[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 236 (Friday, December 8, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Page 63056]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-30007]



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INTERSTATE COMMERCE COMMISSION

[Docket No. AB-32 (Sub-No. 70X)]


Boston and Maine Corporation--Abandonment Exemption--in Middlesex 
County, MA

    Boston and Maine Corporation (B&M) has filed a notice of exemption 
under 49 CFR part 1152, Subpart F--Exempt Abandonments to abandon a 
portion of railroad known as the Tewksbury Branch line, between 
milepost 0.75 and milepost 1.92, a distance of approximately 1.17 
miles, in Tewksbury, Middlesex County, MA. The proposed consummation 
date of the abandonment is January 8, 1996.
    B&M has certified that: (1) no local traffic has moved over the 
line for at least 2 years; (2) overhead traffic has been 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 entity acting on behalf of 
such user) regarding cessation of service over the line either is 
pending with the Commission or with any U.S. District Court or has been 
decided in favor of the 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 use of 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. 10505(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 January 6, 1996, unless stayed pending reconsideration. 
Petitions to stay that do not involve environmental issues,<SUP>1 
formal expressions of intent to file an OFA under 49 CFR 
1152.27(c)(2),<SUP>2 and trail use/rail banking requests under 49 CFR 
1152.29 <SUP>3 must be filed by December 18, 1995. Petitions to reopen 
or requests for public use conditions under 49 CFR 1152.28 must be 
filed by December 27, 1995, with: Office of the Secretary, Case Control 
Branch, Interstate Commerce Commission, Washington, DC 20423.

    \1\ A stay will be issued routinely by the Commission in those 
proceedings where an informed decision on environmental issues 
(whether raised by a party or by the Commission's Section of 
Environmental Analysis in its independent investigation) cannot be 
made prior to the effective date of the notice of exemption. See 
Exemption of Out-of-Service Rail Lines, 5 I.C.C.2d 377 (1989). Any 
entity seeking a stay on environmental concerns is encouraged to 
file its request as soon as possible in order to permit the 
Commission to review and act on the request before the effective 
date of this exemption.
    \2\ See Exempt. of Rail Abandonment--Offers of Finan. Assist., 4 
I.C.C.2d 164 (1987).
    \3\ The Commission will accept a late-filed trail use request as 
long as it retains jurisdiction to do so.
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    A copy of any pleading filed with the Commission should be sent to 
applicant's representative: John R. Nadolny, Iron Horse Park, North 
Billerica, MA 01862.
    If the notice of exemption contains false or misleading 
information, the exemption is void ab initio. 
    B&M has filed an environmental report which addresses the 
abandonment's effects, if any, on the environmental and historic 
resources. The Section of Environmental Analysis (SEA) will issue an 
environmental assessment (EA) by December 12, 1995. Interested persons 
may obtain a copy of the EA by writing to SEA (Room 3219, Interstate 
Commerce Commission, Washington, DC 20423) or by calling Elaine Kaiser, 
Chief of SEA, at (202) 927-6248. Comments on environmental and historic 
preservation matters must be filed within 15 days after the EA is 
available to the public.
    Environmental, historic preservation, public use, or trail use/rail 
banking conditions will be imposed, where appropriate, in a subsequent 
decision.

    Decided: November 29, 1995.

    By the Commission, David M. Konschnik, Director, Office of 
Proceedings.
Vernon A. Williams,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 95-30007 Filed 12-7-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7035-01-P