[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 141 (Tuesday, July 22, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Page 42651]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-16735]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Surface Transportation Board

[STB Docket No. AB-506 (Sub-No. 1X)]


Sault Ste. Marie Bridge Company--Abandonment Exemption--In 
Dickinson County, MI

    Sault Ste. Marie Bridge Company (SSMB)\1\ has filed a verified 
notice of exemption under 49 CFR 1152 subpart F-Exempt Abandonments to 
abandon an 0.64 mile rail line between mileposts 29.60 and 30.24 in 
Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, MI. The line traverses United States 
Postal Service Zip Code 49801.
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    \1\ SSMB is a Class III common carrier by rail and a wholly 
owned subsidiary of Wisconsin Central Transportation Corporation.
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    SSMB 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 
that would have to be rerouted over other lines; (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 is pending either 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.
    Provided no formal expression of intent to file an offer of 
financial assistance (OFA) has been received, this exemption will be 
effective on August 21, 2008, 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, 2008. Petitions to reopen or requests for public use 
conditions under 49 CFR 1152.28 must be filed by August 11, 2008, 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 is 
$1,500, effective July 18, 2008. See 49 CFR 1002.2(f)(25).
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    A copy of any petition filed with the Board should be sent to 
SSMB's representative: Thomas J. Healey, 17641 S. Ashland Ave., 
Homewood, IL 60430-1345.
    If the verified notice contains false or misleading information, 
the exemption is void ab initio.
    SSMB 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 July 25, 2008. 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), SSMB 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 SSMB's filing of a notice of 
consummation by July 22, 2009, 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 16, 2008.

    By the Board, David M. Konschnik, Director, Office of 
Proceedings.
Anne K. Quinlan,
Acting Secretary.
 [FR Doc. E8-16735 Filed 7-21-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915-01-P