28026 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 98 /Thursday, May 21, 1998 / Notices

1AERC will acquire the track, ties, and other

improvements, and a permanent, irrevocable

easement to operate on this line, but not the real

estate.

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).

the Federal Register pursuant to the

authority indicated below.

Comment closing date: June 28, 1998.

(49 U.S.C. 30118 and 30120; delegations of

authority at 49 CFR 1.50 and 501.8)

Issued on: May 14, 1998.

L. Robert Shelton,

Associate Administrator for Safety

Performance Standards.

[FR Doc. 98–13520 Filed 5–20–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–59–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Surface Transportation Board

[STB Finance Docket No. 33567]

Albany & Eastern Railroad Company—

Acquisition and Operation

Exemption—The Burlington Northern

and Santa Fe Railway Company

Albany & Eastern Railroad Company

(AERC), a noncarrier, has filed a verified

notice of exemption under 49 CFR

1150.31 to acquire from The Burlington

Northern and Santa Fe Railway

Company (BNSF), and to operate 17.40

miles of rail line between MP–14.50, at

or near Lebanon, and MP–31.90, at or

near Foster, in Linn County, OR.1 AERC

also is acquiring incidental trackage

rights over Union Pacific Railroad

Company’s (UP) rail line between MP–

688.96, at or near Lebanon, and MP–

691.52, at or near Albany, and over

BNSF’s line between MP–0.0, at Albany,

and MP–0.89, east of Albany, in Linn

County, OR, a total of 13.62 miles. The

incidental trackage rights will permit

AERC to interchange traffic with BNSF

at its Albany yard.

The transaction was expected to be

consummated on or shortly after May 8,

1998.

If the verified 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. 33567, 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, one copy of each

pleading must be served on Fritz R.

Kahn, Suite 750 West, 1100 New York

Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20005–

3934.

Board decisions and notices are

available on our website at

‘‘WWW.STB.DOT.GOV.’’

Decided: May 14, 1998.

By the Board, David M. Konschnik,

Director, Office of Proceedings.

Vernon A. Williams,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 98–13593 Filed 5–20–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4915–00–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Surface Transportation Board

[STB Docket No. AB–494X]

Akron Barberton Cluster Railway

Company—Abandonment Exemption—

in Summit County, OH

Akron Barberton Cluster Railway

Company (ABCR) has filed a notice of

exemption under 49 CFR 1152 Subpart

F—Exempt Abandonments to abandon

4.14 miles of its line of railroad from

Valuation Station 440 + 00 at Main

Street to Valuation Station 658 + 63 at

Seiberling Avenue, in Summit County,

OH. The line traverses United States

Postal Service Zip Codes 44301, 44305,

44300 and 44311.

ABCR has certified that: (1) no local

traffic has moved over the line for at

least 2 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 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 June 20, 1998, 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 June 1, 1998. Petitions to reopen

or requests for public use conditions

under 49 CFR 1152.28 must be filed by

June 10, 1998, with: Surface

Transportation Board, Office of the

Secretary, Case Control Unit, 1925 K

Street, NW, Washington, DC 20423. A

copy of any petition filed with the

Board should be sent to applicant’s

representative: Christopher E. V. Quinn,

Oppenheimer Wolff & Donnelly, Two

Prudential Plaza, 45 Floor, 180 North

Stetson Avenue, Chicago, IL 60601.

If the verified notice contains false or

misleading information, the exemption

is void ab initio.

ABCR 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 May 26, 1998.

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), ABCR 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

ABCR’s filing of a notice of

consummation by May 21, 1999, 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: May 8, 1998.
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 98 /Thursday, May 21, 1998 / Notices 28027

By the Board, David M. Konschnik,

Director, Office of Proceedings.

Vernon A. Williams

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 98–13093 Filed 5–20–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4915–00–P

UNITED STATES INFORMATION

AGENCY

College and University Partnerships

Program for Russian Regional

Investment Initiative in Samara Oblast

ACTION: Request for proposals.

SUMMARY: The Office of Academic

Programs of the United States

Information Agency’s Bureau of

Educational and Cultural Affairs

announces an open competition for an

assistance award program. Accredited,

post-secondary educational institutions

meeting the provisions described in IRS

regulation 26 CFR 1.501(c) may apply to

develop a partnership with a specified

institution of higher education from

Russia in specified fields. Non-profit

organizations meeting the provisions

described in IRS regulation 26 CFR

1.501(c) may also apply to facilitate a

partnership between a U.S. college or

university with one of the foreign

institutions.

USIA seeks proposals from US

universities, or NGOs representing US

universities, to develop partnerships

with one of the two following Russian

institutions of higher learning: with the

Samara State Aerospace University’s

International Marketing Institute in the

field of public administration; or with

the Togliatti Academy of Business and

Banking in the field of business

education.

Participating institutions exchange

faculty and administrators for a

combination of teaching, lecturing,

faculty and curriculum development,

collaborative research, and/or outreach,

for periods ranging from one week (for

planning visits) to an academic year.

The FY 98 program will also support the

establishment and maintenance of

Internet and/or e-mail communication

facilities as well as interactive distance

learning programs at foreign partner

institutions. Applicants may propose

other project activities not listed above

that are consistent with the goals and

activities of the College and University

Partnerships Program.

The program awards up to $150,000

for a two-year period to defray the cost

of travel and per diem with an

allowance for educational materials and

some aspects of project administration.

Grants awarded to organizations with

less than four years of experience in

conducting international exchange

programs will be limited to $60,000.

USIA anticipates awarding two grants in

the amount of $150,000 each.

Overall grant-making authority for

this program is contained in the Mutual

Educational and Cultural Exchange Act

of 1961, Pub. L. 87–256, as amended,

also known as the Fulbright-Hays Act.

The purpose of the Act is ‘‘to enable the

Government of the United States to

increase mutual understanding between

the people of the United States and the

people of other countries * * *; to

strengthen the ties which unite us with

other nations by demonstrating the

educational and cultural interests,

developments, and achievements of the

people of the United States and other

nations * * * and thus to assist in the

development of friendly, sympathetic

and peaceful relations between the

United States and the other countries of

the world.’’ The funding authority for

the program cited above is provided

through the Freedom for Russia and

Emerging Eurasian Democracies and

Open markets Support Act of 1992

(Freedom Support Act). Programs and

projects must conform with Agency

requirements and guidelines outlined in

the Solicitation Package. USIA projects

and programs are subject to the

availability of funds.

Announcement Title and Number: All

communications with USIA concerning

this RFP should refer to the College and

University Partnerships Program for

Russian Regional Investment Initiative

in Samara Oblast and reference number

E/ASU–98–09.

Deadline For Proposals: All copies

must be received at the U.S. Information

Agency by 5 p.m. Washington, DC time

on Friday, July 17, 1998. Faxed

documents will not be accepted at any

time. Documents postmarked by the due

date but received at a later date will not

be accepted.

Approximate program dates: Grants

should begin on or about September 1,

1998.

Duration: September 1, 1998–August

30, 2000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT:

Office of Academic Programs; Advising,

Teaching, and Specialized Programs

Division; Specialized Programs Branch,

(E/ASU) room 349, U.S. Information

Agency, 301 4th Street, SW.,

Washington, DC 20547, telephone: (202)

619–4126, fax: (202) 401–1433, internet:

jcebra@usia.gov to request a Solicitation

Package containing more detailed award

criteria; all application forms; and

guidelines for preparing proposals,

including specific criteria for

preparation of the proposal budget.

To Download A Solicitation Package

Via Internet: The entire Solicitation

Package may be downloaded from

USIA’s website at http://www.usia.gov/

education/rfps. Please read all

information before downloading.

To Receive A Solicitation Package Via

Fax on Demand: The entire Solicitation

Package may be received via the

Bureau’s ‘‘Grants Information Fax on

Demand System’’, which is accessed by

calling 202/401–7616. Please request a

‘‘Catalog’’ of available documents and

order numbers when first entering the

system.

Please specify USIA Program Officer

Jonathan Cebra on all inquiries and

correspondence. Interested applicants

should read the complete Federal

Register announcement before sending

inquiries or submitting proposals. Once

the RFP deadline has passed, Agency

staff may not discuss this competition in

any way with applicants until the

Bureau proposal review process has

been completed.

Submissions: Applicants must follow

all instructions given in the Solicitation

Package. The original and 10 copies of

the application should be sent to: U.S.

Information Agency, Ref.: E/ASU–98–

09, Office of Grants Management, E/XE,

Room 326, 301 4th Street, SW.,

Washington, DC 20547.

Applicants must also submit the

‘‘Executive Summary’’ and ‘‘Proposal

Narrative’’ sections of the proposal on a

3.5′′ diskette, formatted for DOS. This

material must be provided in ASCII text

(DOS) format with a maximum line

length of 65 characters. USIA will

transmit these files electronically to

USIA Moscow for its review, with the

goal of reducing the time it takes to get

post’s comments for the Agency’s grants

review process.

Diversity, Freedom and Democracy

Guidelines

Pursuant to the Bureau’s authorizing

legislation, programs must maintain a

non-political character and should be

balanced and representative of the

diversity of American political, social,

and cultural life. ‘‘Diversity’’ should be

interpreted in the broadest sense and

encompass differences including, but

not limited to ethnicity, race, gender,

religion, geographic location, socioeconomic status, and physical

challenges. Applicants are strongly

encouraged to adhere to the

advancement of this principle both in

program administration and in program

content. Please refer to the review

criteria under the ‘Support for Diversity’

section for specific suggestions on

incorporating diversity into the total

proposal. Pub. L. 104–319 provides that