Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 126 /Wednesday, July 1, 1998 / Notices 36031

1On June 4, 1998, BNSF filed a notice of

exemption under the Board’s class exemption

procedures at 49 CFR 1180.2(d)(7). The notice

covered the agreement by UP to grant temporary

overhead trackage rights to BNSF between Dallas,

TX, in the vicinity of UP’s milepost 214.6 (Dallas

Subdivision) and Tower 55, Fort Worth, TX, in the

vicinity of UP’s milepost 245.5 (Dallas

Subdivision), a distance of approximately 30.9

miles. See The Burlington Northern and Santa Fe

Railway Company—Trackage Rights Exemption—

Union Pacific Railroad Company, STB Finance

Docket No. 33612 (STB served June 22, 1998). The

trackage rights operations under the exemption

became effective on June 11, 1998, 7 days after the

verified notice was filed, and were scheduled to be

consummated on June 15, 1998.

2Trackage rights normally remain in effect unless

discontinuance authority or approval of a new

agreement is sought. See Milford-Bennington

Railroad Company, Inc.—Trackage Rights

Exemption—Boston and Maine Corporation and

Springfield Terminal Railway Company, Finance

Docket No. 32103 (ICC served Sept. 3, 1993).

• September 23–24—ANA Hotel, San

Francisco, CA, 50 Third Street,

(415) 974–6400;

• October 28–29—Washington Plaza

Hotel, Washington DC, 10 Thomas

Circle, (202) 842–1300.

All workshops will begin at 9:00 a.m.

and end at 4:00 p.m.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Specifics on registration and hotel

accommodation information are

available on the OPS Homepage—

http://ops.dot.gov or may be obtained by

calling Janice Morgan, (202) 366–2392.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

Department of Transportation’s Office of

Pipeline Safety (OPS) is working with

other federal and state agencies and the

pipeline industry to create a national

pipeline mapping system. The NPMS

will be a digital mapping data base. This

system, when complete, will show the

location and selected attributes of the

major natural gas transmission and

hazardous liquid pipelines, and

liquefied natural gas facilities in the

United States. This would include

information on interstate and intrastate

natural gas transmission pipelines and

hazardous liquid transmission lines.

This would not include information on

gas service lines, gas distribution lines,

gathering lines, flow lines, or spur lines.

OPS will add additional data layers to

the system, including layers to describe

population densities, areas unusually

sensitive to environmental damage,

natural disaster probability and highconsequence areas, hydrography, and

transportation networks. OPS will use

the system to depict pipelines in

relation to the public and the

environment, and to work with other

government agencies and industry

during an incident.

The NPMS will provide federal and

state governments and the pipeline

industry with information on pipeline

locations and their proximity to safety

sensitive areas. For example, these

include places where people live and

work, community drinking water

supplies, and national parks and

historical areas.

The NPMS will consist of multiple

state repositories and a single national

repository. The repositories will follow

one mapping data standard to digitize,

convert, and process the data.

DOT strongly urges all natural gas

transmission and hazardous liquid

pipeline and liquefied natural gas

facility operators to attend one of these

meetings and to voluntarily provide

mapping data for inclusion in the

national pipeline mapping system. OPS

will begin requesting pipeline operators

to submit digital data early in 1999. OPS

will accept paper data following

collection of mapping data that has

already been digitized.

Two Joint Government-Industry

Pipeline Mapping Quality Action Teams

(MQAT) have worked to create the

national pipeline mapping system

digital pipeline location and attribute

layer. The teams are sponsored by OPS,

the American Petroleum Institute, the

Interstate Natural Gas Association of

America, and the American Gas

Association. Represented on the teams

are OPS, the U.S. Geological Survey, the

Department of Energy, the Federal

Energy Regulatory Commission, the

Department of Transportation’s Bureau

of Transportation Statistics, the states of

Texas, Louisiana, California, New York,

and Minnesota, and the natural gas and

hazardous liquid pipeline industry.

The first team, MQAT I, analyzed

various mapping alternatives and

determined a cost-effective strategy for

creating a reasonably accurate depiction

(plus or minus 500 feet, for a corridor

width of 1,000 feet) of transmission

pipelines and liquefied natural gas

facilities in the U.S. The findings of

MQAT I are described in a report titled:

‘‘Strategies for Creating a National

Pipeline Mapping System’.

MQAT II implemented the strategies

outlined by the first team. MQAT II

developed the national pipeline

mapping data standards that will be

used to create the digital pipeline layer

in the national pipeline mapping

system. These include standards for

electronic data submissions, paper map

submissions, and metadata (data on the

data). The team has also developed

standards that will be used by the

pipeline mapping repository receiving

the pipeline information. Both

standards were pilot tested by state

agencies, industry, and others to test the

exchange of data that met the standards.

A copy of the standards can be viewed

and downloaded from the OPS Internet

web site. The Internet web site is http:/

/ops.dot.gov. The standards can also be

obtained by calling (202) 366-4561.

OPS has established a multi-phase

approach to create the NPMS. This

approach will allow industry and

government to efficiently upgrade

information in a manner that works

with other business needs.

OPS strongly urges all natural gas

transmission and hazardous liquid

pipeline operators and liquefied natural

gas facility operators to provide

mapping data. With federal and state

agencies and operators all contributing,

we can save time and money. To be

successful, we need your help. Please

attend one of four public workshops to

learn how you can participate.

Issued in Washington, DC on June 25,

1998.

Richard B. Felder,

Associate Administrator for Pipeline Safety.

[FR Doc. 98–17477 Filed 6–30–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–60–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Surface Transportation Board

[STB Finance Docket No. 33612 (Sub-No.

1)]

The Burlington Northern and Santa Fe

Railway Company—Trackage Rights

Exemption—Union Pacific Railroad

Company

AGENCY: Surface Transportation Board,

DOT.

ACTION: Notice of Exemption.

SUMMARY: The Board, under 49 U.S.C.

10502, exempts the trackage rights

described in STB Finance Docket No.

33612 1 to permit the trackage rights to

expire on July 31, 1998, in accordance

with the agreement of the parties.2

DATES: This exemption is effective on

July 31, 1998. Petitions to reopen must

be filed by July 21, 1998.

ADDRESSES: An original and 10 copies of

all pleadings referring to STB Finance

Docket No. 33612 (Sub-No. 1) must be

filed with the Office of the Secretary,

Case Control Unit, Surface

Transportation Board, 1925 K Street,

NW, Washington, DC 20423–0001. In

addition, a copy of all pleadings must be

served on petitioners’ representatives (1)

Yolanda M. Grimes, Esq., The

Burlington Northern and Santa Fe

Railway Company, P. O. Box 961039,

Fort Worth, TX 76161–0039, and (2)

Joseph D. Anthofer, Esq., Union Pacific

Railroad Company, 1416 Dodge Street,

#830, Omaha, NE 68179.
36032 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 126 /Wednesday, July 1, 1998 / Notices

1The rail lines are located within a terminal area

and do not have designated mileposts. GITM

certifies that its projected revenues will not exceed

those that would qualify it as a Class III carrier.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Joseph H. Dettmar, (202) 927–1600.

[TDD for the hearing impaired: (202)

565–1695.]

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Additional information is contained in

the Board’s decision. To purchase a

copy of the full decision, write to, call,

or pick up in person from: DC NEWS &

DATA, INC., Suite 210, 1925 K Street,

NW, Washington, DC 20006. Telephone:

(202) 289–4357. [Assistance for the

hearing impaired is available through

TDD services (202) 565–1695.]

Board decisions and notices are

available on our website at

‘‘WWW.STB.DOT.GOV.’’

Decided: June 23, 1998.

By the Board, Chairman Morgan and Vice

Chairman Owen.

Vernon A. Williams,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 98–17394 Filed 6–30–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4915–00–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Surface Transportation Board

[STB Finance Docket No. 33615]

Genesee & Wyoming Inc.—

Continuance in Control Exemption—

Savannah Port Terminal Railroad, Inc.

and Golden Isles Terminal Railroad,

Inc.

Genesee and Wyoming Inc. (GWI), a

noncarrier holding company, has filed a

notice of exemption to continue in

control of Savannah Port Terminal

Railroad, Inc. (SAPT) and Golden Isles

Terminal Railroad, Inc. (GITM), upon

SAPT and GITM becoming Class III

railroads.

The transaction was scheduled to be

consummated on or shortly after June 8,

1998.

This transaction is related to STB

Finance Docket No. 33613, Savannah

Port Terminal Railroad, Inc—

Acquisition and Operation Exemption—

Georgia Ports Authority and Savannah

State Docks Railroad and STB Finance

Docket No. 33614, Golden Isles

Terminal Railroad, Inc.—Acquisition

and Operation Exemption—Georgia

Ports Authority and Colonel’s Island

Railroad, wherein SAPT and GITM seek

to acquire easements to operate over

certain rail lines from GPA.

GWI directly controls one existing

Class II rail carrier subsidiary: Buffalo &

Pittsburgh Railroad, Inc., operating in

New York and Pennsylvania. GWI

directly controls 12 existing Class III rail

carrier subsidiaries: Genesee &

Wyoming Railroad Company, Inc.,

operating in New York; Dansville and

Mount Morris Railroad Company,

operating in New York; Rochester &

Southern Railroad, Inc., operating in

New York; Louisiana & Delta Railroad,

Inc., operating in Louisiana; Bradford

Industrial Rail, Inc., operating in

Pennsylvania and New York; Allegheny

& Eastern Railroad, Inc., operating in

Pennsylvania; Willamette & Pacific

Railroad, Inc., operating in Oregon; GWI

Switching Services, operating in Texas;

Illinois & Midland Railroad, Inc.,

operating in Illinois; Pittsburgh &

Shawmut Railroad, Inc., operating in

Pennsylvania; Portland & Western

Railroad, Inc., operating in Oregon; and

Corpus Christi Terminal Railroad, Inc.,

operating in Texas.

GWI indirectly controls 3 Class III rail

carriers through its ownership of Rail

Link, Inc.: Carolina Coastal Railway,

Inc., operating in North Carolina;

Commonwealth Railway, Inc., operating

in Virginia; and Talleyrand Terminal

Railroad, Inc., operating in Florida.

GWI states that: (1) The rail lines to

be operated by SAPT and GITM 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 SAPT

and GITM’s lines with any railroads 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).

As a condition to this exemption the

continuance in control of SAPT and

GITM are subject to the labor protection

requirements of 49 U.S.C. 11326(b).

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. 33615, 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 Eric M.

Hocky, Esquire, Gollatz, Griffin &

Ewing, P.C., 213 West Miner Street, P.O.

Box 796, West Chester, PA 19381–0796.

Board decision and notices are

available on our website at

‘‘WWW.STB.DOT.GOV.’’

Decided: June 24, 1998.

By the Board, David M. Konschnik,

Director, Office of Proceedings.

Vernon A. Williams,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 98–17506 Filed 6–30–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4915–00–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Surface Transportation Board

[STB Finance Docket No. 33614]

Golden Isles Terminal Railroad, Inc.—

Acquisition and Operation

Exemption—Georgia Ports Authority

and Colonel’s Island Railroad

Golden Isles Terminal Railroad, Inc.

(GITM), a noncarrier has filed a verified

notice of exemption under 49 CFR

1150.31 to acquire the exclusive rail

freight easement over and operate

approximately 33 of miles rail line

(consisting of approximately 12.6 miles

of common use tracks and 20.4 miles of

yard tracks, industrial leads, and related

trackage over which the Board might not

have jurisdiction) owned by Georgia

Ports Authority (GPA).1 The rail line

involved in this acquisition is located in

the Colonel’s Island Bulk and Auto

Processing Terminal near Brunswick,

Glynn County Georgia. The line is

currently operated by Colonel’s Island

Railroad (CIRR). Following GITM’s

acquisition of the line CIRR will

permanently relinquish its rights to

operate as a common carrier railroad

over the line.

The transaction was expected to be

consummated on or shortly after June 8,

1998.

This transaction is related to STB

Finance Docket 33615, Genesee &

Wyoming Inc.—Continuance in Control

Exemption—Savannah Port Terminal

Railroad, Inc. and Golden Isled

Terminal Railroad, Inc., wherein

Genesee & Wyoming, Inc., has

concurrently filed a verified notice of

exemption to continue in control of

GITM upon its becoming a Class III rail

carrier.

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. 33614, must be filed with

the Surface Transportation Board, Office