[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 241 (Monday, December 20, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 72025-72026]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-27470]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD

[Docket No. AB 1073 (Sub-No. 1X)]


Alabama & Florida Railway Co., Inc.--Abandonment Exemption--in 
Geneva, Coffee, and Covington Counties, Ala.

    Alabama & Florida Railway Co., Inc. (A&F), has filed a verified 
notice of exemption under 49 CFR part 1152 subpart F--Exemption 
Abandonments to abandon approximately 42.9 miles of rail line between 
milepost 581.3 at Andalusia, Ala., and milepost 624.2 at Geneva, Ala. 
(the Line). The Line traverses U.S. Postal Service Zip Codes 36340, 
36420, 36421, 36453, 36467, and 36477.
    A&F certified that: (1) No local traffic has moved over the Line 
for at least two

[[Page 72026]]

years; (2) there is no overhead traffic that has been, or would need to 
be, rerouted as a result of the proposed abandonment; (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 publication), 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 January 19, 2022, 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 requests under 49 CFR 1152.29 must be 
filed by December 30, 2021.\3\ Petitions to reopen or requests for 
public use conditions under 49 CFR 1152.28 must be filed by January 10, 
2022.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    All pleadings, referring to Docket No. AB 1073 (Sub-No. 1X), 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 
A&F's representative, Crystal M. Zorbaugh, Baker & Miller PLLC, 2401 
Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20037.
    If the verified notice contains false or misleading information, 
the exemption is void ab initio.
    A&F 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 December 23, 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), A&F 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 A&F's filing of a notice of 
consummation by December 20, 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: December 14, 2021.

    By the Board, Scott M. Zimmerman, Acting Director, Office of 
Proceedings.
Regena Smith-Bernard,
Clearance Clerk.
[FR Doc. 2021-27470 Filed 12-17-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915-01-P