Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 83 /Thursday, April 30, 1998 / Notices 23823

1CSPR will replace CSP as the common carrier

operator of the lines being acquired.

2BNSF currently owns the lines known as the 1st

Subdivision, the 2nd Subdivision, and the 4th

Subdivision. UP currently owns the line known as

the 3rd Subdivision.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at

the Willard Inter-Continental Hotel,

1401 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.,

Washington, D.C. 20004.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms.

Regina McElroy, Office of Policy

Development, HPP–10, (202) 366–9216,

for substantive information regarding

the conference; Megan Naranjo, HPP–

10, (202) 366–0281, for conference

registration material; or Mr. Charles E.

Medalen, Office of the Chief Counsel,

HCC–20, (202) 366–1354, Federal

Highway Administration, 400 Seventh

Street, SW., Washington, D.C. 20590.

Office hours are from 7:45 a.m. to 4:15

p.m., e.t., Monday through Friday,

except Federal holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Electronic Access

An electronic copy of this document

may be downloaded using a modem and

suitable communications software from

the Federal Register Electronic Bulletin

Board Service at (202) 512–1661.

Internet users may reach the Federal

Register’s home page at: http://

www.nara.gov/nara/fedreg and the

Government Printing Office’s database

at: http://www.access.gpo.gov/suldocs.

Background

The U.S. DOT currently has underway

a CTS&W Study. The Study was

initiated in 1994 by Secretary of

Transportation Rodney E. Slater, who

was then the Federal Highway

Administrator. The Study is intended to

provide decisionmakers with fact-based

information regarding the highly

controversial and multifaceted TS&W

issue. The Department anticipates that

the final TS&W Study report will be

transmitted to Congress by the end of

1998. It will include four volumes:

Volume I—Executive Summary, Volume

II—Issues and Background, Volume III—

Scenario Analysis, and Volume IV—

Guide to Documentation. A draft

version of Volume II was distributed for

external review in June 1997. Many

valuable comments were received and,

as a result, the final version will be

markedly improved.

Work on Volume III, Scenario

Analysis, is now in progress. The

Department expects that a draft version

will be available for review and

comment this summer. A number of

illustrative size and weight scenarios

have been identified for analysis, and

each scenario will be evaluated in terms

of its likely impact on freight diversion,

safety, infrastructure (pavement, bridge

and roadway geometry), shipper costs,

rail industry viability, traffic operations,

energy consumption and environmental

quality. The scenarios, as well as the

impact areas, were selected based on

comments received through the Study’s

extensive outreach process.

As part of the overall outreach

activity, the FHWA, on behalf of the

Department, is sponsoring a TS&W

Impact Methodology Review

Conference. This event is being

organized to facilitate review of the

Volume III draft. At the conference,

subject matter experts will present the

analytical approach employed, for each

of the impact areas identified above, to

evaluate the illustrative scenarios. The

presentations will focus on technical

methods used in the scenario analysis.

Study results will not be discussed.

For individuals unable to attend the

meeting, copies of the briefing material

may be obtained, free of charge, by

contacting Ms. Megan Naranjo at the

address and telephone number listed at

the beginning of this Notice. In addition,

we will publish a summary of the

conference following the event. The

summary may also be obtained by

contacting Ms. Naranjo.

Meeting Information

Guest rooms at the Willard Hotel, for

confirmed participants, are available at

a discounted rate. Room reservations

should be made directly with the hotel

at (202) 628–9100.

An agenda, registration form, and

supporting conference materials may be

obtained from the FHWA. The point of

contact is Ms. Megan Naranjo at the

address and telephone number at the

beginning of this Notice.

In order to provide ample opportunity

for dialogue, we are limiting the meeting

to 100 participants. All participants

must be registered in advance. Should

demand significantly exceed this limit,

we will consider holding another

similar event.

A fee is being charged to partially

cover the cost of the conference. The fee

includes a continental breakfast on the

first and second days and lunch on the

first day. The early registration fee

(received on or before June 6, 1998) is

$55.00. After June 6, 1998, a late

registration fee of $65.00 is payable at

the conference.

Authority: 23 U.S.C. 315; 49 CFR 1.48.

Gary E. Maring,

Acting Associate Administrator for Policy.

[FR Doc. 98–11523 Filed 4–29–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–22–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Surface Transportation Board

[STB Finance Docket No. 33558]

Camas Prairie Railnet, Inc.; Acquisition

and Operation Exemption; Camas

Prairie Railroad Company, Union

Pacific Railroad Company, and the

Burlington Northern and Santa Fe

Railway Company

Camas Prairie Railnet, Inc. (CSPR), a

noncarrier, has filed a verified notice of

exemption under 49 CFR 1150.31 to

acquire and operate a series of

interconnected lines of railroad

currently owned by the Union Pacific

Railroad Company (UP), and The

Burlington Northern and Santa Fe

Railway Company (BNSF), and operated

by the Camas Prairie Railroad Company

(CSP) 1 as follows: (1) A line of railroad,

known as the 1st Subdivision, extending

from milepost 137.0, at Lewiston, ID, to

milepost 61.0 (end of track), at or near

Kooskia, ID; (2) a line of railroad, known

as the 2nd Subdivision, extending from

milepost 0.0, at Spalding, ID, to

milepost 66.5 (end of track), at or near

Grangeville, ID; (3) a line of railroad,

known as the 3rd Subdivision,

extending from milepost 0.0, at Riparia,

WA, to milepost 71.5, at East Lewiston,

ID; and (4) a line of railroad, known as

the 4th Subdivision, extending from

milepost 0.0, at Orofino, ID, to milepost

31.0 (end of track), at or near Revling,

ID.2 In addition, CSPR will also obtain

incidental overhead trackage rights over

UP trackage between milepost 10.46, at

Riparia, and approximately milepost

267.1, at Ayer, WA, for the purpose of

interchanging traffic with both UP and

BNSF. The trackage to be acquired and

operated by CSPR is approximately 245

route miles in length, and the related

trackage rights are approximately 15.1

miles in length.

The transaction was scheduled to be

consummated on or after April 17, 1998.

This transaction is related to STB

Finance Docket No. 33578, North

American Railnet, Inc.—Continuance in

Control Exemption—Camas Prairie

Railnet, Inc., wherein North American

Railnet, Inc. has concurrently filed a

verified notice to continue in control of

CSPR upon its becoming a Class III rail

carrier.

Because the projected revenues of the

rail lines to be operated will exceed $5

million, CSPR certified to the Board, on
23824 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 83 /Thursday, April 30, 1998 / Notices

February 13, 1998, that the required

notice of its rail line acquisition was

posted at the workplace of the

employees on the affected lines on

February 12, 1998. See 49 CFR

1150.42(e).

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

revoke will not automatically stay the

transaction.

An original and 10 copies of all

pleadings, referring to STB Finance

Docket No. 33558, must be filed with

the Surface Transportation Board, Office

of the Secretary, Case Control Unit, 1925

K Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20423–

0001. In addition, a copy of each

pleading must be served on Robert A.

Wimbish, Esq., Rea, Cross &

Auchincloss, 1707 L Street, N.W., Suite

570, Washington, DC 20036.

Decided: April 23, 1998.

By the Board, David M. Konschnik,

Director, Office of Proceedings.

Vernon A. Williams,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 98–11361 Filed 4–29–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4915–00–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Surface Transportation Board

[STB Finance Docket No. 33578]

North American Railnet, Inc.;

Continuance in Control Exemption;

Camas Prairie Railnet, Inc.

North American Railnet, Inc. has filed

a notice of exemption to continue in

control of the Camas Prairie Railnet, Inc.

(CSPR), upon CSPR’s becoming a Class

III railroad.

The transaction was scheduled to be

consummated on or after April 17, 1998.

This transaction is related to STB

Finance Docket No. 33558, Camas

Prairie Railnet, Inc.—Acquisition and

Operation Exemption—Camas Prairie

Railroad Company, Union Pacific

Railroad Company, and The Burlington

Northern and Santa Fe Railway,

wherein CSPR seeks to acquire and

operate a series of interconnected rail

lines from the Camas Prairie Railroad

Company, the Union Pacific Railroad

Company, and The Burlington Northern

and Santa Fe Railway Company.

Applicant controls two existing Class

III railroads: Nebraska, Kansas, &

Colorado Railnet, Inc., operating in the

States of Kansas, Nebraska, and

Colorado; and Illinois RailNet, Inc.,

operating in the State of Illinois.

Applicant states that: (i) The rail lines

to be operated by CSPR do not connect

with any railroad in the corporate

family; (ii) the transaction is not part of

a series of anticipated transactions that

would connect CSPR’s lines with any

railroad in the corporate family; and (iii)

the transaction does not involve a Class

I carrier. Therefore, the transaction is

exempt from the prior approval

requirements of 49 U.S.C. 11323. See 49

CFR 1180.2(d)(2).

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 notice contains false or

misleading information, the exemption

is void ab initio. Petitions to revoke the

exemption under 49 U.S.C. 10502(d)

may be filed at any time. The filing of

a petition to revoke will not

automatically stay the transaction.

An original and 10 copies of all

pleadings, referring to STB Finance

Docket No. 33578, must be filed with

the Surface Transportation Board, Office

of the Secretary, Case Control Unit, 1925

K Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20423–

0001. In addition, a copy of each

pleading must be served on Robert A.

Wimbish, Esq., Rea, Cross &

Auchincloss, 1707 L, N.W., Suite 570,

Washington, DC 20036.

Decided: April 23, 1998.

By the Board, David M. Konschnik,

Director, Office of Proceedings.

Vernon A. Williams,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 98–11362 Filed 4–29–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4915–00–P

DEPARMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

Advisory Committee on Cemeteries

and Memorials, Notice of Meeting

The Department of Veterans Affairs

(VA) gives notice that a meeting of the

Advisory Committee on Cemeteries and

Memorials (Committee), authorized by

38 U.S.C. 2401, will be held Tuesday,

June 23 and Wednesday, June 24, 1998,

at the Handlery Hotel and Resort, 950

Hotel Circle North, San Diego, CA,

92108. This will be the committee’s first

meeting of the year 1998.

The purpose of the Committee is to

review the administration of VA’s

cemeteries and burial benefits program.

On Tuesday, June 23, 1998, the meeting

will convene at 2:00 p.m. (PDT) and

adjourn at 7:00 p.m. (PDT). On

Wednesday, June 24, 1998, the meeting

will convene at 8:00 p.m. (PDT) and

adjourn at 5:00 p.m. (PDT).

On Tuesday, June 23, there will be a

business session at the Handlery Hotel

and Resort in the Club Room. The

Committee will then depart for Fort

Rosecrans National Cemetery, Cabrillo

Memorial Drive, in the town of Point

Loma, San Diego, CA 92106, for a tour

and an equipment show.

On the morning of June 24, the

Committee will meet at the Handlery

Hotel and Resort, in the Director Room,

where they will receive presentations

from Ex-Officio Committee members. In

the afternoon, the Committee will attend

a Best Practices Panel with cemetery

directors, in the Crystal Room. After the

Best Practices Panel, the Committee will

meet, in the Director Room, for a

business session and an update briefing

on National Cemetery System activities.

The meeting will be open to the

public. Those wishing to attend should

contact Ms. Louise Ware, Special

Assistant to the Director, National

Cemetery System, (phone (202) 273–

7577) no later than 12 noon (EST), June

15, 1998.

Any interested person may attend,

appear before, or file a statement with

the Committee. Individuals wishing to

appear before the Committee should

indicate this in a letter to the Acting

Director, National Cemetery System (40)

at 810 Vermont Avenue, NW.,

Washington, DC. 20420. In any such

letters, the writers must fully identify

themselves and state the organization,

association or person they represent. In

addition, to the extent practicable,

letters should indicate the subject

matter they want to discuss. Oral

presentations should be limited to 10

minutes in duration. Those wishing to

file written statements to be submitted

to the Committee must also mail, or

otherwise deliver, them to the Acting

Director, National Cemetery System.

Letters and written statements as

discussed above must be mailed or

delivered in time to reach the Acting

Director, National Cemetery System, by

12 noon (EST), June 15, 1998. Oral

statements will be heard between 1:30

p.m. and 2:00 p.m. (PDT), June 24, 1998,

at the Handlery Hotel.

Dated: April 23, 1998.

By Direction of the Acting Secretary.

Heyward Bannister,

Committee Management Officer.

[FR Doc. 98–11467 Filed 4–29–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 8320–01–M