Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 239 / Tuesday, December 14, 2004 / Notices 74567

1The 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 (SEA) in its independent 

investigation) cannot be made before the 

exemption’s effective date. See Exemption of Outof-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.

2Each offer of financial assistance must be 

accompanied by the filing fee, which currently is 

set at $1,200. See 49 CFR 1002.2(f)(25).

1TXNW is a wholly owned subsidiary of TNW 

Corporation. See TNW Corporation-Continuance in 

Control Exemption-Texas Rock Crusher Railway 

Company, STB Finance Docket No. 33564 (STB 

served Mar. 20, 1998).

2TXNW states that the Capps Spur forms the 

eastern end of TXNW’s current rail line, the active 

portion of which extends west from Capps to a 

connection with The Burlington Northern and 

Santa Fe Railway Company at Etter Junction, TX. 

Additional TXNW lines extending north from the 

Capps Spur at Morse and South from the Capps 

Spur at Pringle were abandoned in 1987. See Texas 

North Western Railway Company-Abandonment 

and Discontinuance of Service Exemption-Hansford 

and Hutchinson Counties, TX; Texas County, OK; 

and Seward County, KS, Docket No. AB–281X (ICC 

served Aug. 19, 1987).

3TXNW notes that, at one time, The Atchison, 

Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company held 

overhead trackage rights on TXNW’s Etter JunctionMorse line, but those rights were discontinued in 

1990. See The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe 

Railway Company-Discontinuance of Trackage 

Rights Exemption-In Moore, Hutchinson and 

Hansford Counties, TX, Docket No. AB–52 (Sub-No. 

63X) (ICC served July 16, 1990).

4The 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 (SEA) in its independent 

investigation) cannot be made before the 

exemption’s effective date. See Exemption of Outof-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.

5Effective October 31, 2004, the filing fee for an 

OFA increased to $1,200. See Regulations 

Governing Fees for Services Performed in 

Connection with Licensing and Related Services2004 Update, STB Ex Parte No. 542 (Sub-No. 11) 

(STB served Oct. 1, 2004).

expression of intent to file an offer of 

financial assistance (OFA) has been 

received, this exemption will be 

effective on January 13, 2005, unless 

stayed pending reconsideration. 

Petitions to stay that do not involve 

environmental issues,1 formal 

expressions of intent to file an OFA 

under 49 CFR 1152.27(c)(2),2 and trail 

use/rail banking requests under 49 CFR 

1152.29 must be filed by December 27, 

2004. Petitions to reopen or requests for 

public use conditions under 49 CFR 

1152.28 must be filed by January 3, 

2005, with: Surface Transportation 

Board, 1925 K Street, NW., Washington, 

DC 20423–0001.

A copy of any petition filed with the 

Board should be sent to FCEN’s 

representative: Thomas J. Litwiler, 

Fletcher & Sippel LLC, 29 North Wacker 

Drive, Suite 920, Chicago, IL 60606–

2832. 

If the verified notice contains false or 

misleading information, the exemption 

is void ab initio.

FCEN has filed an environmental and 

historic report which addresses the 

effects, if any, of the abandonment on 

the environment and historic resources. 

SEA will issue an environmental 

assessment (EA) by December 17, 2004. 

Interested persons may obtain a copy of 

the EA by writing to SEA (Room 500, 

Surface Transportation Board, 

Washington, DC 20423) or by calling 

SEA, at (202) 565–1539. 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. 

Pursuant to the provisions of 49 CFR 

1152.29(e)(2), FCEN shall file a notice of 

consummation with the Board to signify 

that it has exercised the authority 

granted and fully abandoned its line. If 

consummation has not been effected by 

FCEN’s filing of a notice of 

consummation by December 14, 2005, 

and there are no legal or regulatory 

barriers to consummation, the authority 

to abandon will automatically expire. 

Board decisions and notices are 

available on our Web site at http://

www.stb.dot.gov.

Decided: December 6, 2004.

By the Board, David M. Konschnik, 

Director, Office of Proceedings. 

Vernon A. Williams, 

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 04–27338 Filed 12–13–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4915–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Surface Transportation Board 

[STB Docket No. AB–281 (Sub–No. 1X)] 

Texas North Western Railway 

Company—Abandonment Exemption—

in Moore, Hutchinson and Hansford 

Counties, TX 

Texas North Western Railway 

Company (TXNW)1 has filed a notice of 

exemption under 49 CFR 1152 subpart 

F—Exempt Abandonments to abandon 

approximately 21.9 miles of its line of 

railroad known as the Capps Spur 

located in Moore, Hutchinson, and 

Hansford Counties, TX. The line 

extends from milepost 20.0 at Capps, 

TX, through milepost 29.9 at Morse, 

Junction, TX, to the end of the track at 

milepost 34.0 in Morse, TX (14.0 miles), 

and from milepost 29.9 at Morse 

Junction to the end of the track at 

milepost 37.8 in Pringle, TX (7.9 miles), 

The line traverses United States Postal 

Service Zip Codes 79086, 79083, and 

79062.2

TXNW has certified that: (1) No local 

traffic has moved over the line for at 

least 2 years; (2) any overhead traffic 

formerly handled on the line can be 

rerouted over other lines; 3 (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 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 January 

13, 2005, unless stayed pending 

reconsideration. Petitions to stay that do 

not involve environmental issues,4

formal expressions of intent to file an 

OFA under 49 CFR 1152.27(c)(2),5 and 

trail use/rail banking requests under 49 

CFR 1152.29 must be filed by December 

23, 2004. Petitions to reopen or requests 

for public use conditions under 49 CFR 

1152.28 must be filed by January 3, 

2005, with: Surface Transportation 

Board, 1925 K Street, NW., Washington, 

DC 20423–0001.

A copy of any petition filed with the 

Board should be sent to the TXNW’s 

representative: Thomas J. Litwiler, 

Fletcher & Sippel LLC, 29 North Wacker 

Drive, Suite 920, Chicago, IL 60606–

2832. 

If the verified notice contains false or 

misleading information, the exemption 

is void ab initio.

TXNW has filed an environmental 

report which addresses the 

abandonment’s effects, if any, on the 

environment and historic resources. 

74568 Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 239 / Tuesday, December 14, 2004 / Notices 

SEA will issue an environmental 

assessment (EA) by December 17, 2004. 

Interested persons may obtain a copy of 

the EA by writing to SEA (Room 500, 

Surface Transportation Board, 

Washington, DC 20423–0001) or by 

calling SEA, at (202) 565–1539. 

[Assistance for the hearing impaired is 

available through the Federal 

Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1–

800–877–8339.] 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. 

Pursuant to the provisions of 49 CFR 

1152.29(e)(2), TXNW shall file a notice 

of consummation with the Board to 

signify that it has exercised the 

authority granted and fully abandoned 

the line. If consummation has not been 

effected by TXNW’s filing of a notice of 

consummation by December 14, 2005, 

and there are no legal or regulatory 

barriers to consummation, the authority 

to abandon will automatically expire. 

Board decisions and notices are 

available on our Web site at http://

www.stb.dot.gov.

Decided: December 8, 2004. 

By the Board, David M. Konschnik, 

Director, Office of Proceedings. 

Vernon A. Williams, 

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 04–27339 Filed 12–13–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4915–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

Internal Revenue Service 

Open Meeting of the Area 5 Taxpayer 

Advocacy Panel (Including the States 

of Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, 

Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, 

South Dakota, and Texas)

AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS) 

Treasury.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: An open meeting of the Area 

5 Taxpayer Advocacy Panel will be 

conducted (via teleconference). The 

Taxpayer Advocacy Panel is soliciting 

public comment, ideas, and suggestions 

on improving customer service at the 

Internal Revenue Service.

DATES: The meeting will be held 

Monday, January 10, 2005, at 2 p.m., 

Central Time.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Mary Ann Delzer at 1–888–912–1227, or 

(414) 297–1604.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notice is 

hereby given pursuant to Section 

10(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory 

Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. App. (1988) 

that a meeting of the Area 5 Taxpayer 

Advocacy Panel will be held Monday, 

January 10, 2005, at 2 p.m., Central time 

via a telephone conference call. You can 

submit written comments to the panel 

by faxing to (414) 297–1623, or by mail 

to Taxpayer Advocacy Panel, 

Stop1006MIL, 310 West Wisconsin 

Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53203–2221 or 

you can contact us at 

www.improveirs.org. This meeting is not 

required to be open to the public, but 

because we are always interested in 

community input, we will accept public 

comments. Please contact Mary Ann 

Delzer at 1–888–912–1227 or (414) 297–

1604 for dial-in information. 

The agenda will include the 

following: Various IRS issues.

Dated: December 9, 2004. 

Bernard Coston, 

Director, Taxpayer Advocacy Panel.

[FR Doc. 04–27368 Filed 12–13–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4830–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

Internal Revenue Service 

Open Meeting of the Small Business/

Self Employed—Taxpayer Burden 

Reduction Committee of the Taxpayer 

Advocacy Panel

AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS) 

Treasury.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: An open meeting of the Small 

Business/Self Employed—Taxpayer 

Burden Reduction Committee of the 

Taxpayer Advocacy Panel will be 

conducted (via teleconference). The 

TAP will be discussing issues pertaining 

to increasing compliance and lessening 

the burden for Small Business/Self 

Employed individuals.

DATES: The meeting will be held 

Thursday, January 6, 2005.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Marisa Knispel at 1–888–912–1227 or 

718–488–3557.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notice is 

hereby given pursuant to Section 

10(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory 

Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. App. (1988) 

that an open meeting of the Small 

Business/Self Employed—Taxpayer 

Burden Reduction Committee of the 

Taxpayer Advocacy Panel will be held 

Thursday, January 6, 2005 from 3 p.m. 

e.t. to 4:30 p.m. e.t. via a telephone 

conference call. If you would like to 

have the TAP consider a written 

statement, please call 1–888–912–1227 

or 718–488–3557, or write to Marisa 

Knispel, TAP Office, 10 Metro Tech 

Center, 625 Fulton Street, Brooklyn, NY 

11201. Due to limited conference lines, 

notification of intent to participate in 

the telephone conference call meeting 

must be made with Marisa Knispel. Ms. 

Knispel can be reached at 1–888–912–

1227 or 718–488–3557, or post 

comments to the Web site: http://

www.improveirs.org. 

The agenda will include the 

following: Various IRS issues.

Dated: December 8, 2004. 

Tersheia Carter, 

Acting Director, Taxpayer Advocacy Panel.

[FR Doc. 04–27369 Filed 12–13–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4830–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

Internal Revenue Service 

Open Meeting of the Taxpayer 

Advocacy Panel Multilingual Initiative 

(MLI) Issue Committee Will Be 

Conducted (Via Teleconference)

AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS), 

Treasury.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: An open meeting of the 

Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Multilingual 

Initiative (MLI) Issue Committee will be 

conducted (via teleconference). The 

Taxpayer Advocacy Panel is soliciting 

public comments, ideas, and 

suggestions on improving customer 

service at the Internal Revenue Service.

DATES: The meeting will be held 

Tuesday, January 11, 2005 from 3 p.m. 

to 4 p.m. e.t.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Inez 

E. De Jesus at 1–888–912–1227, or 954–

423–7977.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notice is 

hereby given pursuant to section 

10(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory 

Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. App. (1988) 

that an open meeting of the Taxpayer 

Advocacy Panel Multilingual Initiative 

Issue Committee will be held Tuesday, 

January 11, 2005 from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. 

e.t. via a telephone conference call. If 

you would like to have the TAP 

consider a written statement, please call 

1–888–912–1227 or 954–423–7977, or 

write Inez E. De Jesus, TAP Office, 1000 

South Pine Island Rd., Suite 340, 

Plantation, FL 33324. Due to limited 

conference lines, notification of intent 

to participate in the telephone 

conference call meeting must be made 

with Inez E. De Jesus. Ms. De Jesus can