72 FR 101 pgs. 29362-29363 - CSX Transportation, Inc.—Abandonment Exemption-in Clay County, IL
Type: NOTICEVolume: 72Number: 101Pages: 29362 - 29363
Docket number: [STB Docket No. AB-55 (Sub-No. 678X)]
FR document: [FR Doc. E7-10073 Filed 5-24-07; 8:45 am]
Agency: Transportation Department
Sub Agency: Surface Transportation Board
Official PDF Version: PDF Version
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Surface Transportation Board
[STB Docket No. AB-55 (Sub-No. 678X)]
CSX Transportation, Inc.-Abandonment Exemption-in Clay County, IL
CSX Transportation, Inc. (CSXT) has filed a notice of exemption under 49 CFR 1152 Subpart F- Exempt Abandonments to abandon a 0.86-mile line of railroad on its Northern Region, Louisville Division, Illinois Subdivision, from milepost BXO 74.14 to milepost BXO 75.0, known as the Flora North Branch, City of Flora, in Clay County, IL. The line traverses United States Postal Service Zip Code 62839.
CSXT has certified that: (1) No local traffic has moved over the line for at least 2 years; (2) any overhead traffic handled on the line can be rerouted over other lines; (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 or with any U.S. District Court or has been decided in favor of complainant within the 2-year period; and (4) the requirements at 49 CFR 1105.7 (environmental reports), 49 CFR 1105.8 (historic reports), 49 CFR 1105.11 (transmittal letter), 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 R. Co.-Abandonment-Goshen , 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, this exemption will be effective on June 27, 2007, unless stayed pending reconsideration.1Petitions to stay that do not involve environmental issues,2formal expressions of intent to file an OFA under 49 CFR 1152.27(c)(2),3and trail use/rail banking requests under 49 CFR 1152.29 must be filed by June 4, 2007. Petitions to reopen or requests for public use conditions under 49 CFR 1152.28 must be filed by June 14, 2007, with: Surface Transportation Board, 395 E Street, SW., Washington, DC 20423-0001.
Footnotes:
1 Pursuant to 49 CFR 1152.50(d)(2), the railroad must file a verified notice with the Board at least 50 days before the abandonment or discontinuance is to be consummated. CSXT initially indicated in its notice of exemption a proposed consummation date of June 25, 2007, but because the verified notice was filed on May 8, 2007, consummation may not take place prior to June 27, 2007. By filing made on May 11, 2007, CSXT has revised its notice to show that consummation may not take place until June 27, 2007.
2 The Board will grant a stay if an informed decision on environmental issues (whether raised by a party or by the Board's Section of Environmental Analysis (SEA) in its independent investigation) cannot be made before the exemption's effective date. See Exemption of Out-of-Service 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 Each OFA must be accompanied by the filing fee, which currently is set at $1,300. See 49 CFR 1002.2(f)(25).
A copy of any petition filed with the Board should be sent to CSXT's representative: Steven C. Armbrust, 500 Water Street-J150, Jacksonville, FL 32202.
If the verified notice contains false or misleading information, the exemption is void ab initio .
CSXT has filed environmental and historic reports which address the effects, if any, of the abandonment on the environment and historic resources. SEA will issue an environmental assessment (EA) by June 1, 2007. Interested persons may obtain a copy of the EA by writing to SEA (Room 1100, Surface Transportation Board, Washington, DC 20423-0001) or by calling SEA, at (202) 245-0305. [Assistance for the hearing impaired is available through the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339.] Comments on environmental and historic preservation matters must be filed within 15 days after the 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), 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 CSXT's filing of a notice of consummation by May 25, 2008, and there are no legal or regulatory barriers to consummation, the authority to abandon will automatically expire.
Board decisions and notices are available on our Web site at " WWW.STB.DOT.GOV. "
Decided: May 18, 2007.
By the Board, Joseph H. Dettmar, Acting Director, Office of Proceedings.
Vernon A. Williams,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E7-10073 Filed 5-24-07; 8:45 am]
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