[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 98 (Thursday, May 21, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28026-28027]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-13093]


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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,<SUP>1</SUP> formal expressions of 
intent to file an OFA under 49 CFR 1152.27(c)(2),<SUP>2</SUP> 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.
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    \1\ The 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 Out-of-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.
    \2\ Each offer of financial assistance must be accompanied by 
the filing fee, which currently is set at $1000. See 49 CFR 
1002.2(f)(25).
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    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.


[[Page 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