[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 203 (Thursday, October 22, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54620-54621]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-25432]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Surface Transportation Board

[STB Docket No. AB-6 (Sub-No. 469X)]


BNSF Railway Company--Abandonment Exemption--in Pierce County, WA

    BNSF Railway Company (BNSF) filed a notice of exemption under 49 
CFR part 1152 subpart F--Exempt Abandonments to abandon a 1.56-mile 
line of railroad between milepost 0.59, and milepost 2.15, in Tacoma, 
Pierce County, WA. The line traverses United States Postal Service Zip 
Code 98402.
    BNSF has certified that: (1) No local traffic has been handled to 
or from any customer over the rail line for at least 2 years; (2) all 
overhead traffic has been rerouted; (3) no formal complaint filed by a 
user of rail service on the line (or by a state or local government 
entity

[[Page 54621]]

acting on behalf of such user) regarding cessation of service over the 
line either is pending with the 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 21, 2009, 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 
November 2, 2009. Petitions to reopen or requests for public use 
conditions under 49 CFR 1152.28 must be filed by November 12, 2009, 
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\ Each OFA must be accompanied by the filing fee, which 
currently is set at $1,500. See 49 CFR 1002.2(f)(25).
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    A copy of any petition filed with the Board should be sent to 
BNSF's representative: Kristy Clark, General Attorney, BNSF Railway 
Company, 2500 Lou Menk Drive, AOB-3, Fort Worth, TX 76131.
    If the verified notice contains false or misleading information, 
the exemption is void ab initio.
    BNSF has filed environmental and historic reports which address the 
effects, if any, of the abandonment on the environment and historic 
resources. SEA will issue an environmental assessment (EA) by October 
27, 2009. 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), BNSF 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 BNSF's filing of a notice of 
consummation by October 22, 2010, 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 19, 2009.

    By the Board, Rachel D. Campbell, Director, Office of 
Proceedings.
Kulunie L. Cannon,
Clearance Clerk.
[FR Doc. E9-25432 Filed 10-21-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915-01-P