Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 176 / Wednesday, September 11, 2024 / Notices 73741 

1Additional information about the carriers 

controlled by STA, including U.S. Department of 

Transportation (USDOT) numbers, motor carrier 

numbers, and USDOT safety fitness ratings, can be 

found in Exhibit B of the application. 

2Further information about Spinner’s corporate 

structure and ownership can be found in Exhibit A 

of the application. 

3See 49 U.S.C. 13506(a)(1) (exempting from both 

Department of Transportation and Board 

jurisdiction ‘‘a motor vehicle transporting only 

school children and teachers to or from school’’). 

relating to the above-named entity’s 

activities in the United States. 

Rebecca E. Gonzales, 

Director, Office of Foreign Missions, 

Department of State. 

[FR Doc. 2024–20518 Filed 9–10–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4711–11–P 

DEPARTMENT OF STATE 

[Public Notice: 12528; No. 2024–03] 

Determination Pursuant to the Foreign 

Missions Act 

Pursuant to the authority vested in the 

Secretary of State under the Foreign 

Missions Act, 22 U.S.C. 4301, et seq. 

(‘‘the Act’’), and delegated pursuant to 

Department of State Delegation of 

Authority No. 214, dated September 20, 

1994, I hereby determine that the 

representative offices and operations in 

the United States of Rossiya Segodnya, 

including their real property and 

personnel, are a foreign mission within 

the meaning of 22 U.S.C. 4302(a)(3). 

Furthermore, I hereby determine it to 

be reasonably necessary to protect the 

interests of the United States to require 

the representative offices and operations 

in the United States of Rossiya 

Segodnya and its agents or employees 

acting on its behalf, to comply with the 

terms and conditions specified by the 

Department of State’s Office of Foreign 

Missions relating to the above-named 

entity’s activities in the United States. 

Rebecca E. Gonzales, 

Director, Office of Foreign Missions, 

Department of State. 

[FR Doc. 2024–20515 Filed 9–10–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4711–11–P 

SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD 

[Docket No. MCF 21121] 

Student Transportation of America, 

Inc. et al.—Acquisition of Control— 

West Point Tours, Inc. 

AGENCY: Surface Transportation Board. 

ACTION: Notice tentatively approving 

and authorizing finance transaction. 

SUMMARY: On August 12, 2024, Student 

Transportation of America, Inc. (STA), a 

noncarrier, and its parent entities 

(collectively, Applicants) filed an 

application seeking authority for STA to 

acquire all voting securities of West 

Point Tours, Inc. (WPT), a passenger 

motor carrier that holds operating 

authority issued by the Federal Motor 

Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). 

The Board is tentatively approving and 

authorizing the transaction, and, if no 

opposing comments are timely filed, 

this notice will be the final Board 

action. 

DATES: Comments must be filed by 

October 28, 2024. If any comments are 

filed, Applicants may file a reply by 

November 12, 2024. If no opposing 

comments are filed by October 28, 2024, 

this notice shall be effective on October 

29, 2024. 

ADDRESSES: Comments, referring to 

Docket No. MCF 21121, may be filed 

with the Board either via e-filing on the 

Board’s website or in writing addressed 

to: Surface Transportation Board, 395 E 

Street SW, Washington, DC 20423–0001. 

In addition, send one copy of comments 

to STA’s representative: Mark J. 

Andrews, Clark Hill PLC, 1001 

Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Suite 1300 

South, Washington, DC 20004. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Brian O’Boyle at (202) 245–0364. If you 

require an accommodation under the 

Americans with Disabilities Act, please 

call (202) 245–0245. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: According 

to the application, STA is a New Jerseybased noncarrier that controls multiple 

passenger motor carriers that hold 

operating authorities issued by the 

FMCSA.1 STA is a subsidiary of Student 

Transportation of America Holdings, 

Inc. (STA Holdings), a Delaware 

corporation and noncarrier. STA 

Holdings, in turn, is a subsidiary of 

Spinner US Acquireco, Inc. (Spinner),2

also a Delaware corporation and 

noncarrier, which will remain under the 

majority ownership of Caisse de de ́poˆt 

et placement du Que ́bec, a pension fund 

based in the Canadian province of 

Quebec. (Appl. 5.) Applicants state that 

the carriers STA controls primarily 

provide school bus transportation under 

contract with local school districts, a 

service that they state is covered by 

broad exemptions from FMCSA 

regulation. (Id. at 2.) 3 According to 

Applicants, STA and its subsidiaries 

currently have approximately 23,000 

employees, utilize an estimated 22,000 

vehicles, and transport approximately 

1.25 million students per day based on 

a 180-day school year. (Appl. 4.) 

Applicants state that while exempt 

school transportation accounts for 

approximately 97% of STA’s 

approximately $1.3 billion in annual 

revenues, remaining revenues are 

generated from use of its vehicles for 

charter and special operations not 

involving the transportation of students 

to and from schools. (Id. at 2, 4.) 

According to the application, WPT is 

a New York state-based carrier that 

holds FMCSA operating authority as 

well as intrastate operating authorities 

in New York state and Pennsylvania. 

(Id. at 3.) Like STA’s carrier 

subsidiaries, WPT primarily provides 

school bus transportation under 

contracts with local school districts. (Id. 

at 2–3.) WPT transports approximately 

9,640 students per day during the 

school year, employs approximately 200 

drivers, and has a fleet of 220 vehicles, 

consisting primarily of school buses but 

also approximately 15 motor coaches. 

(Id. at 4.) The application states that 

WPT generates annual revenues of 

approximately $21 million, about 75% 

of which are derived from schoolrelated transportation, with the 

remainder being derived from charter 

and special operations centered on the 

West Point Military Academy and 

nearby areas of the Hudson River Valley 

in New York state. (Id.) WPT’s interstate 

motorcoach operations carry 

approximately 24,000 passengers 

annually. (Id.) 

Pursuant to an agreement executed on 

July 17, 2024, STA will acquire all 

voting securities of WPT. (Id. at 2, 4.) 

Upon closing of the proposed 

transaction, WPT will become a direct 

subsidiary of STA. (Id. at 5.) STA and 

WPT expect to close the proposed 

acquisition in the fourth quarter of 2024. 

(Id. at 4.) 

Under 49 U.S.C. 14303(b), the Board 

must approve and authorize a 

transaction that it finds consistent with 

the public interest, taking into 

consideration at least (1) the effect of the 

proposed transaction on the adequacy of 

transportation to the public, (2) the total 

fixed charges that result from the 

proposed transaction, and (3) the 

interest of affected carrier employees. 

Applicants have submitted the 

information required by 49 CFR 1182.2, 

including information to demonstrate 

that the proposed transaction is 

consistent with the public interest 

under 49 U.S.C. 14303(b), see 49 CFR 

1182.2(a)(7), and a jurisdictional 

statement under 49 U.S.C. 14303(g) that 

the aggregate gross operating revenues 

of STA and WPT exceeded $2 million 

during the 12-month period 

immediately preceding the filing of the 

application, see 49 CFR 1182.2(a)(5). 

(See Appl. 6–7.) 


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73742 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 176 / Wednesday, September 11, 2024 / Notices 

Applicants assert that the transaction 

is consistent with the public interest. 

Applicants state that STA’s operating 

subsidiaries and WPT have contractual 

obligations to provide outsourced 

transportation services and a 

competitive incentive to maintain and 

improve existing services because doing 

so enhances their chances of success 

when new outsourcing opportunities 

arise or when existing contracts are recompeted. (Id.) According to 

Applicants, contract renewals in the 

school transportation sector often 

involve highly visible and intense 

negotiation processes between multiple 

bidders, governmental bodies, unions, 

political activists and other interested 

parties. (Id. at 6.) Thus, Applicants 

claim that STA will have ‘‘strong 

incentives to maintain high service 

levels in order to fend off competitive 

bids’’ from other bus transportation 

providers. (Id.) Applicants also note that 

STA’s operating subsidiaries will face 

competition from school districts and 

local government entities that can 

provide bus transportation ‘‘in-house.’’ 

(Id.) 

With respect to fixed charges, 

Applicants state that there are no 

current plans to finance the proposed 

acquisition in a manner that would 

affect fixed charges payable by STA or 

its affiliates. (Id.) Applicants further 

note that funding for the transaction 

‘‘will be drawn from STA’s current 

credit facility, and WPT (like other STA 

subsidiaries) will become a co-obligor 

under that facility.’’ (Id.) 

Regarding the effect of the acquisition 

on current employees, Applicants state 

that it is highly unlikely that any 

employees of WPT would be adversely 

affected to any significant degree by the 

proposed transaction. (Id. at 7.) They 

again emphasize STA and WPT’s 

contractual obligations and competitive 

incentives to maintain and improve 

existing services, and claim that STA 

and WPT ‘‘do not have, and rationally 

could not have, any intention of 

significantly reducing employment 

levels involving drivers, dispatchers or 

vehicle maintenance personnel’’ as a 

result of the acquisition. (Id.) Applicants 

further state that there is a 

‘‘longstanding shortage of qualified 

drivers and maintenance personnel,’’ 

and assert that STA continues to 

actively recruit additional employees. 

(Id.) 

Based on Applicants’ representations, 

the Board finds that the acquisition as 

proposed in the application is 

consistent with the public interest and 

should be tentatively approved and 

authorized. If any opposing comments 

are timely filed, these findings 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. If no 

opposing comments are filed by 

expiration of the comment period, this 

notice will take effect automatically and 

will be the final Board action. 

This action is categorically excluded 

from environmental review under 49 

CFR 1105.6(c). 

Board decisions and notices are 

available at www.stb.gov. 

It is ordered: 

1. The proposed transaction is 

approved and authorized, subject to the 

filing of opposing comments. 

2. If opposing comments are timely 

filed, the findings made in this notice 

will be deemed vacated. 

3. This notice will be effective 

October 29, 2024, unless opposing 

comments are filed by October 28, 2024. 

If any comments are filed, Applicants 

may file a reply by November 12, 2024. 

4. A copy of this notice will be served 

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

Transportation, Federal Motor Carrier 

Safety Administration, 1200 New Jersey 

Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590; (2) 

the U.S. Department of Justice, Antitrust 

Division, 10th Street & Pennsylvania 

Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20530; 

and (3) the U.S. Department of 

Transportation, Office of the General 

Counsel, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, 

Washington, DC 20590. 

Decided: September 5, 2024. 

By the Board, Board Members Fuchs, 

Hedlund, Primus, and Schultz. 

Regena Smith-Bernard, 

Clearance Clerk. 

[FR Doc. 2024–20421 Filed 9–10–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4915–01–P 

SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD 

Release of Waybill Data 

The Surface Transportation Board has 

received a request from Page, Scrantom, 

Sprouse, Tucker & Ford, P.C on behalf 

of the Consolidated Government of 

Columbus, Georgia (WB24–45—9/4/24) 

for permission to use select data from 

the Board’s 2022 unmasked Carload 

Waybill Samples. A copy of this request 

may be obtained from the Board’s 

website under docket no. WB24–45. 

The waybill sample contains 

confidential railroad and shipper data; 

therefore, if any parties object to these 

requests, they should file their 

objections with the Director of the 

Board’s Office of Economics within 14 

calendar days of the date of this notice. 

The rules for release of waybill data are 

codified at 49 CFR 1244.9. 

Contact: Alexander Dusenberry, (202) 

245–0319. 

Eden Besera, 

Clearance Clerk. 

[FR Doc. 2024–20424 Filed 9–10–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4915–01–P 

SUSQUEHANNA RIVER BASIN 

COMMISSION 

Minor Modification Notice 

AGENCY: Susquehanna River Basin 

Commission. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: This notice lists the minor 

modifications approved for previously 

approved projects by the Susquehanna 

River Basin Commission during the 

period set forth in DATES. 

DATES: August 1–31, 2024. 

ADDRESSES: Susquehanna River Basin 

Commission, 4423 North Front Street, 

Harrisburg, PA 17110–1788. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Jason E. Oyler, General Counsel and 

Secretary to the Commission, telephone: 

(717) 238–0423, ext. 1312; fax (717) 

238–2436; email: joyler@srbc.gov. 

Regular mail inquiries may be sent to 

the above address. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This 

notice lists previously approved 

projects, receiving approval of minor 

modification, described below, pursuant 

to 18 CFR 806.18 or to Commission 

Resolution Nos. 2013–11 and 2015–06, 

for the time period specified above. 

1. Department of the Army—Carlisle 

Barracks Golf Course, Docket No. 

20240622, North Middleton and 

Middlesex Townships, Cumberland 

County, Pa.; modification approval to 

adjust the approval term to align with 

another docket approval by the 

Commission; Approval Date: August 6, 

2024. 

Authority: Public Law 91–575, 84 

Stat. 1509 et seq., 18 CFR parts 806 and 

808. 

Dated: September 6, 2024. 

Jason E. Oyler, 

General Counsel and Secretary to the 

Commission. 

[FR Doc. 2024–20579 Filed 9–10–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 7040–01–P 


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