Federal Register / Vol. 90, No. 20 / Friday, January 31, 2025 / Notices 8733 

1There are currently 20 voting members serving 

on the PRAC, plus one vacancy. 

2The current commuter rail representatives are 

from Illinois and California and the current 

representative from a state in which the intercity 

passenger rail stations are served only by longdistance trains is from Colorado. 

3Under the PRAC Charter, any member of the 

PRAC who has served for two consecutive terms 

will be required to be renominated for membership 

and appointed by the Chair of the Board should 

they wish to serve for additional terms. If 

reappointed, they may serve two additional terms 

before being required to be renominated. 

1 In 2006, the Board authorized Wyoming and 

Colorado Railroad Company, Inc. (WYCO), the 

Line’s then-owner, to abandon it. Wyo. & Colo. 

R.R.—Aban. Exemption—in Carbon Cnty., Wyo., AB 

307 (Sub–No. 6X) (STB served May 1, 2006). 

WYCO, however, did not file a notice of 

consummation by the May 2007 deadline, and, as 

a result, its abandonment authority automatically 

expired at that time. In 2017, Saratoga (which at 

that time was under common control with WYCO) 

acquired the Line from WYCO. See Durbano—Corp. 

Fam. Transaction, FD 36091 (STB served Feb. 2, 

2017). On April 1, 2024, Saratoga and its parent 

company, Western Group Holding Company, Inc., 

(which by that time were no longer affiliated with 

WYCO) filed a petition in WYCO’s 2006 

abandonment docket asking the Board to waive the 

requirement for WYCO to have filed a 

consummation notice or extension request by the 

May 2007 deadline, in order to permit Saratoga to 

consummate the 2006 abandonment authority itself. 

That request was denied, and Saratoga was advised 

that if it wished to abandon the Line, it must file 

for abandonment authority in a new docket. Wyo. 

& Colo. R.R.—Aban. Exemption—in Carbon Cnty., 

Wyo., AB 307 (Sub–No. 6X), slip op. at 3 (STB 

served Aug. 13, 2024). 

2Persons interested in submitting an OFA must 

first file a formal expression of intent to file an 

offer, indicating the type of financial assistance they 

wish to provide (i.e., subsidy or purchase) and 

demonstrating that they are preliminarily 

financially responsible. See 49 CFR 1152.27(c)(2)(i). 

include improving efficiency on 

passenger rail routes; reducing disputes 

between passenger rail carriers and 

freight rail hosts regarding the use of 

freight rail carrier-owned facilities and 

infrastructure for passenger service, 

including passenger on-time 

performance issues; and improving 

regulatory processes related to intercity 

passenger rail to the benefit of the 

public, the communities served by 

passenger rail, and the environment. 

The PRAC operates under the Federal 

Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. 

chapter 10). 

When all vacancies are filled, the 

PRAC consists of at least 18 voting 

members 1 who comprise a balanced 

representation of individuals 

knowledgeable regarding passenger rail 

transportation, freight rail 

transportation, commuter rail 

operations, and transportation public 

policy. Members are selected by the 

Chair of the Board with the concurrence 

of a majority of the Board. The Chair of 

the Board may invite representatives 

from the U.S. Department of 

Transportation to serve on the PRAC in 

advisory capacities as ex officio (nonvoting) members. The members of the 

Board also serve as ex officio members 

of the Committee. The PRAC meets at 

least twice a year, and meetings are 

open to the public, consistent with the 

Government in the Sunshine Act, Public 

Law 94–409 (1976). 

A vacancy currently exists on the 

PRAC for a representative from a state 

that provides funding for intercity 

passenger rail. The Board is therefore 

soliciting nominations from the public 

for candidates to fill this vacancy. 

Pursuant to the PRAC charter, this 

representative cannot be from the same 

state as any of the representatives of the 

commuter rail operators, or the 

representative from a state in which the 

intercity passenger rail stations are 

served only by long-distance trains.2 See 

PRAC Charter art. 12.a.ii.4. The new 

member will serve the remainder of the 

representative’s current 3-year term, 

which ends in March 2027. Members 

may serve an additional term with 

approval from the Chair of the Board, 

without needing to be renominated for 

that additional term.3 Members of the 

PRAC are appointed to serve in a 

representative capacity. 

According to revised guidance issued 

by the Office of Management and 

Budget, it is permissible for federally 

registered lobbyists to serve on advisory 

committees, such as the PRAC, as long 

as they do so in a representative 

capacity, rather than an individual 

capacity. See Revised Guidance on 

Appointment of Lobbyists to Fed. 

Advisory Comms., Bds., & Comm’ns, 79 

FR 47482 (Aug. 13, 2014). No honoraria, 

salaries, travel or per diem are available 

to members of the PRAC; however, 

reimbursement for travel expenses may 

be sought from the Board in cases of 

hardship. 

Nominations for candidates to fill the 

current vacancy should be submitted in 

letter form and should include: (1) the 

name, position, and business contact 

information (including email address 

and phone number) of the candidate; (2) 

a summary of the candidate’s 

experience and qualifications for the 

position; (3) a representation that the 

candidate is willing to serve as a 

member of the PRAC; and, (4) a 

statement that the candidate agrees to 

serve in a representative capacity. 

Candidates may nominate themselves. 

Nominations for candidates for the 

current vacancy on the PRAC should be 

filed with the Board by February 27, 

2025. Please note that submissions will 

be posted publicly on the Board’s 

website under Docket No. EP 774 (Sub– 

No. 1). 

Authority: 49 U.S.C. 1321; 49 U.S.C. 

24101. 

Decided: January 28, 2025. 

By the Board, Mai T. Dinh, Director, Office 

of Proceedings. 

Aretha Laws-Byrum, 

Clearance Clerk. 

[FR Doc. 2025–02049 Filed 1–30–25; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4915–01–P 

SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD 

[Docket No. AB 1343X] 

Saratoga Railroad, LLC— 

Abandonment Exemption—in Carbon 

County, Wyo. 

Saratoga Railroad, LLC (Saratoga), has 

filed a verified notice of exemption 

under 49 CFR part 1152, subpart F— 

Exempt Abandonments to abandon an 

approximately 23.71-mile rail line 

between milepost 0.57, near Walcott, 

Wyo., and milepost 24.28, at Saratoga, 

Wyo., in Carbon County, Wyo. (the 

Line).1 The Line traverses U.S. Postal 

Service Zip Codes 82331 and 82335. 

Saratoga has certified that: (1) no local 

traffic has moved over the Line for at 

least two 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 on behalf of 

such user) regarding cessation of service 

over the Line is pending with either the 

Surface Transportation Board (Board) or 

any U.S. District Court or has been 

decided in favor of a complainant 

within the past two years; and (4) the 

requirements at 49 CFR 1105.7(b) and 

1105.8(c) (notice of environmental and 

historic reports), 49 CFR 1105.12 

(newspaper publication), and 49 CFR 

1152.50(d)(1) (notice to government 

agencies) have been met. 

As a condition to this exemption, any 

employee adversely affected by the 

abandonment shall be protected under 

Oregon Short Line Railroad— 

Abandonment Portion Goshen Branch 

Between Firth & Ammon, in Bingham & 

Bonneville Counties, Idaho, 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,2

this exemption will be effective on 

March 2, 2025, unless stayed pending 

reconsideration. Petitions to stay that do 


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8734 Federal Register / Vol. 90, No. 20 / Friday, January 31, 2025 / Notices 

3The Board will grant a stay if an informed 

decision on environmental issues (whether raised 

by a party or by the Board’s Office of Environmental 

Analysis (OEA) in its independent investigation) 

cannot be made before the exemption’s effective 

date. See Exemption of Out-of-Serv. 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. 

4Filing fees for OFAs and trail use requests can 

be found at 49 CFR 1002.2(f)(25) and (27), 

respectively. 

not involve environmental issues,3

formal expressions of intent to file an 

OFA under 49 CFR 1152.27(c)(2), and 

interim trail use/railbanking requests 

under 49 CFR 1152.29 must be filed by 

February 10, 2025.4 Petitions to reopen 

and requests for public use conditions 

under 49 CFR 1152.28 must be filed 

February 20, 2025. 

All pleadings, referring to Docket No. 

AB 1343X, must be filed with the 

Surface Transportation Board either via 

e-filing on the Board’s website or in 

writing addressed to 395 E Street SW, 

Washington, DC 20423–0001. In 

addition, a copy of each pleading must 

be served on Saratoga’s representative, 

William A. Mullins, Mullins Law Group 

PLLC, 2001 L St. NW, Suite 720, 

Washington, DC 20036. 

If the verified notice contains false or 

misleading information, the exemption 

is void ab initio. 

Saratoga has filed a combined 

environmental and historic report that 

addresses the potential effects, if any, of 

the abandonment on the environment 

and historic resources. OEA will issue a 

Draft Environmental Assessment (Draft 

EA) by February 7, 2025. The Draft EA 

will be available to interested persons 

on the Board’s website, by writing to 

OEA, or by calling OEA at (202) 245– 

0294. If you require an accommodation 

under the Americans with Disabilities 

Act, please call (202) 245–0245. 

Comments on environmental or historic 

preservation matters must be filed 

within 15 days after the Draft EA 

becomes available to the public. 

Environmental, historic preservation, 

public use, or trail use/railbanking 

conditions will be imposed, where 

appropriate, in a subsequent decision. 

Pursuant to the provisions of 49 CFR 

1152.29(e)(2), Saratoga 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 Saratoga’s filing of a notice 

of consummation by January 31, 2026, 

and there are no legal or regulatory 

barriers to consummation, the authority 

to abandon will automatically expire. 

Board decisions and notices are 

available at www.stb.gov. 

Decided: January 28, 2025. 

By the Board, Mai T. Dinh, Director, Office 

of Proceedings. 

Jeffrey Herzig, 

Clearance Clerk. 

[FR Doc. 2025–02072 Filed 1–30–25; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4915–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Maritime Administration 

[Docket No. MARAD–2025–0002] 

Coastwise-Qualified Launch Barges 

Notification 

AGENCY: Maritime Administration 

(MARAD), Department of 

Transportation (DOT). 

ACTION: Notice and request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: To maximize the use of 

coastwise-qualified vessels, in January 

of each calendar year, MARAD requests 

owners and operators of coastwisequalified launch barges or other 

interested parties to notify the Agency 

of their interest in, and provide certain 

information relating to, the 

transportation, installation, or launching 

of platform jackets. MARAD publishes 

the notifications as a resource to 

companies contemplating these 

operations on the outer continental 

shelf. The notifications should include 

information set forth in the 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section 

below. 

DATES: Submit comments on or before 

March 3, 2025. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

identified by DOT Docket Number 

MARAD–2025–0002 by any of the 

following methods: 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to 

http://www.regulations.gov. Search 

‘‘MARAD–2025–0002’’ and follow the 

instructions for submitting comments 

on the electronic docket site. 

• Mail or Hand Delivery: Docket 

Management Facility, U.S. Department 

of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey 

Avenue SE, West Building, Room W12– 

140, Washington, DC 20590, between 9 

a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through 

Friday, except on Federal holidays. 

Note: All submissions must include the 

agency name and docket number for this 

notice. All comments received will be posted 

without change to http://

www.regulations.gov including any personal 

information provided. 

Docket: For access to the docket to 

read comments received, go to http://

www.regulations.gov and search using 

‘‘MARAD–2025–0002.’’ 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Patricia Hagerty, U.S. Department of 

Transportation, Maritime 

Administration, 1200 New Jersey 

Avenue SE, Room W23–461, 

Washington, DC 20590. Telephone: 

(202) 366–0903. Email: Cargo.MARAD@

dot.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant 

to 46 U.S.C. 55108, the Secretary of 

Transportation has the authority to 

adopt procedures that timely provide 

information that would maximize the 

use of coastwise-qualified vessels for the 

transportation of platform jackets 

between U.S. coastwise points and the 

U.S. Outer Continental Shelf. This 

authority has been delegated to 

MARAD. The regulation promulgated 

under the authority of 46 U.S.C. 55108, 

46 CFR 389.3(a), requires that MARAD 

publish a notice in the Federal Register 

requesting notification from owners, 

operators, or potential operators of 

coastwise-qualified launch barges, or 

other interested parties, of: (1) their 

interest in participating in the 

transportation and, if needed, the 

launching or installation of offshore 

platform jackets; (2) the contact 

information for their company; and, (3) 

the specifications of any currently 

owned or operated coastwise-qualified 

launch barges or plans to construct such 

a vessel. The notification should 

indicate that the vessel’s certificate of 

documentation has a coastwise 

endorsement. The information provided 

in the notifications will be published at 

http://MARAD.regulations.gov. 

Privacy Act 

In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 553(c), 

MARAD solicits comments from owners 

and operators of coastwise-qualified 

launch barges to compile a list of vessels 

that could potentially be available to 

transport, and if necessary, launch or 

install platform jackets. All timely 

comments will be considered; however, 

to facilitate comment tracking, 

commenters should provide their name 

or the name of their organization. If 

comments contain proprietary or 

confidential information, commenters 

may contact the Agency for alternate 

submission instructions. The electronic 

form of all comments received into 

MARAD dockets may be searched by the 

name of the individual submitting the 

comment (or signing the comment, if 

submitted on behalf of an association, 

business, labor union, etc.). For 

information on DOT’s compliance with 

the Privacy Act, please visit https://

www.transportation.gov/privacy. 

(Authority: 46 U.S.C. 55108, 49 CFR 1.93(a), 

46 CFR 389.) 


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