Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 194 / Tuesday, October 7, 1997 / Notices 52373

is hereby granted NHTSA Temporary

Exemption 97–1, expiring September 1,

1998, from the following requirements

incorporated in 49 CFR 571.122 Motor

Vehicle Safety Standard No. 122

Motorcycle Brake Systems: S5.4.1

Baseline check—minimum and

maximum pedal forces, S5.4.2 Fade,

S5.4.3 Fade recovery, S5.7.2 Water

recovery test, and S6.10 Brake actuation

forces. As provided in 49 CFR § 555.6,

under this grant of temporary exemption

no more than 2,500 motorcycles

exempted from Standard No. 122 may

be sold in the United States in the

period for which the exemption is

granted.

(Authority: 49 U.S.C. 30113; delegations of

authority at 49 CFR 1.50. and 501.8)

Issued on: October 1, 1997.

Ricardo Martinez,

Administrator.

[FR Doc. 97–26491 Filed 10–2–97; 9:33 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–59–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Surface Transportation Board

[Finance Docket No. 33388 (Sub–Nos. 1–

7)]

CSX Corporation and CSX

Transportation, Inc., Norfolk Southern

Corporation and Norfolk Southern

Railway Company—Control and

Operating Leases/Agreements—

Conrail, Inc. and Consolidated Rail

Corporation

AGENCY: Surface Transportation Board.

ACTION: Notice of Availability of the

Environmental Assessments for Three

Norfolk Southern Railway Company

(NS) Rail Line Constructions and Four

CSX Transportation, Inc. (CSX) Rail

Line Constructions Prior to the Surface

Transportation Board’s Decision on the

Acquisition and Division of the

Consolidated Rail Corporation (Conrail).

SUMMARY: The Surface Transportation

Board (Board) gives notice of the

availability of the environmental

assessments (EA) and public comment

period for three NS rail line

constructions and four CSX rail line

constructions. Although the EAs

recommend several mitigation measures

to off-set specific environmental effects,

the EAs generally conclude that there

will be no significant environmental

impacts associated with the

construction of these rail lines.

DATES: Written comments on the

environmental impacts of Finance

Docket No. 33388 (Sub-Nos. 1–7) are

due October 27, 1997.

ADDRESSES: If you wish to file comments

on the EAs, send an original and 10

copies to: Vernon A. Williams,

Secretary, Surface Transportation Board,

1925 K Street, NW, Suite 700,

Washington, DC 20423–0001. Mark the

lower left corner of the envelope:

Attention: Dana White, Environmental

Comments, Finance Docket No. 33388

(Sub-Nos. 1–7).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Dana White, Section of Environmental

Analysis, Surface Transportation Board,

1925 K Street, NW, Washington, DC

20423–0001; (202) 565–1552. TDD for

the hearing impaired: (202) 565–1695.

Copies of the EAs may also be obtained

by contacting Ms. White.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On April

10, 1997, CSX, NS and Conrail filed

their notice of intent to file an

application seeking the Board’s

authorization for: (1) The acquisition by

CSX and NS of control of Conrail, and

(2) the division of Conrail’s assets.

Shortly afterwards, NS and CSX

requested and received approval from

the Board to seek the Board’s authority

to construct and operate seven rail line

connections prior to the Board’s

decision on the acquisition and division

of Conrail.

The seven rail line constructions are

each relatively short (a total length of

under 4 miles), would provide

connections between two rail carriers,

and would take place within existing

rights-of-way. Early authorization to

construct these connections, CSX and

NS contended, would allow them to

provide efficient service in competition

with each other. However, no

construction can occur until the Board

completes its environmental review of

each of the construction projects.

Further, the Board advised CSX and NS

that they were proceeding at their own

risk in expending resources prior to the

Board’s decision on the acquisition

transaction.

In seven separate EAs, the Board

considered the environmental aspects of

these proposed constructions and the

railroads’ proposed operations over

these lines. The operational

implications of the acquisition as a

whole, including operations over the

roughly 4 miles of line embraced by the

seven connection projects, will be

examined in the environmental impact

statement being prepared to assess the

impacts of the entire acquisition

transaction.

On October 7, 1997, the Board served

the EAs on Federal, state and local

agencies and members of the affected

communities. Although the EAs

recommend several mitigation measures

to off-set specific environmental effects,

the EAs generally conclude that there

will be no significant environmental

impacts. There is a 20-day public

comment period ending October 27,

1997. The Board will consider the

findings of the EAs as well as any

comments on the EAs in its decision to

approve or deny the construction of

each of these lines.

The following is a list of the EAs, the

locations of the proposed rail line

constructions, the railroads, and their

sub-docket numbers within the primary

Finance Docket Number 33388 for the

proposed acquisition:

ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENTS FOR

SEVEN RAIL LINE CONSTRUCTIONS

Location Railroad

Finance

docket

33388

Crestline, OH ....... CSX ....... (Sub No. 1)

Willow Creek, IN CSX ....... (Sub No. 2)

Greenwich, OH .... CSX ....... (Sub No. 3)

Sidney Junction,

OH.

CSX ....... (Sub No. 4)

Sidney, IL ............ NS .......... (Sub No. 5)

Alexandria, IN ...... NS .......... (Sub No. 6)

Bucyrus, OH ........ NS .......... (Sub No. 7)

By the Board, Elaine K. Kaiser, Chief,

Section of Environmental Analysis.

Vernon A. Williams,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 97–26542 Filed 10–6–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4915–00–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Surface Transportation Board

[STB Ex Parte No. 573]

Rail Service in the Western United

States

AGENCY: Surface Transportation Board.

ACTION: Notice of proceeding and public

hearing.

SUMMARY: The Surface Transportation

Board (Board) is instituting a proceeding

and will hold a public hearing on

October 27, 1997, at its offices in

Washington, DC, to provide interested

persons the opportunity to report on the

status of rail service in the western

United States and to review proposals

for solving the service problems that

exist.

DATES: Persons wishing to appear at the

hearing and make a statement must

submit their request to speak at the

hearing, and their requested time

allotment, by October 9, 1997. The

Board will issue a schedule for the

hearing, along with a list of speakers