14968 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 60 / Friday, March 28, 1997 / Notices

2RJCP currently operates, by assignment,

incidental trackage rights over C&M’s lines between

Clearfield, PA, milepost 25.8, and CB Junction, PA,

milepost 19.4, to Curwensville, PA, milepost 18.0,

a distance of 7.8 miles.

3See R. J. Corman Railroad Company/

Pennsylvania Lines Inc.—Lease Exemption—

Clearfield & Mahoning Railway Company, STB

Finance Docket No. 32861 (STB served June 21,

1996).

carrier railroads, have jointly filed a

verified notice of exemption. C&M will

agree to extend RJCP’s current trackage

rights from Curwensville, PA, milepost

18.0, to approximately East Bickford,

PA, milepost 17.4, approximately 0.6

miles.2 Simultaneously, RJCP and C&M

will terminate a lease agreement over

approximately 8.4 route miles of C&M

rail line between milepost 25.8, at

Clearfield, and milepost 17.4, at East

Bickford.3

The transaction was to be

consummated after the March 7, 1997

effective date of the exemption.

The new trackage rights agreement

and the termination of the lease

agreement between RJCP and C&M are

transactions within a corporate family of

the type specifically exempted from

prior review and approval under 49 CFR

1180.2(d)(3). The parties state that the

transaction will not result in adverse

changes in service levels, significant

operational changes, or a change in the

competitive balance with carriers

outside the corporate family.

Under 49 U.S.C. 10502(g), the Board

may not use its exemption authority to

relieve a rail carrier of its statutory

obligation to protect the interests of its

employees. Section 11326(c), however,

does not provide for labor protection for

transactions under sections 11324 and

11325 that involve only Class III rail

carriers. Because this transaction

involves Class III rail carriers only, the

Board, under the statute, may not

impose labor protective conditions for

this transaction.

If the verified notice contains false or

misleading information, the exemption

is void ab initio. Petitions to reopen the

proceeding to revoke the exemption

under 49 U.S.C. 10502(d) may be filed

at any time. The filing of a petition to

reopen will not automatically stay the

transaction.

An original and 10 copies of all

pleadings, referring to STB Finance

Docket No. 33365, must be filed with

the Surface Transportation Board, Office

of the Secretary, Case Control Unit, 1925

K Street, NW., Washington, DC 20423–

0001. In addition, a copy of each

pleading must be served on Kevin M.

Sheys, Esq., Oppenheimer Wolff &

Donnelly, 1020 Nineteenth Street, NW.,

Suite 400, Washington, DC 20036.

Decided: March 24, 1997.

By the Board, David M. Konschnik,

Director, Office of Proceedings.

Vernon A. Williams,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 97–7933 Filed 3–27–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4915–00–P

[STB Docket No. AB–33 (Sub–No. 101)]

Union Pacific Railroad Company—

Abandonment—Plainville Branch

(Plainville-Colby Line) in Rooks,

Graham, Sheridan, and Thomas

Counties, KS; Notice of Findings

The Board has found that the public

convenience and necessity permit

Union Pacific Railroad Company to

abandon its line of railroad known as

the Plainville-Colby Line between

milepost 102.0 near Plainville and

milepost 201.0 near Colby, a distance of

99.0 miles, in Rooks, Graham, Sheridan

and Thomas Counties, KS.

The abandonment authorization will

be effective April 28, 1997, unless

within 15 days after this publication,

the Board also finds that one or more

financially responsible persons

(including a governmental authority)

have offered financial assistance

(through subsidy or purchase) to enable

the rail service to be continued.

Any financial assistance offer must be

filed with the Board and served on the

applicant no later than 10 days from

publication of this Notice. The

following notation must be typed in

boldface on the lower left-hand corner

of the envelope containing the offer:

‘‘Office of Proceedings, ABOFA.’’ Any

offer previously made must be remade

within this 10-day period.

Information and procedures regarding

financial assistance for continued rail

service are contained in 49 U.S.C.

10904, 49 CFR 1002.2(f)(25), and 49 CFR

1152.27.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Joseph H. Dettmar, (202) 565–1600.

(TDD for the hearing impaired: (202)

565–1695.)

Decided: March 21, 1997.

By the Board, Chairman Morgan and Vice

Chairman Owen.

Vernon A. Williams,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 97–7931 Filed 3–27–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4915–00–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

Internal Revenue Service

Announcement of Open Membership

Application Period for the Information

Reporting Program Advisory

Committee

AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS),

Treasury.

SUMMARY: In 1991 the Internal Revenue

Service (IRS) established the

Information Reporting Program

Advisory Committee (IRPAC) at the

request of the United States Congress.

The primary purpose of IRPAC is to

provide an organized public forum for

discussion of relevant information

reporting issues between the officials of

the IRS and representatives of the payer

community. IRPAC offers constructive

observations about current or proposed

policies, programs, and procedures, and

when necessary, suggests ways to

improve the operation of the

Information Reporting Program. IRPAC

is currently comprised of 20

representatives from various segments

of the private sector payer community.

Nine of these appointments to IRPAC

will expire at the end of 1997.

Additional members will be selected for

two-year terms beginning in January

1998. National business, technical, and

professional associations are encouraged

to submit multiple nominees.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: IRPAC

reports to the National Director, Office

of Specialty Taxes, who is the executive

responsible for ensuring and facilitating

compliance by payers with information

reporting requirements. IRPAC is

instrumental in providing advice to

enhance the IRP Program. Increasing

participation by external stakeholders in

the planning and improvement of the

tax system will help achieve the goals

of increasing voluntary compliance,

reducing burden, and improving

customer service. IRPAC members are

not paid for their time or services, but

consistent with Federal regulations,

they will be reimbursed for their travel

and lodging expenses to attend two twoday public meetings each year. IRPAC

members are expected to attend and pay

their own way to between four and six

working sessions each year, which are

generally held in Washington, DC; New

York, NY; or Martinsburg, WV.

The IRS is interested in representation

from different areas of the payer

community (e.g., life insurance,

employee plans, securities, mutual

funds, banking, payroll, etc.). Anyone

wishing to be considered for

membership on IRPAC should so advise

the IRS. Please complete the following