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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 224 (Wednesday, November 20, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 91870-91871]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-27074]

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SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD

[Docket No. AB 290 (Sub-No. 415X)]

Northern Southern Railway Company--Abandonment Exemption--in 
Henderson and Polk Counties, NC, and Greenville and Spartanburg 
Counties, SC

    Norfolk Southern Railway Company (NSR) has filed a verified notice 
of exemption pursuant to 49 CFR part 1152, subpart F--Exempt 
Abandonments to abandon an approximately 31.3-mile rail line extending 
from approximately milepost W 26.0 +/- to approximately milepost W 57.3 
+/- in Henderson and Polk Counties, N.C., and Greenville and 
Spartanburg Counties, S.C. (the Line). The Line traverses U.S. Postal 
Service Zip Codes 28773, 28782, 28790, 29322, 29349, and 29356.
    NSR has certified that: (1) no local traffic has moved over the 
Line for at least two years; (2) any overhead traffic on the Line 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 on 
behalf of such user) regarding cessation of service

[[Page 91871]]

over the Line is pending with either the Surface Transportation Board 
(Board) or any U.S. District Court or has been decided in favor of a 
complainant within the two-year period; and (4) the requirements at 49 
CFR 1105.7(b) and 1105.8(c) (notice of environmental and historic 
reports), 49 CFR 1105.12 (newspaper publication),\1\ and 49 CFR 
1152.50(d)(1) (notice to government agencies) have been met.
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    \1\ On November 13, 2024, NSR filed a corrected version of the 
certification required by 49 CFR 1105.12.
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    As a condition to this exemption, any employee adversely affected 
by the abandonment shall be protected under Oregon Short Line 
Railroad--Abandonment Portion Goshen Branch Between Firth & Ammon, in 
Bingham & Bonneville Counties, Idaho, 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,\2\ this exemption will be 
effective on December 20, 2024, unless stayed pending reconsideration. 
Petitions to stay that do not involve environmental issues must be 
filed by November 29, 2024.\3\ Formal expressions of intent to file an 
OFA under 49 CFR 1152.27(c)(2) and interim trail use/railbanking 
requests under 49 CFR 1152.29 must be filed by December 2, 2024.\4\ 
Petitions to reopen and requests for public use conditions under 49 CFR 
1152.28 must be filed by December 10, 2024.
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    \2\ Persons interested in submitting an OFA must first file a 
formal expression of intent to file an offer, indicating the type of 
financial assistance they wish to provide (i.e., subsidy or 
purchase) and demonstrating that they are preliminarily financially 
responsible. See 49 CFR 1152.27(c)(2)(i).
    \3\ The Board will grant a stay if an informed decision on 
environmental issues (whether raised by a party or by the Board's 
Office of Environmental Analysis (OEA) in its independent 
investigation) cannot be made before the exemption's effective date. 
See Exemption of Out-of-Serv. 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.
    \4\ Filing fees for OFAs and trail use requests can be found at 
49 CFR 1002.2(f)(25) and (27), respectively.
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    All pleadings, referring to Docket No. AB 290 (Sub-No. 415X), must 
be filed with the Surface Transportation Board either via e-filing on 
the Board's website or in writing addressed to 395 E Street SW, 
Washington, DC 20423-0001. In addition, a copy of each pleading must be 
served on NSR's representative, William A. Mullins, Mullins Law Group 
PLLC, 2001 L Street NW, Suite 720, Washington, DC 20036.
    If the verified notice contains false or misleading information, 
the exemption is void ab initio.
    NSR has filed a combined environmental and historic report that 
addresses the potential effects, if any, of the abandonment on the 
environment and historic resources. OEA will issue a Draft 
Environmental Assessment (Draft EA) by November 25, 2024. The Draft EA 
will be available to interested persons on the Board's website, by 
writing to OEA, or by calling OEA at (202) 245-0294. If you require an 
accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act, please call 
(202) 245-0245. Comments on environmental and historic preservation 
matters must be filed within 15 days after the Draft EA becomes 
available to the public.
    Environmental, historic preservation, public use, or interim trail 
use/railbanking conditions will be imposed, where appropriate, in a 
subsequent decision.
    Pursuant to the provisions of 49 CFR 1152.29(e)(2), NSR 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 NSR's filing of a notice of 
consummation by November 20, 2025, and there are no legal or regulatory 
barriers to consummation, the authority to abandon will automatically 
expire.
    Board decisions and notices are available at www.stb.gov.

    Decided: November 14, 2024.

    By the Board, Valerie O. Quinn, Acting Director, Office of 
Proceedings.
Eden Besera,
Clearance Clerk.
[FR Doc. 2024-27074 Filed 11-19-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915-01-P
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