[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 145 (Tuesday, July 28, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Page 45459]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-16331]


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SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD

[Docket No. AB 303 (Sub-No. 57X)]


Wisconsin Central Ltd.--Discontinuance of Service Exemption--in 
Barron County, Wis.

    Wisconsin Central Ltd. (WCL) has filed a verified notice of 
exemption under 49 CFR part 1152, subpart F--Exempt Abandonments and 
Discontinuances of Service, to discontinue service over an 
approximately 4.52-mile portion of WCL's Barron Subdivision between 
milepost 85.40 at Poskin (immediately east of 9\3/4\ Street) and 
extending west to milepost 80.88 at Almena (approximately 1.0 mile 
southwest of the railroad crossing at Lightning Creek), all in Barron 
County, Wis. (the Line). The Line traverses U.S. Postal Service Zip 
Codes 54805 and 54889.
    WCL has certified that: (1) No local traffic has moved over the 
Line for at least two years; (2) overhead traffic (of which none 
exists) could be rerouted over other lines; (3) no formal complaint 
filed by a user of rail service on the Line (or 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 any U.S. District Court or has been decided in favor 
of a 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 August 27, 2020, 
unless stayed pending reconsideration. Petitions to stay that do not 
involve environmental issues 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 7, 2020.\3\ Petitions for reconsideration 
must be filed by August 17, 2020, 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, interim 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 Board should be sent to WCL's 
representative, Bradon J. Smith, Fletcher & Sippel LLC, 29 N 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: July 23, 2020.

    By the Board, Scott M. Zimmerman, Acting Director, Office of 
Proceedings.
Regena Smith-Bernard,
Clearance Clerk.
[FR Doc. 2020-16331 Filed 7-27-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915-01-P