[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 50 (Wednesday, March 17, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Page 14666]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-05466]


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SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD

[Docket No. AB 55 (Sub-No. 803X)]


CSX Transportation, Inc.--Abandonment Exemption--in Boone County, 
W. Va.

    CSX Transportation, Inc. (CSXT), has filed a verified notice of 
exemption under 49 CFR part 1152 subpart F--Exempt Abandonments to 
abandon an approximately 9.9-mile rail line between milepost CLN 0.3 
and milepost CLN 10.2, in Boone County, W. Va. (the Line).\1\ The Line 
traverses U.S. Postal Service Zip Code 25181 and there is one station 
on the Line, Prenter, at milepost CLN 10 (FSAC 82243/OPSL 64790).\2\
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    \1\ CSXT was granted authority in 2017 to discontinue service 
over the Line. CSX Transp., Inc.--Discontinuance of Serv. 
Exemption--in Boone Cnty., W. Va., AB 55 (Sub No. 769X) (STB served 
Jan. 6, 2017).
    \2\ According to CSXT, the station can be closed.
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    CSXT has certified that: (1) No local traffic has moved over the 
Line for at least two years; (2) because the Line is not a through 
route, there is no overhead traffic on the Line and, therefore, none 
needs 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 (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 1105.7 
and 1105.8 (notice of environmental and historic report), 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 
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) has been received,\3\ the exemption will be 
effective on April 16, 2021, unless stayed pending reconsideration. 
Petitions to stay that do not involve environmental issues must be 
filed by March 26, 2021.\4\ Formal expressions of intent to file an OFA 
under 49 CFR 1152.27(c)(2), and interim trail use/rail banking requests 
under 49 CFR 1152.29 must be filed by March 29, 2021.\5\ Petitions to 
reopen or requests for public use conditions under 49 CFR 1152.28 must 
be filed by April 6, 2021.
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    \3\ Persons interested in submitting an OFA must first file a 
formal expression of intent to file an offer, indicating the type of 
financial assistance they wish to provide (i.e., subsidy or 
purchase) and demonstrating that they are preliminarily financially 
responsible. See 49 CFR 1152.27(c)(2)(i).
    \4\ The Board will grant a stay if an informed decision on 
environmental issues (whether raised by a party or by the Board's 
Office of Environmental Analysis (OEA) in its independent 
investigation) cannot be made before the exemption's effective date. 
See Exemption of Out-of-Serv. 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.
    \5\ Filing fees for OFAs and trail use requests can be found at 
49 CFR 1002.2(f)(25) and (27), respectively.
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    All pleadings, referring to Docket No. AB 55 (Sub-No. 803X), should 
be filed with the Surface Transportation Board via e-filing on the 
Board's website. In addition, a copy of each pleading must be served on 
CSXT's representative, Louis E. Gitomer, Law Offices of Louis E. 
Gitomer, LLC, 600 Baltimore Avenue, Suite 301, Towson, MD 21204.
    If the verified notice contains false or misleading information, 
the exemption is void ab initio.
    CSXT has filed a combined environmental and historic report that 
addresses the potential effects, if any, of the abandonment on the 
environment and historic resources. OEA will issue a Draft 
Environmental Assessment (Draft EA) by March 22, 2021. The Draft EA 
will be available to interested persons on the Board's website, by 
writing to OEA, or by calling OEA at (202) 245-0305. Assistance for the 
hearing impaired is available through the Federal Relay Service at 
(800) 877-8339. Comments on environmental and historic preservation 
matters must be filed within 15 days after the Draft EA becomes 
available to the public.
    Environmental, historic preservation, public use, or interim 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), CSXT 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 the CSXT's filing of a notice of 
consummation by March 17, 2022, and there are no legal or regulatory 
barriers to consummation, the authority to abandon will automatically 
expire.
    Board decisions and notices are available at www.stb.gov.

    Decided: March 11, 2021.

    By the Board, Allison C. Davis, Director, Office of Proceedings.
Tammy Lowery,
Clearance Clerk.
[FR Doc. 2021-05466 Filed 3-16-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915-01-P