[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 126 (Tuesday, July 1, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37390-37391]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-15107]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Surface Transportation Board

[STB Docket No. FD 35756]


Hartwell Railroad Company--Construction of Connecting Track 
Exemption--in Elbert County, GA

AGENCY: Surface Transportation Board, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of Availability of the Environmental Assessment and 
Request for Comments.

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SUMMARY: The Surface Transportation Board's (Board) Office of 
Environmental Analysis (OEA) has prepared an Environmental Assessment 
(EA) in response to a verified notice of exemption filed on May 27, 
2014 by the Hartwell Railroad Company (Hartwell). Hartwell seeks to 
construct approximately 1,360 feet of connecting railroad track, 
pursuant to 49 CFR 1150.36. The proposal would allow Hartwell's 
existing Toccoa-Elberton Line to connect with CSX Transportation's, 
Inc. (CSXT) existing Abbeville Subdivision in Elbert County, GA. The 
proposal would re-establish a prior rail connection formerly owned by 
the Norfolk Southern Railway Company (NSR) and occur on land within 
existing railroad rights-of-way either owned by Hartwell or CSXT. The 
prior connection, which allowed Hartwell to indirectly interchange its 
rail traffic with CSXT, was formally abandoned by NSR in 1995. Since 
then, Hartwell has been required to interchange its traffic solely with 
NSR at the other end of its line (some 40-miles northwest of the 
Proposed Action) in order to access the mainlines of CSXT approximately 
60 miles to the northeast and about 37 miles to the southwest.
    The proposed rail line construction would permit Hartwell to reach 
points served by CSXT that NSR does not serve and eliminate the 
inefficiency that would otherwise involve three carriers (Hartwell-NSR-
CSXT) instead of two (Hartwell-CSXT) to reach points served solely by 
CSXT. Hartwell expects to handle up to one train per day in each 
direction over the new connection with CSXT.
    The EA identifies the natural and man-made resources in the area of 
the proposed rail line and analyzes the potential impacts of the 
proposal on these resources. Based on the information provided from all 
sources to date and its independent analysis, OEA preliminarily 
concludes that construction of the proposed rail line connection would 
have no significant environmental impacts if the Board imposes and 
Hartwell implements the recommended mitigation measures set forth in 
the EA.
    Copies of the EA have been served on all interested parties and 
will be made available to additional parties upon request. The entire 
EA is also available on the Board's Web site (www.stb.dot.gov) by 
clicking on the ``Decisions & Notices'' button that appears in the drop 
down menu for ``E-LIBRARY,'' and searching by Service Date (July 1, 
2014) or Docket Number (FD 35756). OEA will consider all comments 
received when making its final environmental recommendations to the 
Board. The Board will then consider OEA's final recommendations

[[Page 37391]]

and the complete environmental record in making its final decision in 
this proceeding.

DATES: The EA is available for public review and comment. Comments must 
be postmarked by July 31, 2014.

ADDRESSES: Comments (an original and one copy) should be sent in 
writing to: Surface Transportation Board, Case Control Unit, 395 E 
Street SW., Suite 1015, Washington, DC 20423. The lower left hand 
corner of the envelope should be marked: Attention: Ms. Diana Wood, 
Environmental Comments. Comments on the EA may also be filed 
electronically on the Board's Web site, www.stb.dot.gov, by clicking on 
the ``E-FILING'' link.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Diana Wood by mail at the address 
above, by telephone at 202-245-0302 [FRS for the hearing impaired (1-
800-877-8339)], or by email at [email protected].

    By the Board, Victoria Rutson, Director, Office of Environmental 
Analysis.
Jeffrey Herzig,
Clearance Clerk.
[FR Doc. 2014-15107 Filed 6-30-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915-01-P