[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 244 (Tuesday, December 23, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60222-60223]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-23649]
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SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD
[Docket No. AB 290 (Sub-No. 419X)]
Norfolk Southern Railway Company--Abandonment Exemption--in
Summit County, Ohio
Norfolk Southern Railway Company (NSR) has filed a verified notice
of exemption under 49 CFR part 1152 subpart F--Exempt Abandonments to
abandon approximately 1.16-miles of rail line extending from milepost
AI 0.29 +/- to milepost AI 1.45 +/- in Summit County, Ohio (the Line).
The Line traverses U.S. Postal Service Zip Code 44236.
NSR has certified that: (1) no local traffic has moved over the
Line for at least two years; (2) any overhead traffic on the Line can
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 is pending with either 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
1105.7(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 22, 2026, 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/railbanking requests under 49 CFR 1152.29 must be
filed by January 2, 2026.\3\ Petitions to reopen and requests for
public use conditions under 49 CFR 1152.28 must be filed January 12,
2026.
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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 290 (Sub-No. 419X), 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 NSR's representative, Crystal M. Zorbaugh, Mullins Law
[[Page 60223]]
Group PLLC, 2001 L Street NW, Suite 720, Washington, DC 20036.
If the verified notice contains false or misleading information,
the exemption is void ab initio.
NSR 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 29, 2025. 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. If you require an
accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act, please call
(202) 245-0245. 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/
railbanking conditions will be imposed, where appropriate, in a
subsequent decision.
Pursuant to the provisions of 49 CFR 1152.29(e)(2), NSR 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 NSR's filing of a notice of
consummation by December 23, 2026, 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 18, 2025.
By the Board, Anika S. Cooper, Chief Counsel, Office of Chief
Counsel.
Zantori Dickerson,
Clearance Clerk.
[FR Doc. 2025-23649 Filed 12-22-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915-01-P