[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 195 (Tuesday, October 7, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58710-58711]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-23416]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Surface Transportation Board

[STB Docket No. AB-491 (Sub-No. 2X)]


R.J. Corman Railroad Company/Pennsylvania Lines, Inc.--
Abandonment Exemption--in Clearfield, Jefferson, and Indiana Counties, 
PA

    R.J. Corman Railroad Company/Pennsylvania Lines, Inc. (RJCP), has 
filed a notice of exemption under 49 CFR 1152 Subpart F--Exempt 
Abandonments to abandon a 7-mile segment of a line of railroad known as 
the Hillman Branch, extending from milepost 0 near McGees to the end of 
the line at milepost 7 near Hillman, in Clearfield, Jefferson, and 
Indiana Counties, PA. The line traverses United States Postal Service 
Zip Codes 15757, 15742, and 15767.
    RJCP has certified that: (1) No local traffic has moved over the 
line for at least 2 years; (2) there is no overhead traffic that has 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 (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 
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 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 6, 2008, 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 17, 2008. Petitions to reopen or requests for public use 
conditions under 49 CFR 1152.28 must be filed by October 27, 2008, 
with: Surface Transportation Board, 395 E Street, SW., Washington, DC 
20423-0001.
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    \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\ Effective July 18, 2008, the filing fee for an OFA increased 
to $1,500. See Regulations Governing Fees for Services Performed in 
Connection with Licensing and Related Services--2008 Update, STB Ex 
Parte No. 542 (Sub-No. 15) (STB served June 18, 2008).
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    A copy of any petition filed with the Board should be sent to 
RJCP's representative: Michael J. Barron, Jr., Fletcher & Sippel LLC, 
29 North Wacker Drive, Suite 920, Chicago, IL 60606-2832.
    If the verified notice contains false or misleading information, 
the exemption is void ab initio.
    RJCP has filed a combined environmental and historic report, which 
addresses the effects, if any, of the abandonment on the environment 
and historic resources. SEA will issue an environmental assessment (EA) 
by October 10, 2008. Interested persons may obtain a copy of the EA by 
writing to SEA (Room 1100, Surface Transportation Board, Washington, DC 
20423-0001) or by calling SEA, at (202) 245-0305. [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), RJCP 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 RJCP's filing of a notice of 
consummation by October 7, 2009, 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: September 30, 2008.


[[Page 58711]]


    By the Board, David M. Konschnik, Director, Office of 
Proceedings.
Anne K. Quinlan,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. E8-23416 Filed 10-6-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915-01-P