63116 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 204 / Friday, October 20, 2000 / Notices

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 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 $1000. See 49 CFR 1002.2(f)(25).

find consistent with the public interest,

taking into consideration at least: (1)

The effect of the transaction on the

adequacy of transportation to the public;

(2) the total fixed charges that result;

and (3) the interest of affected carrier

employees.

On the basis of the application, we

find that the proposed acquisition of

control is consistent with the public

interest and should be authorized. If any

opposing comments are timely filed,

this finding will be deemed vacated

and, unless a final decision can be made

on the record as developed, a

procedural schedule will be adopted to

reconsider the application. See 49 CFR

1182.6(c). If no opposing comments are

filed by the expiration of the comment

period, this decision will take effect

automatically and will be the final

Board action.

Board decisions and notices are

available on our website at

‘‘WWW.STB.DOT.GOV.’’

This decision will not significantly

affect either the quality of the human

environment or the conservation of

energy resources.

It is ordered:

1. The proposed acquisition of control

is approved and authorized, subject to

the filing of opposing comments.

2. If timely opposing comments are

filed, the findings made in this decision

will be deemed as having been vacated.

3. This decision will be effective on

December 4, 2000, unless timely

opposing comments are filed.

4. A copy of this notice will be served

on: (1) The U.S. Department of

Transportation, Federal Motor Carrier

Safety Administration—MC–RI, 400

Virginia Avenue, S.W., Suite 600,

Washington, DC 20024; (2) the U.S.

Department of Justice, Antitrust

Division, 10th Street & Pennsylvania

Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20530;

and (3) the U.S. Department of

Transportation, Office of the General

Counsel, 400 7th Street, S.W.,

Washington, DC 20590.

Decided: October 13, 2000.

By the Board, Chairman Morgan, Vice

Chairman Burkes, and Commissioner

Clyburn.

Vernon A. Williams,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 00–27070 Filed 10–19–00; 8:45 am]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Surface Transportation Board

[STB Docket No. AB–414 (Sub-No. 3X)]

Iowa Interstate Railroad, Ltd.—

Abandonment Exemption—in Marion

and Jasper Counties, IA

Iowa Interstate Railroad, Ltd. (IAIS)

has filed a notice of exemption under 49

CFR Part 1152 Subpart F—Exempt

Abandonments and Discontinuances to

abandon a 13.36-mile line of railroad

between milepost 123.50 near Otley and

milepost 136.86 near Prairie City, in

Marion and Jasper Counties, IA. The

line traverses United States Postal

Service Zip Codes 50170, 50214, 50219

and 50228.

IAIS has certified that: (1) No local

traffic has moved over the line for at

least 2 years; (2) there is no overhead

traffic on 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

Surface Transportation Board (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 November 21, 2000, 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 October 30,

2000. Petitions to reopen or requests for

public use conditions under 49 CFR

1152.28 must be filed by November 9,

2000, with: Surface Transportation

Board, Office of the Secretary, Case

Control Unit, 1925 K Street, N.W.,

Washington, DC 20423.

A copy of any petition filed with the

Board should be sent to applicant’s

representative: T. Scott Bannister, 1300

Des Moines Building, 405—Sixth

Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50309.

If the verified notice contains false or

misleading information, the exemption

is void ab initio.

IAIS 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 October 25, 2000.

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) 565–1545. 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), IAIS 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

IAIS’s filing of a notice of

consummation by October 20, 2001, 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 website at

‘‘WWW.STB.DOT.GOV.’’

Decided: October 13, 2000.

By the Board, David M. Konschnik,

Director, Office of Proceedings.

Vernon A. Williams,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 00–27069 Filed 10–19–00; 8:45 am]

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