[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 215 (Wednesday, November 10, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Page 62591]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-24568]


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SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD

[Docket No. AB 979 (Sub-No. 3X)]


Connecticut Southern Railroad, Inc.--Abandonment Exemption--in 
Hartford County, Conn.

    Connecticut Southern Railroad, Inc. (CSO), has filed a verified 
notice of exemption under 49 CFR part 1152 subpart F--Exemption 
Abandonments to abandon a rail line between approximately milepost 8.33 
(Station 5730+04) and milepost 9.40 (Station 5673+42) in Hartford 
County, Conn. (the Line). There are no stations on the Line. The Line 
traverses U.S. Postal Service Zip Code 06042.
    CSO has certified that: (1) No local traffic has moved over the 
Line since approximately July 2016; (2) because the Line is not a 
``through line,'' there is no overhead traffic that would need to be 
rerouted; (3) no formal complaint filed by a user of rail service on 
the Line (or by state or local government on behalf of such user) 
regarding cessation of service over the Line either is pending with the 
Surface Transportation Board (Board) or has been decided in favor of a 
complainant within the two-year period; and (4) the requirements at 49 
CFR 1105.7(b) and 1105.8(c) (notice of environmental and historic 
reports), 49 CFR 1105.12 (newspaper publications), and 49 CFR 
1152.50(d)(1) (notice to government 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,\1\ this exemption will be 
effective on December 10, 2021, 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), and 
interim trail use/rail banking request under 49 CFR 1152.29 must be 
filed by November 22, 2021.\3\ Petitions to reopen or requests for 
public use conditions under 49 CFR 1152.28 must be filed by November 
30, 2021.
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    \1\ 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).
    \2\ 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.
    \3\ 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 979 (Sub-No. 3X), 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 
CSO's representative, Eric M. Hocky, Clark Hill PLC, Two Commerce 
Square, 2001 Market Street, Suite 2620, Philadelphia, PA 19103.
    If the verified notice contains false or misleading information, 
the exemption is void ab initio.
    CSO 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 November 15, 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) 245-0294. Assistance for the 
hearing impaired is available through the Federal Relay Service at 
(800) 877-8339. Comments on environmental or historic preservation 
matters must be filed within 15 days after the Draft 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), CSO 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 CSO's filing of a notice of 
consummation by November 10, 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: November 5, 2021.

    By the Board, Scott M. Zimmerman, Acting Director, Office of 
Proceedings.
Eden Besera,
Clearance Clerk.
[FR Doc. 2021-24568 Filed 11-9-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915-01-P