34960 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 123 / Friday, June 26, 1998 / Notices

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Surface Transportation Board

[STB Docket No. AB–55 (Sub–No. 563X)]

CSX Transportation, Inc.—

Abandonment Exemption—In Harrison

County, WV

On June 8, 1998, CSX Transportation,

Inc. (CSXT) filed with the Surface

Transportation Board (Board) a petition

under 49 U.S.C. 10502 for exemption

from the provisions of 49 U.S.C. 10903

to abandon a 0.87-mile portion of its

line of railroad known as the WVA&P

Subdivision, extending between

milepost 1.23 and milepost 2.1, in

Clarksburg, Harrison County, WV. The

line traverses U.S. Postal Service Zip

Code 2630l and includes no stations.

The line does not contain federally

granted rights-of-way. Any

documentation in CSXT’s possession

will be made available promptly to

those requesting it.

The interest of railroad employees

will be protected by the conditions set

forth in Oregon Short Line R. Co.—

Abandonment—Goshen, 360 I.C.C. 91

(1979).

By issuance of this notice, the Board

is instituting an exemption proceeding

pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 10502(b). A final

decision will be issued by September

25, 1998.

Any offer of financial assistance

(OFA) under 49 CFR 1152.27(b)(2) will

be due no later than 10 days after

service of a decision granting the

petition for exemption. Each offer must

be accompanied by a $1,000 filing fee.

See 49 CFR 1002.2(f)(25).

All interested persons should be

aware that, following abandonment of

rail service and salvage of the line, the

line may be suitable for other public

use, including interim trail use. Any

request for a public use condition under

49 CFR 1152.28 or for trail use/rail

banking under 49 CFR 1152.29 will be

due no later than July 16, 1998. Each

trail use request must be accompanied

by a $150 filing fee. See 49 CFR

1002.2(f)(27).

All filings in response to this notice

must refer to STB Docket No. AB–55

(Sub-No. 563X) and must be sent to: (1)

Surface Transportation Board, Office of

the Secretary, Case Control Unit, 1925 K

Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20423–

0001, and (2) Charles M. Rosenberger,

500 Water Street, Jacksonville, FL

32202. Replies to the CSXT petition are

due on or before July 16, 1998.

Persons seeking further information

concerning abandonment procedures

may contact the Board’s Office of Public

Services at (202) 565–1592 or refer to

the full abandonment or discontinuance

regulations at 49 CFR part 1152.

Questions concerning environmental

issues may be directed to the Board’s

Section of Environmental Analysis

(SEA) at (202) 565–1545. [TDD for the

hearing impaired is available at (202)

565–1695.]

An environmental assessment (EA) (or

environmental impact statement (EIS), if

necessary) prepared by SEA will be

served upon all parties of record and

upon any agencies or other persons who

commented during its preparation.

Other interested persons may contact

SEA to obtain a copy of the EA (or EIS).

EAs in these abandonment proceedings

normally will be made available within

60 days of the filing of the petition. The

deadline for submission of comments on

the EA will generally be within 30 days

of its service.

Board decisions and notices are

available on our website at

‘‘WWW.STB.DOT.GOV.’’

Decided: June 18, 1998.

By the Board, David M. Konschnik,

Director, Office of Proceedings.

Vernon A. Williams,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 98–16929 Filed 6–25–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4915–00–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

Customs Service

Determination of Origin of Goods

Processed in a Qualifying Industrial

Zone or in Israel and the West Bank or

Gaza Strip

AGENCY: U.S. Customs Service,

Department of the Treasury.

ACTION: General policy statement.

SUMMARY: This document expands upon

T.D. 96–58 by notifying the public that

in determining the country of origin of

textile and apparel products processed

in a designated qualifying industrial

zone Customs will exclusively apply the

rules of origin for textile and apparel

products set forth in section 102.21,

Customs Regulations (19 CFR 102.21),

which were promulgated pursuant to

the authority of section 334, Uruguay

Round Agreements Act (19 U.S.C. 3592).

A qualifying industrial zone is defined

in General Note 3(a)(v)(G), Harmonized

Tariff Schedule of the United States

(HTSUS), in part, as an area that

encompasses portions of the territory of

Israel and Jordan or Israel and Egypt.

In addition, this document advises the

public that, in accordance with the

principles and policy set forth in T.D.

96–58, Customs determines the origin of

a textile or apparel product processed

both in Israel (outside of a qualifying

industrial zone) and in the West Bank

or Gaza Strip by first applying the

Customs rulings and administrative

practices in effect prior to December 8,

1994. If the application of those rulings

and practices results in Israel not being

the origin of the good, Customs applies

the rules in section 102.21 to determine

the country of origin, with no further

consideration being given to the

processing performed in Israel.

Finally, this document reminds the

public that section 102.21 is not used to

determine whether foreign materials

have undergone a ‘‘double substantial

transformation’’ for purposes of

determining whether their cost or value

may be counted toward the valuecontent requirement of various special

tariff treatment programs, such as the

U.S.-Israel Free Trade Implementation

Act.

EFFECTIVE DATE: The portion of this

policy statement concerning the origin

of textile and apparel products

processed in a qualifying industrial

zone shall apply to goods entered or

withdrawn from warehouse for

consumption on or after March 13,

1998. The remainder of this policy

statement shall apply to goods entered

or withdrawn from warehouse for

consumption on or after July 1, 1996.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Craig Walker, Special Classification and

Marking Branch, Office of Regulations

and Rulings, (202) 927–1116.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

Section 334 of the Uruguay Round

Agreements Act (‘‘URAA’’) (19 U.S.C.

3592) established rules of origin for

textiles and textile products. Section

102.21, Customs Regulations (19 CFR

102.21), implemented the provisions of

section 334, which became effective July

1, 1996.

T.D. 96–58

T.D. 96–58, published in the Federal

Register on July 31, 1996 (61 FR 40076),

gave notice of Customs interpretation

and application of section 334(b)(5) of

the URAA. That subsection excepts

from the rules of origin governing

textiles and textile products set forth in

section 334, goods which under rulings

and administrative practices in effect

immediately before the enactment of

section 334 (December 8, 1994) would

have originated in, or been the growth,

product, or manufacture of, Israel.

Section 334(b)(5) further provides that

those rulings and administrative

practices in effect prior to December 8,