[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 82 (Friday, April 28, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26375-26376]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-09076]


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SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD

[Docket No. AB 1316X]


GNP RLY, Inc.--Abandonment Exemption--in King County, Wash.

    GNP RLY, Inc. (GNP), has filed a verified notice of exemption under 
49 CFR part 1152 subpart F--Exempt Abandonments to abandon an 
approximately 2.58-mile segment of a freight rail easement between 
milepost 23.8 and milepost 26.38, along with a spur that extends into 
Bothell, Wash., all in Woodinville, King County, Wash. (the Line). The 
Line traverses U.S. Postal Service Zip Code 98072.
    GNP has certified that: (1) no local traffic has moved over the 
Line for at least two years; (2) there is no overhead traffic on the 
Line, as the Line is stub-ended at its southern terminus; (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 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.

[[Page 26376]]

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 May 28, 2023, unless stayed pending reconsideration. 
Petitions to stay that do not involve environmental issues must be 
filed by May 8, 2023.\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 May 8, 2023.\3\ Petitions to 
reopen or requests for public use conditions under 49 CFR 1152.28 must 
be filed by May 18, 2023.
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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 1316X, must be filed with 
the Surface Transportation Board either via e-filing on the Board's 
website or in writing addressed to 395 E Street SW, Washington, DC 
20423-0001. In addition, a copy of each pleading must be served on 
GNP's representative, James H.M. Savage, 22 Rockingham Court, 
Germantown, MD 20874.
    If the verified notice contains false or misleading information, 
the exemption is void ab initio.
    GNP 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 April 25, 2023. 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), GNP 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 GNP's filing of a notice of 
consummation by May 28, 2024, 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: April 25, 2023.

    By the Board, Mai T. Dinh, Director, Office of Proceedings.
Stefan Rice,
Clearance Clerk.
[FR Doc. 2023-09076 Filed 4-27-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915-01-P