76972 Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 246 / Thursday, December 23, 2004 / Notices 

1The notice was supplemented by a filing 

received on December 15, 2004.

2The 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.

3Effective 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 Services—

2004 Update, STB Ex Parte No. 542 (Sub-No. 11) 

(STB served Oct. 1, 2004).

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Surface Transportation Board 

[STB Ex Parte No. 290 (Sub No. 5) (2005–

1)] 

Quarterly Rail Cost Adjustment Factor

AGENCY: Surface Transportation Board, 

DOT.

ACTION: Approval of rail cost adjustment 

factor. 

SUMMARY: The Board has approved the 

first quarter 2005 rail cost adjustment 

factor (RCAF) and cost index filed by 

the Association of American Railroads. 

The first quarter 2005 RCAF 

(Unadjusted) is 1.107. The first quarter 

2005 RCAF (Adjusted) is 0.546. The first 

quarter 2005 RCAF–5 is 0.521.

EFFECTIVE DATE: January 1, 2005.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mac 

Frampton, (202) 565–1541. [Federal 

Information Relay Service (FIRS) for the 

hearing impaired: 1–800–877–8339.]

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Additional information is contained in 

the Board’s decision. To purchase a 

copy of the full decision, call ASAP 

Document Solutions at (301) 577–2600. 

[Assistance for the hearing impaired is 

available through FIRS: 1–800–877–

8339.] 

This action will not significantly 

affect either the quality of the human 

environment or energy conservation. 

Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 605(b), we 

conclude that our action will not have 

a significant economic impact on a 

substantial number of small entities 

within the meaning of the Regulatory 

Flexibility Act.

Decided: December 17, 2004.

By the Board, Chairman Nober, Vice 

Chairman Mulvey, and Commissioner 

Buttrey. 

Vernon A. Williams, 

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 04–28086 Filed 12–22–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4915–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Surface Transportation Board 

[STB Docket No. AB–874X] 

Sierra Northern Railway—

Abandonment Exemption—in Yolo 

County, CA 

Sierra Northern Railway (Sierra) has 

filed a notice of exemption 1 under 49 

CFR 1152 Subpart F—Exempt 

Abandonments to abandon an 

approximately 9.27-mile line of railroad 

extending from milepost 90.5 in the City 

of West Sacramento to a point south of 

Pumphouse Road, in Yolo County, CA. 

The line traverses United States Postal 

Service Zip Codes 95612 and 95691.

Sierra has certified that: (1) No local 

traffic has moved over the line for at 

least 2 years; (2) any overhead traffic 

can be rerouted over other lines; (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 

25, 2005, unless stayed pending 

reconsideration. Petitions to stay that do 

not involve environmental issues,2

formal expressions of intent to file an 

OFA under 49 CFR 1152.27(c)(2),3 and 

trail use/rail banking requests under 49 

CFR 1152.29 must be filed by January 3, 

2005.

Petitions to reopen or requests for 

public use conditions under 49 CFR 

1152.28 must be filed by January 12, 

2005, with the Surface Transportation 

Board, 1925 K Street, NW., Washington, 

DC 20423–0001. 

A copy of any petition filed with the 

Board should be sent to Sierra’s 

representative: Janie C. I. Sheng, 

Kirkpatrick & Lockhart LLP, 1800 

Massachusetts Avenue, NW., 2nd Floor, 

Washington, DC 20036.

If the verified notice contains false or 

misleading information, the exemption 

is void ab initio. 

Sierra has filed an environmental 

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 30, 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), Sierra 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 

Sierra’s filing of a notice of 

consummation by December 23, 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 16, 2004.

By the Board, David M. Konschnik, 

Director, Office of Proceedings. 

Vernon A. Williams, 

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 04–27977 Filed 12–22–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4915–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS 

AFFAIRS 

[OMB Control No. 2900–0393] 

Proposed Information Collection 

Activity: Proposed Collection; 

Comment Request

AGENCY: Office of Management, 

Department of Veterans Affairs.

ACTION: Notice.