[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 202 (Thursday, October 20, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61169-61170]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-20911]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Surface Transportation Board

[STB Docket No. AB-167 (Sub-No. 1186X)]


Consolidated Rail Corporation--Abandonment Exemption--in 
Cumberland County, NJ

    Consolidated Rail Corporation (Conrail) has filed a notice of 
exemption under 49 CFR part 1152 subpart F--Exempt Abandonments to 
abandon a 1-mile portion of a line of railroad known as the Clayville 
Industrial Track, extending from milepost 0.0<plus-minus> to milepost 
1.0<plus-minus> in Vineland, Cumberland County, NJ. The line traverses 
United States Postal Service Zip Code 08360.
    Conrail has certified that: (1) No local traffic has moved over the 
line for at least 2 years; (2) there is no overhead traffic to be 
rerouted; (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 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 November 19, 2005, unless stayed pending reconsideration. 
Petitions to stay that do not involve environmental issues,\1\ formal 
expressions of intent to file an OFA under 49 CFR 1152.27(c)(2),\2\ and 
trail use/rail banking requests under 49 CFR 1152.29 must be filed by 
October 31, 2005. Petitions to reopen or requests for public use 
conditions under 49 CFR 1152.28 must be filed by November 9, 2005, with 
the Surface Transportation Board, 1925 K Street, NW., Washington, DC 
20423-0001.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \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 (SEA) 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 OFA must be accompanied by the filing fee, which 
currently is set at $1,200. See 49 CFR 1002.2(f)(25).

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

[[Page 61170]]

    A copy of any petition filed with the Board should be sent to 
Conrail's representative: John K. Enright, Associate General Counsel, 
Consolidated Rail Corporation, 1000 Howard Boulevard, 4th Floor, Mt. 
Laurel, NJ 08054.
    If the verified notice contains false or misleading information, 
the exemption is void ab initio.
    Conrail has filed an environmental report which addresses the 
abandonment's effects, if any, on the environment and historic 
resources. SEA will issue an environmental assessment (EA) by October 
25, 2005. Interested persons may obtain a copy of the EA by writing to 
SEA (Room 500, Surface Transportation Board, Washington, DC 20423-0001) 
or by calling SEA, at (202) 565-1539. [Assistance for the hearing 
impaired is available through the Federal Information Relay Service 
(FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339.] 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), Conrail 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 Conrail's filing of a notice of 
consummation by October 20, 2006, 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 Web site at http://www.stb.dot.gov.

    Decided: October 13, 2005.

    By the Board, David M. Konschnik, Director, Office of 
Proceedings.
Vernon A. Williams,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 05-20911 Filed 10-19-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915-01-P