5268 Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 20 / Tuesday, February 1, 2005 / Notices 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Surface Transportation Board 

Release of Waybill Data 

The Surface Transportation Board has 

received a request from The Bookings 

Institution (WB971—1/5/05), for 

permission to use certain data from the 

Board’s Carload Waybill Samples. A 

copy of this request may be obtained 

from the Office of Economics, 

Environmental Analysis, and 

Administration. 

The waybill sample contains 

confidential railroad and shipper data; 

therefore, if any parties object to this 

request, they should file their objections 

with the Director of the Board’s Office 

of Economics, Environmental Analysis, 

and Administration within 14 calendar 

days of the date of this notice. The rules 

for release of waybill data are codified 

at 49 CFR 1244.9.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mac 

Frampton, (202) 565–1541.

Vernon A. Williams, 

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 05–1819 Filed 1–31–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4915–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Surface Transportation Board 

[STB Docket No. AB–792X] 

Railroad Switching Service of 

Missouri, Inc.—Abandonment 

Exemption—in St. Louis County, MO 

On January 12, 2005, Railroad 

Switching Service of Missouri, Inc. 

(RSSM), a Class III rail carrier, filed with 

the Surface Transportation Board a 

petition under 49 U.S.C. 10502 for 

exemption from the provisions of 49 

U.S.C. 10903 to abandon its entire line 

of railroad extending from a point of 

connection with Norfolk Southern 

Railway Company (NS) at or near Broad 

Street (milepost 0) to terminus at the 

publishing facility of the St. Louis PostDispatch (milepost 1.89), a distance of 

1.89 miles, in St. Louis, St. Louis 

County, MO. The line traverses United 

States Postal Service Zip Code 63101 

and includes the station of St. Louis. 

The line does not contain federally 

granted rights-of-way. Any 

documentation in RSSM’s possession 

will be made available promptly to 

those requesting it. 

In this proceeding, RSSM is proposing 

to abandon a line that constitutes its 

entire rail system. When issuing 

abandonment authority for a railroad 

line that constitutes the carrier’s entire 

system, the Board does not impose labor 

protection, except in specifically 

enumerated circumstances. See 

Northampton and Bath R. Co.—

Abandonment, 354 I.C.C. 784, 785–86 

(1978) (Northampton). Therefore, if the 

Board grants the petition for exemption, 

in the absence of a showing that one or 

more of the exceptions articulated in 

Northampton are present, no labor 

protective conditions will be imposed. 

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 May 2, 2005. 

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 OFA must 

be accompanied by a $1,200 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 February 22, 2005. 

Each trail use request must be 

accompanied by a $200 filing fee. See 49 

CFR 1002.2(f)(27). 

All filings in response to this notice 

must refer to STB Docket No. AB–792X 

and must be sent to: (1) Surface 

Transportation Board, 1925 K Street, 

NW., Washington, DC 20423–0001; and 

(2) Thomas F. McFarland, Thomas F. 

McFarland, P.C., 208 South LaSalle 

Street, Suite 1890, Chicago, IL 60604–

1112. 

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) 565–1539. [Assistance for 

the hearing impaired is available 

through the Federal Information Relay 

Service (FIRS) at 1–800–877–8339.] 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 Web site at ‘‘http://

www.stb.dot.gov.’’

Decided: January 26, 2005.

By the Board, David M. Konschnik, 

Director, Office of Proceedings. 

Vernon A. Williams, 

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 05–1817 Filed 1–31–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4915–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

Public Meeting of the President’s 

Advisory Panel on Federal Tax Reform

AGENCY: Department of the Treasury.

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

SUMMARY: This notice advises all 

interested persons of the initial public 

meeting of the President’s Advisory 

Panel on Federal Tax Reform. 

Background: Executive Order 13369 

(January 7, 2005) established the 

President’s Advisory Panel on Federal 

Tax Reform. The Order provides that the 

purpose of the Advisory Panel shall be 

to submit to the Secretary of the 

Treasury a report with revenue neutral 

policy options for reforming the Federal 

Internal Revenue Code. The options 

should (a) simplify Federal tax laws to 

reduce the costs and administrative 

burdens of compliance with such laws; 

(b) share the burdens and benefits of the 

Federal tax structure in an appropriately 

progressive manner while recognizing 

the importance of homeownership and 

charity in American society; and (c) 

promote long-run economic growth and 

job creation, and better encourage work 

effort, saving, and investment, so as to 

strengthen the competitiveness of the 

United States in the global marketplace. 

At least one option submitted by the 

Advisory Panel should use the Federal 

income tax as the base for its 

recommended reforms. 

Purpose: This is the first meeting of 

the Advisory Panel. The meeting will 

include background information 

presentations concerning the Federal tax 

system. 

Comments: Interested parties are 

invited to attend the meeting; however, 

no public comments will be heard at 

this meeting. The public will be 

provided additional opportunities to 

submit comments regarding issues of tax 

reform at later dates. Any written 

comments with respect to this meeting 

must be submitted by mail to The 

President’s Advisory Panel on Federal 

Tax Reform, 1440 New York Avenue,