[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 157 (Wednesday, August 14, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40469-40470]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-17437]


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SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD

[Docket No. AB 303 (Sub-No. 51X)]


Wisconsin Central Ltd.--Discontinuance of Service Exemption--in 
Trempealeau and Buffalo Counties, Wis.

    Wisconsin Central Ltd. (WCL) has filed a verified notice of 
exemption under 49 CFR pt. 1152 subpart F--Exempt Abandonments and 
Discontinuances of Service to discontinue common carrier service over 
approximately 16.9 miles of rail line between milepost 195.0 near 
Arcadia in Trempealeau County, Wis., and milepost 211.9 at East Winona 
in Buffalo County, Wis. (the Line). The Line traverses U.S. Postal 
Service Zip Codes 54612, 54630, 54661, and 54629.
    WCL has certified that: (1) No local traffic has moved over the 
Line for at least two years; (2) overhead traffic (to the extent any 
exists) can 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 either is pending with the Surface Transportation 
Board (Board) or with any U.S. District Court or has been decided in 
favor of complainant within the two-year period; and (4) the 
requirements at 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 discontinuance of service shall be protected under Oregon Short 
Line Railroad--Abandonment Portion Goshen Branch Between Firth & Ammon, 
in Bingham & Bonneville Counties, Idaho, 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) \1\ to subsidize continued rail service has 
been received, this exemption will be effective on September 13, 2019, 
unless stayed pending reconsideration. Petitions to stay that do not 
involve environmental issues must be filed by August 23, 2019, and 
formal expressions of intent to file an OFA to subsidize continued rail 
service under 49 CFR 1152.27(c)(2) \2\ must be filed by August 26, 
2019.\3\ Petitions for reconsideration

[[Page 40470]]

must be filed by September 3, 2019, with the Surface Transportation 
Board, 395 E Street SW, Washington, DC 20423-0001.
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    \1\ Persons interested in submitting an OFA to subsidize 
continued rail service must first file a formal expression of intent 
to file an offer, indicating the intent to file an OFA for subsidy 
and demonstrating that they are preliminarily financially 
responsible. See 49 CFR 1152.27(c)(2)(i).
    \2\ The filing fee for OFAs can be found at 49 CFR 
1002.2(f)(25).
    \3\ Because this is a discontinuance proceeding and not an 
abandonment, trail use/rail banking and public use conditions are 
not appropriate. Because there will be an environmental review 
during abandonment, this discontinuance does not require 
environmental review.
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    A copy of any petition filed with the Board should be sent to WCL's 
representative, Bradon J. Smith, Fletcher & Sippel LLC, 29 North Wacker 
Drive, Suite 800, Chicago, IL 60606.
    If the verified notice contains false or misleading information, 
the exemption is void ab initio.
    Board decisions and notices are available at www.stb.gov.

     Decided: August 8, 2019.

    By the Board, Allison C. Davis, Director, Office of Proceedings.
Jeffrey Herzig,
Clearance Clerk.
[FR Doc. 2019-17437 Filed 8-13-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4915-01-P