1718 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 6 / Tuesday, January 9, 2001 / Notices

business confidential information

exempt from public inspection in

accordance with 15 CFR 2003.6.

Confidential information submitted in

accordance with 15 CFR 2003.6, must be

clearly marked ‘‘BUSINESS

CONFIDENTIAL’’ in a contrasting color

ink at the top of each page on each of

15 copies, and must be accompanied by

15 copies of a nonconfidential summary

of the confidential information. The

nonconfidential summary will be placed

in the USTR Public Reading Room.

An appointment to review the

comments may be made by calling

Brenda Webb at (202) 395–6186. The

USTR Reading Room is open to the

public from 9:30 a.m. to 12 noon, and

from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through

Friday, and is located in Room 101.

Carmen Suro-Bredie,

Chairman, Trade Policy Staff Committee.

[FR Doc. 01–555 Filed 1–8–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3901–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

[FRA Docket No. 87–2, Notice No. 10]

RIN 2130–AB20

Automatic Train Control (ATC) and

Advanced Civil Speed Enforcement

System (ACSES); Northeast Corridor

(NEC) Railroads

AGENCY: Federal Railroad

Administration (FRA), Department of

Transportation (DOT).

ACTION: Amendments to Order of

Particular Applicability Requiring

ACSES Between New Haven,

Connecticut and Boston,

Massachusetts—Massachusetts Bay

Transit Authority (MBTA) Temporary

Operating Protocols.

SUMMARY: FRA amends its Order of

Particular Applicability requiring all

trains operating on the Northeast

Corridor (NEC) between New Haven,

Connecticut and Boston, Massachusetts

(NEC—North End) to be equipped to

respond to the new Advanced Civil

Speed Enforcement System (ACSES)

system. The amendments specify

temporary operating protocols that will

minimize the impact of ACSES on

MBTA service during the initial

implementation of ACSES on the NEC—

North End.

DATES: The amendments to the Order

are effective January 9, 2001.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: W.

E. Goodman, Staff Director, Signal and

Train Control Division, Office of Safety,

Mail Stop 25, FRA, 1120 Vermont

Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20590

((202) 493–6325); Paul Weber, Railroad

Safety Specialist, Signal and Train

Control Division, Office of Safety, Mail

Stop 25, FRA, 1120 Vermont Avenue,

NW., Washington, DC 20590 ((202) 493–

6258); or Patricia V. Sun, Office of Chief

Counsel, Mail Stop 10, 1120 Vermont

Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20590

((202) 493–6038).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Order

of Particular Applicability, as published

on July 22, 1998, set performance

standards for cab signal/automatic train

control and ACSES systems, increased

certain maximum authorized train

speeds, and contained safety

requirements supporting improved rail

service on the NEC. 63 FR 39343.

Among other requirements, the Order

required all trains operating on track

controlled by the National Railroad

Passenger Corporation (Amtrak)

between New Haven, Connecticut and

Boston, Massachusetts (NEC—North

End) to be controlled by locomotives

equipped to respond to ACSES by

October 1, 1999. In a later notice, FRA

amended the Order to set a new

implementation schedule and make

technical changes. 65 FR 62795, October

19, 2000.

Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority

(MBTA) Temporary Operating

Protocols

FRA is making the amendments to

this Order effective upon publication

instead of 30 days after the publication

date in order to realize the significant

safety and transportation benefits

afforded by the ACSES system at the

earliest possible time. All affected

parties have been notified. The

temporary protocols specified below

will provide a safe, operationally sound

transition to full ACSES implementation

on MBTA territory while minimizing

the impact on MBTA service. FRA is not

reopening the comment period since

these technical changes will be effective

only until July 1, 2001.

FRA expects MBTA to make every

effort to run ACSES-equipped trains

during the approximately six-month

period that these protocols are in effect;

this additional time should prove

sufficient for MBTA to complete

implementation of ACSES. However, if

MBTA cannot dispatch a train equipped

with ACSES, it may revert to the train

control methods and maximum

operating speeds in effect prior to the

effective date of this Order.

Accordingly, for the reasons stated in

the preamble, the Final Order of

Particular Applicability at 65 FR 62797–

62799 (October 19, 2000) (Order) is

amended as follows:

1. The authority for the Order

continues to read as follows: 49 U.S.C.

20103, 20107, 20501–20505 (1994); and

49 CFR 1.49(f), (g), and (m).

2. The unnumbered paragraph of the

Order at 65 FR 62798 that reads

‘‘Effective October 21, 2000, the

following performance standards and

special requirements shall apply, except

for paragraph 9(b), which shall apply

February 1, 2001.’’ is deleted, and the

following paragraph is inserted in its

place: ‘‘Effective October 21, 2000, the

following performance standards and

special requirements shall apply, except

for paragraph 9(b), which shall apply

February 1, 2001, and paragraph 11,

which shall apply January 9, 2001.’’.

3. Paragraph 11 is added at the end of

paragraph 10 of the Order at 65 FR

62799, to read as follows:

11. Massachusetts Bay Transit

Authority (MBTA) Temporary

Operating Protocols

(a) Effective upon January 9, 2001

until July 1, 2001, Amtrak must adhere

to the following procedures if it

becomes necessary to dispatch an

MBTA train from its initial terminal

with inoperative onboard ACSES

equipment:

(1) The train dispatcher must verbally

authorize the movement;

(2) The train dispatcher must issue a

temporary speed restriction to limit the

speed of high speed trains (Amtrak

trains hauled by electric locomotives or

electric power cars) to 110 miles per

hour (mph) in the ACSES territory

where the MBTA train with inoperative

ACSES equipment will operate; and

(3) Once the MBTA train with

inoperative ACSES equipment is

verified to have cleared the ACSES

territory, the train dispatcher may

cancel the 110-mph speed restriction.

(b) The procedures set forth in

subparagraph (a) of this paragraph must

also be followed if it becomes necessary

to dispatch an MBTA train from its

initial terminal with a locomotive or

control car that is not equipped with

onboard ACSES equipment, if no

ACSES-equipped MBTA locomotive or

control car is available.

(c) Amtrak must promptly notify the

regional headquarters office for Region 1

of FRA’s Office of Safety of any

invocations of this protocol. Included in

the notification must be the date, time,

and location of the incident, and the

reason for invoking the protocol.

Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 6 / Tuesday, January 9, 2001 / Notices 1719

1The 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 in its independent

investigation) cannot be made before the

exemption’s effective date. See Exemption of Outof-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.

1Each offer of financial assistance must be

accompanied by the filing fee, which currently is

set at $1000. See 49 CFR 1002.2(f)(25).

Issued in Washington, D.C. on January 3,

2001.

John V. Wells,

Acting Federal Railroad Administrator.

[FR Doc. 01–504 Filed 1–8–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–06–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Surface Transportation Board

[STB Docket No. AB–88 (Sub-No. 11X)]

Bessemer and Lake Erie Railroad

Company—Abandonment Exemption—

in Butler County, PA

Bessemer and Lake Erie Railroad

Company (B&LE) has filed a notice of

exemption under 49 CFR 1152 Subpart

F—Exempt Abandonments and

Discontinuances to abandon and

discontinue service over its line of

railroad known as the Hilliard’s Branch,

extending from Station 195+00 East to

End of Track, at Station 380+88.4, in

Butler County, PA, a distance of 3.52

miles. The line traverses United States

Postal Service Zip Code 16020.

B&LE has certified that: (1) No local

traffic has moved over the line for at

least 2 years; (2) no overhead traffic has

been handled over the line for at least

2 years; (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 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 February 8, 2001, 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 January 19,

2001. Petitions to reopen or requests for

public use conditions under 49 CFR

1152.28 must be filed by January 29,

2001, with: Surface Transportation

Board, Office of the Secretary, Case

Control Unit, 1925 K Street, NW.,

Washington, DC 20423.

A copy of any petition filed with the

Board should be sent to applicant’s

representative: Thomas R. Ogoreuc,

Esq., Bessemer and Lake Erie Railroad

Company, 135 Jamison Lane,

Monroeville, PA 15146.

If the verified notice contains false or

misleading information, the exemption

is void ab initio.

B&LE 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 January 12, 2001.

Interested persons may obtain a copy of

the EA by writing to SEA (Room 500,

Surface Transportation Board,

Washington, DC 20423) or by calling

SEA, at (202) 565–1545. 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), B&LE 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

B&LE’s filing of a notice of

consummation by January 9, 2002, and

there are no legal or regulatory barriers

to consummation, the authority to

abandon will automatically expire.

Decided: December 29, 2000.

By the Board, David M. Konschnik,

Director, Office of Proceedings.

Vernon A. Williams,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 01–332 Filed 1–8–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4915–01–U

DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

Internal Revenue Service

Proposed Collection; Comment

Request For Tip Rate Determination

Agreement (for use by Employers in

the Food and Beverage Industry)

AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS),

Treasury.

ACTION: Notice and request for

comments.

SUMMARY: The Department of the

Treasury, as part of its continuing effort

to reduce paperwork and respondent

burden, invites the general public and

other Federal agencies to take this

opportunity to comment on proposed

and/or continuing information

collections, as required by the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995,

Public Law 104–13 (44 U.S.C.

3506(c)(2)(A)). Currently, the IRS is

soliciting comments concerning the Tip

Rate Determination Agreement (for use

by employers in the food and beverage

industry).

DATES: Written comments should be

received on or before March 12, 2001 to

be assured of consideration.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments

to Garrick R. Shear, Internal Revenue

Service, room 5244, 1111 Constitution

Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20224.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Requests for additional information or

copies of the information collection

should be directed to Carol Savage,

(202) 622–3945, Internal Revenue

Service, room 5242, 1111 Constitution

Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20224.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title: Tip

Rate Determination Agreement (for use

by employers in the food and beverage

industry).

OMB Number: 1545–1715.

Abstract: Information is required by

the Internal Revenue Service in its

compliance efforts to assist employers

and their employees in understanding

and complying with Internal Revenue

Code section 6053(a), which requires

employees to report all their tips

monthly to their employers.

Current Actions: There is no change to

this existing information collection.

Type of Review: Extension of a

currently approved collection.