[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 168 (Thursday, August 31, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Page 41461]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-18483]


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SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD

[Docket No. AB 303 (Sub-No. 48X)]


Wisconsin Central Ltd.--Discontinuance of Service Exemption--in 
Waupaca County, Wis

    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 
10.3 miles of rail line extending from milepost 40.0 in New London, 
Wis. to milepost 50.3 in Manawa, Wis., Waupaca County, Wis. (the Line). 
The Line traverses United States Postal Service Zip Code 54949 and 
54961.
    WCL has certified that: (1) No local traffic has moved over the 
Line for at least two years; (2) no overhead traffic on the Line needs 
to be rerouted; (3) no formal complaint filed by a user of a 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 is 
pending either 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 1105.12 
(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 of service 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 be effective September 30, 2017, 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 September 8, 2017.\2\ Petitions for reconsideration must be 
filed by September 30, 2017, 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 
currently is set at $1,700. See 49 CFR 1002.2(f)(25). Effective on 
September 1, 2017, the fee will increase to $1,800. See Regulations 
Governing Fees for Servs. Performed in Connection with Licensing & 
Related Servs.--2017 Update, EP 542 (Sub-No. 25) (STB served July 
28, 2017).
    \2\ Because this is a discontinuance proceeding and not an 
abandonment, trail use/rail banking and public use conditions are 
not appropriate. Because there will be an environmental review 
during abandonment, this discontinuance does not require 
environmental review.
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    A copy of any petition filed with Board should be sent to WCL's 
representative, Audrey L. Brodrick, Fletcher & Sippell 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.GOV.''

    Decided: August 28, 2017.

    By the Board, Rachel D. Campbell, Director, Office of 
Proceedings.
Marline Simeon,
Clearance Clerk.
[FR Doc. 2017-18483 Filed 8-30-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4915-01-P