[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 78 (Monday, April 22, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17751-17752]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-9787]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Surface Transportation Board \1\
[STB Docket No. AB-167 (Sub-No. 1160X)]
Consolidated Rail Corporation--Abandonment Exemption--in Erie
County, NY
Consolidated Rail Corporation (Conrail) filed a notice of exemption
under 49 CFR Part 1152 Subpart F--Exempt Abandonments to abandon a 1.76
mile portion of its Erie Running Track between milepost 5.54 and
milepost 7.30, and a portion of its Black Rock Industrial Track between
milepost 392.80 and milepost 393.67 in the City of Buffalo, Erie
County, NY.\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\ The portion of the Black Rock Industrial Track parallels and
shares a common right-of-way with the portion of the Erie Running
Track.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Conrail 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 22,
[[Page 17752]]
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 CFR 1152.29 \5\ must be filed by May 2, 1996.
Petitions to reopen or requests for public use conditions under 49 CFR
1152.28 must be filed by May 13, 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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
A copy of any petition filed with the Board should be sent to
applicant's representative: John J. Paylor, Associate General Counsel,
Consolidated Rail Corporation, 2001 Market Street - 16A, Philadelphia,
PA 19101--1416.
If the verified notice contains false or misleading information,
the exemption is void ab initio.
Conrail 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 26, 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 15, 1996.
By the Board, David M. Konschnik, Director, Office of
Proceedings.
Vernon A. Williams,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 96-9787 Filed 4-19-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915-00-P