[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 232 (Wednesday, December 3, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 71815-71816]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-28410]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Surface Transportation Board

[Docket No. AB 303 (Sub-No. 45X]


Wisconsin Central, Ltd.--Discontinuance of Service Exemption--in 
Ashland and Iron Counties, Wis., and Gogebic and Ontonagon Counties, 
Mich.

    Wisconsin Central Ltd. (WCL) has filed a verified notice of 
exemption under 49 CFR pt. 1152 subpart F--Exempt Abandonments and 
Discontinuances of Service to discontinue service over approximately 
77.8 miles of rail line, known as the White Pine Subdivision, between 
milepost 332.4 at Marengo Junction, Wis., and milepost 254.6 at White 
Pine, Mich., in Ashland and Iron Counties, Wis., and Gogebic and 
Ontonagon Counties, Mich. (the Line). The Line traverses United States 
Postal Service Zip Codes 49910, 49911, 49938, 49947, 49953, 49968, 
54534, 54559, 54806, and 54855.
    WCL 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; (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 complainant within the two-year 
period; and (4) the requirements at 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 discontinuance 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) to subsidize continued rail service has been 
received, this exemption will become effective on January 2, 2015, 
unless stayed pending reconsideration. Petitions to stay that do not 
involve environmental issues and formal expressions of intent to file 
an OFA to subsidize continued rail service under 49 CFR 
1152.27(c)(2),\1\ must be filed by December 12, 2014.\2\ Petitions to 
reopen must be filed by December 23, 2014, with the Surface 
Transportation Board, 395 E Street SW., Washington, DC 20423-0001.
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    \1\ Each OFA must be accompanied by the filing fee, which is 
currently set at $1,600. See 49 CFR 1002.2(f)(25).
    \2\ Because this is a discontinuance proceeding and not an 
abandonment, trail use/rail banking and public use conditions are 
not appropriate. Likewise, no environmental or historic 
documentation is required here under 49 CFR 1105.6(c) and 49 CFR 
1105.8(b), respectively.
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    A copy of any petition filed with the Board should be sent to WCL's 
representative: Robert A. Wimbish,

[[Page 71816]]

Fletcher & Sippel LLC, 29 North Wacker Drive, Suite 920, Chicago, IL. 
60606.
    If the verified notice contains false or misleading information, 
the exemption is void ab initio.
    Board decisions and notices are available on our Web site at 
``WWW.STB.DOT.GOV.''

    Decided: November 26, 2014.

    By the Board, Joseph H. Dettmar, Acting Director, Office of 
Proceedings.
Brendetta S. Jones,
Clearance Clerk.
[FR Doc. 2014-28410 Filed 12-2-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915-01-P