[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 68 (Monday, April 10, 1995)] [Notices] [Pages 18142-18143] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 95-8711] ======================================================================= ----------------------------------------------------------------------- INTERSTATE COMMERCE COMMISSION [Docket No. AB-290 (Sub-No. 152X)] Norfolk Southern Railway Company--Abandonment Exemption--in Caswell County, NC Norfolk Southern Railway Company (NS) has filed a notice of exemption under 49 CFR 1152 Subpart F--Exempt Abandonments to abandon a 3.1-mile rail line extending between milepost FD-196.9 and milepost FD- 200.00 at Blanch, in Caswell County, NC. NS has certified that: (1) No local traffic has moved over the line for at least 2 years; (2) no overhead traffic has moved over the line; (3) no formal complaint filed by a user of rail service on this line (or a state or local government entity acting on behalf of such user) regarding cessation of service over the line is pending either with the Commission or with any U.S. District Court or has been decided in favor of the complainant within the 2-year period; and (4) the requirements at 49 CFR 1105.7 (environmental report), 49 CFR 1105.8 (historic report), 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 use of 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. 10505(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 May 10, 1995, unless stayed pending reconsideration. Petitions to stay that do not involve environmental issues,1 [[Page 18143]] formal expressions of intent to file an OFA under 49 CFR 1152.27(c)(2),2 and trail use/rail banking statements under 49 CFR 1152.29 must be filed by April 20, 1995.3 Petitions to reopen or requests for public use conditions under 49 CFR 1152.28 must be filed by May 1, 1995, with: Office of the Secretary, Case Control Branch, Interstate Commerce Commission, Washington, DC 20423-191. \1\The Commission will grant a stay if an informed decision on environmental issues (whether raised by a party or by the Commission 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 stay should be filed as soon as possible so that the Commission may take appropriate action before the exemption's effective date. \2\See Exempt. of Rail Abandonment--Offers of Finan. Assist., 4 I.C.C.2d 164 (1987). \3\The Commission will accept a late-filed trail use request so long as the abandonment has not been consummated and the abandoning railroad is willing to negotiate an agreement. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- A copy of any petition filed with the Commission should be sent to applicant's representative: James R. Paschall, Norfolk Southern Corporation, Three Commercial Place, Norfolk, VA 23510. If the notice of exemption contains false or misleading information, the exemption is void ab initio. NS has filed an environmental report which addresses the abandonment's effects, if any, on the environment and historic resources. The Section of Environmental Analysis (SEA) will issue an environmental assessment (EA) by April 14, 1995. Interested persons may obtain a copy of the EA by writing to SEA (Room 3219, Interstate Commerce Commission, Washington, DC 20423) or by calling Elaine Kaiser, Chief of SEA, at (202) 927-248. 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 other trail use/rail banking conditions will be imposed, where appropriate, in a subsequent decision. Decided: April 4, 1995. By the Commission, David M. Konschnik, Director, Office of Proceedings. Vernon A. Williams, Secretary. [FR Doc. 95-8711 Filed 4-7-95; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7035-01-P