[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 70 (Wednesday, April 10, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16029-16030]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-8695]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Surface Transportation Board \1\
[STB Docket No. AB-6 (Sub-No. 373X)]
Burlington Northern Railroad Company--Abandonment Exemption--in
Griggs County, ND
Burlington Northern Railroad Company (BN) filed a notice of
exemption under 49 CFR 1152 Subpart F--Exempt Abandonments to abandon
25.09 miles of its line of railroad between milepost 26.19 near
Hannaford and milepost 51.19 near Binford including the stations of
Shepard at milepost 32.5, Cooperstown at milepost 36.5, and Binford at
milepost 51.0, in Griggs County, ND.2
\1\ The ICC Termination Act of 1995, Pub. L. No. 104-88, 109
Stat. 803, which was enacted on December 29, 1995, and took effect
on January 1, 1996, abolished the Interstate Commerce Commission and
transferred certain functions to the Surface Transportation Board
(Board). This notice relates to functions that are subject to the
Board's jurisdiction pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 10903.
\2\ BN has proposed a consummation date for the abandonment that
is four months from the date of filing of its verified notice. This
proposed consummation date is based on BN's reading of 49 U.S.C.
10904. The first sentence of 10904(c) provides, ``Within 4 months
after an application is filed under section 10903, any person may
offer to subsidize or purchase the railroad line that is the subject
of such application.''
The Board recently addressed this provision in proposing revised
abandonment regulations to implement 49 U.S.C. 10903-04, as
established by the ICC Termination Act. In Abandonment and
Discontinuance of Rail Lines and Rail Transportation Under 49 U.S.C.
10903, STB Ex Parte No. 537 (STB served Mar. 15, 1996) slip op. at
10 [61 FR 11174, 11176 (Mar. 19, 1996)], the Board said ``We see the
4-month statutory deadline as an outer limit, which does not require
us to delay resolution of proceedings where the entire time is not
needed.''
Based on the Board's statement, the exemption in this proceeding
will be scheduled to become effective on May 10, 1996, or 50 days
after BN's filing of its verified notice of exemption. This is
consistent with the existing rules at 49 CFR 1152.50. Offers of
financial assistance will be due according to deadlines established
in this notice. Potential offerors will not have until 4 months
after the notice was filed by BN with the Board to make an offer of
financial assistance.
While the exemption is scheduled to take effect on May 10, 1996,
BN may of course delay consummation until a later date.
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BN has certified that: (1) no local traffic has moved over the line
for at least 2 years; (2) there is no overhead traffic to be rerouted
from 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 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 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. 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 May 10, 1996, unless stayed pending reconsideration.
Petitions to stay that do not involve environmental issues,3
formal expressions of intent to file an OFA under 49 CFR
1152.27(c)(2),4 and trail use/rail banking requests under 49
[[Page 16030]]
CFR 1152.29 5 must be filed by April 22, 1996. Petitions to reopen
or requests for public use conditions under 49 CFR 1152.28 must be
filed by April 30, 1996, with: Office of the Secretary, Case Control
Branch, Surface Transportation Board, 1201 Constitution Avenue, N.W.,
Washington, DC 20423.
\3\ 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 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.
\4\ See Exempt. of Rail Abandonment--Offers of Finan. Assist., 4
I.C.C.2d 164 (1987).
\5\ The Board will accept late-filed trail use requests so long
as the abandonment has not been consummated and the abandoning
railroad is willing to negotiate an agreement.
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A copy of any petition filed with the Board should be sent to
applicant's representative: Sarah J. Whitley, General Attorney,
Burlington Northern Railroad Company, 3800 Continental Plaza, 777 Main
Street, Fort Worth, TX 76102-5384.
If the verified notice contains false or misleading information,
the exemption is void ab initio.
BN 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 15, 1996. Interested persons may
obtain a copy of the EA by writing to SEA (Room 3219, Surface
Transportation Board, Washington, DC 20423) or by calling Elaine
Kaiser, Chief of SEA, at (202) 927-6248. 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.
Decided: April 2, 1996.
By the Board, David M. Konschnik, Director, Office of
Proceedings.
Vernon A. Williams,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 96-8695 Filed 4-9-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915-00-P