abandon approximately 0.46 miles of rail line, between milepost 148.67 
and milepost 148.21, in Natchez, Adams County, MS. The line traverses 
United States Postal Service Zip Code 39120.
    ICR has certified that: (1) No local traffic has moved over the 
line for at least 2 years; (2) there is no overhead traffic on the line 
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 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 
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.

[[Page 54322]]

    Provided no formal expression of intent to file an offer of 
financial assistance (OFA) has been received, this exemption will be 
effective on October 24, 2007, 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 
October 4, 2007. Petitions to reopen or requests for public use 
conditions under 49 CFR 1152.28 must be filed by October 15, 2007, with 
the Surface Transportation Board, 395 E Street, SW., 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 $1,300. See 49 CFR 1002.2(f)(25).
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    A copy of any petition filed with the Board should be sent to ICR's 
representative: Thomas J. Healey, 17641 S. Ashland Avenue, Homewood, IL 
60430-1345.
    If the verified notice contains false or misleading information, 
the exemption is void ab initio.
    ICR has filed both an environmental report and a historic report 
that address the effects, if any, of the abandonment on the environment 
and historic resources. SEA will issue an environmental assessment (EA) 
by September 28, 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), ICR 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 ICR's filing of a notice of 
consummation by September 24, 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 
www.stb.dot.gov.

    Decided: September 14 , 2007.

    By the Board, David M. Konschnik, Director, Office of 
Proceedings.
Vernon A. Williams,
Secretary.
 [FR Doc. E7-18761 Filed 9-21-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915-01-P