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[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 68 (Monday, April 10, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18142-18143]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-8711]

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INTERSTATE COMMERCE COMMISSION

[Docket No. AB-290 (Sub-No. 152X)]

Norfolk Southern Railway Company--Abandonment Exemption--in 
Caswell County, NC

    Norfolk Southern Railway Company (NS) has filed a notice of 
exemption under 49 CFR 1152 Subpart F--Exempt Abandonments to abandon a 
3.1-mile rail line extending between milepost FD-196.9 and milepost FD-
200.00 at Blanch, in Caswell County, NC.
    NS has certified that: (1) No local traffic has moved over the line 
for at least 2 years; (2) no overhead traffic has moved over the line; 
(3) no formal complaint filed by a user of rail service on this line 
(or a state or local government entity acting on behalf of such user) 
regarding cessation of service over the line is pending either 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 report), 49 CFR 1105.8 (historic 
report), 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 May 10, 1995, unless stayed pending reconsideration. 
Petitions to stay that do not involve environmental issues,1 
[[Page 18143]] formal expressions of intent to file an OFA under 49 CFR 
1152.27(c)(2),2 and trail use/rail banking statements under 49 CFR 
1152.29 must be filed by April 20, 1995.3 Petitions to reopen or 
requests for public use conditions under 49 CFR 1152.28 must be filed 
by May 1, 1995, with: Office of the Secretary, Case Control Branch, 
Interstate Commerce Commission, Washington, DC 20423-191.

    \1\The Commission will grant a stay if an informed decision on 
environmental issues (whether raised by a party or by the Commission 
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 stay should be filed 
as soon as possible so that the Commission may take appropriate 
action before the exemption's effective date.
    \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 so 
long as the abandonment has not been consummated and the abandoning 
railroad is willing to negotiate an agreement.
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    A copy of any petition filed with the Commission should be sent to 
applicant's representative: James R. Paschall, Norfolk Southern 
Corporation, Three Commercial Place, Norfolk, VA 23510.
    If the notice of exemption contains false or misleading 
information, the exemption is void ab initio.
    NS has filed an environmental report which addresses the 
abandonment's effects, if any, on the environment and historic 
resources. The Section of Environmental Analysis (SEA) will issue an 
environmental assessment (EA) by April 14, 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) 927-248. 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 other trail 
use/rail banking conditions will be imposed, where appropriate, in a 
subsequent decision.

    Decided: April 4, 1995.

    By the Commission, David M. Konschnik, Director, Office of 
Proceedings.
Vernon A. Williams,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 95-8711 Filed 4-7-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7035-01-P
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