North Central Railway Association, Inc.-Abandonment Exemption-in Hardin County, IA, 19235-19236 [E6-5487]

Download as PDF HSRObinson on PROD1PC61 with NOTICES Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 71 / Thursday, April 13, 2006 / Notices motor carriers, seeks authority to amend Released Rates Decision No. MC–999 by changing the index used for annual adjustments to the minimum per-pound valuation and to the charges for protecting the full value of shipments of household goods. DATES: Comments are due May 15, 2006. ADDRESSES: Send an original and 10 copies of any comments, referring to Amendment No. 4 to Released Rates Decision No. MC–999, to: Surface Transportation Board, 1925 K Street, NW., Washington, DC 20423–0001. In addition, send one copy of any comments to the Committee’s representative, Thomas M. Auchincloss, Jr., 1707 L Street, NW., Washington, DC 20036. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lawrence C. Herzig, (202) 565–1578. [Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) for the hearing impaired: 1–800– 877–8339]. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under 49 U.S.C. 14706(a)(1), motor carriers of household goods ordinarily are liable for the actual loss or injury that they cause to the property they transport. However, under 49 U.S.C. 14706(f), a household goods carrier may establish, with the Board’s permission, ‘‘released rates,’’ under which the carrier’s liability is limited to a value established by written declaration of the shipper or by written agreement between the carrier and shipper. In a decision in this proceeding served on December 21, 2001 (December 2001 Decision), the Board authorized the Household Goods Carriers’ Bureau Committee (the Committee), which is composed of motor carriers of household goods, to change the terms under which its member motor carriers may limit their liability for damage to, or loss of, household goods in their care.1 The December 2001 Decision authorized carriers to provide household goods shippers with two options concerning the level of cargo liability to be assumed by the carrier, depending upon the level of the rate that the shipper wishes to pay for the transportation of its goods. Under one option, the carrier’s cargo liability would be limited to 60 cents per pound, per article, and the shipper would pay only a base rate for the shipment. Alternatively, for an additional charge, the shipper could obtain ‘‘full value protection’’ (FVP) for the shipped goods, meaning that the carrier would be liable 1 In a subsequent decision served April 22, 2002, the Board clarified that the approach authorized in the December 2001 Decision may be used by carriers that are not members of the Committee, as well as those that are. VerDate Aug<31>2005 14:20 Apr 12, 2006 Jkt 208001 for the replacement value of lost or damaged goods (up to the pre-declared value of the shipment) or, at the carrier’s option, for restoring damaged goods to their prior condition. The second, or FVP, option established charges that would apply to various levels of valuations. It also provided for a minimum declared value of $4.00 per pound (or a lump sum of $5,000, whichever is greater). That means that, if a shipper does not write in a valuation, or writes in a declared valuation lower than $4.00 per pound, the minimum declared value that would be deemed to apply to that shipment is the value derived by multiplying the weight of the shipment in pounds by $4.00, and the shipper would pay a charge based on that valuation. The December 2001 Decision also authorized the Committee to make annual adjustments, without prior Board approval, to this minimum perpound valuation and also to the charges that would apply when a shipper selects FVP. The annual adjustments that the agency approved were based on changes in the household furnishings and operations index, a subgroup within the Consumer Price Index (CPI), U.S. City Average, published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) of the United States Department of Labor. The Committee has now asked us to modify the December 2001 Decision, so that, instead of using the household furnishings and operations index to benchmark the annual adjustments to the minimum per-pound valuation and FVP charges, its members would now use data from BLS’s Consumer Price Index—All Urban Consumers (All Items) (CPI-U). The Committee states that the household furnishings and operations index (which has recorded insignificant movement since the base year 1999 and has not resulted in any valuation or charges adjustments since the Board authorized its use in the December 2001 Decision) is inappropriate for calculating annual adjustments because several components of the former household furnishings index subgroup were moved to other major groups. In addition, the Committee cites a BLS publication indicating that CPI subgroup indexes are subject to a substantially greater sampling error than the national CPI, and for that reason, it strongly urges users to consider the CPI-U for use in escalator clauses.2 The Committee indicates that approval of the proposed amendment 2 BLS Handbook of Methods, Chapter 17 at 4, available at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ proghome.htm. PO 00000 Frm 00076 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 19235 would permit household goods carriers immediately to take an increase of 16.7% in the minimum per-pound valuation and in their charges for FVP coverage for shipments of household goods. We invite comments on the proposed amendment from interested members of the public. We will also serve this decision on the parties that provided comments concerning the December 2001 Decision and invite their comments on the proposed amendment. Board decisions and notices are available on our Web site at https:// www.stb.dot.gov. Decided: April 6, 2006. By the Board, Chairman Buttrey and Vice Chairman Mulvey. Vernon A. Williams, Secretary. [FR Doc. E6–5503 Filed 4–12–06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4915–01–P DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board [STB Docket No. AB–586 (Sub-No. 2X)] North Central Railway Association, Inc.—Abandonment Exemption—in Hardin County, IA North Central Railway Association, Inc. (NCRA), has filed a notice of exemption under 49 CFR 1152 subpart F—Exempt Abandonments to abandon and discontinue service over a 10.54mile line of railroad between milepost 201.46, near Ackley, IA, and milepost 212.00, near Steamboat Rock, IA, in Hardin County, IA.1 The line traverses United States Postal Service Zip Codes 50672, 50671, and 50601. NCRA has certified that: (1) No local traffic has moved over the line for at least 2 years; (2) there is no overhead traffic on the line that would have 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 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 1 NCRA’s notice of exemption identified the issue line as an 11.70-mile rail line, from milepost 200.30 to milepost 212.00. Subsequently, NCRA was advised of an ongoing need for car interchange and switch moves over a portion of the line between mileposts 200.36 and 201.46. Therefore, by letter filed on March 31, 2006, NCRA amended its notice to pertain to the line segment from milepost 201.46 to milepost 212.00. E:\FR\FM\13APN1.SGM 13APN1 19236 Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 71 / Thursday, April 13, 2006 / Notices HSRObinson on PROD1PC61 with NOTICES 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 May 13, 2006, unless stayed pending reconsideration. Petitions to stay that do not involve environmental issues,2 formal expressions of intent to file an OFA under 49 CFR 1152.27(c)(2),3 and trail use/rail banking requests under 49 CFR 1152.29 must be filed by April 24, 2006. Petitions to reopen or requests for public use conditions under 49 CFR 1152.28 must be filed by May 3, 2006, with the Surface Transportation Board, 1925 K Street, NW., Washington, DC 20423–0001. A copy of any petition filed with the Board should be sent to NCRA’s representative: T. Scott Bannister, Attorney for North Central Railway Association, Inc., 111 Fifty-Sixth Street, Des Moines, IA 50312. If the verified notice contains false or misleading information, the exemption is void ab initio. NCRA has filed environmental and historic reports that address the effects, if any, of the abandonment on the environment and historic resources. SEA will issue an environmental assessment (EA) by April 18, 2006. Interested persons may obtain a copy of the EA by writing to SEA (Room 500, Surface Transportation Board, Washington, DC 20423–0001) or by calling SEA, at (202) 565–1539. [Assistance for the hearing impaired is 2 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 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. 3 Each OFA must be accompanied by the appropriate filing fee, which is currently set at $1,200, see 49 CFR 1002.2(f)(25), but is scheduled to increase to $1,300, effective April 19, 2006. See Regulations Governing Fees for Services Performed in Connection with Licensing and Related Services—2006 Update, STB Ex Parte No. 542 (SubNo. 13) (STB served Mar. 20, 2006). VerDate Aug<31>2005 14:20 Apr 12, 2006 Jkt 208001 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), NCRA 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 NCRA’s filing of a notice of consummation by April 13, 2007, 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 https:// www.stb.dot.gov. Decided: April 7, 2006. By the Board, David M. Konschnik, Director, Office of Proceedings. Vernon A. Williams, Secretary. [FR Doc. E6–5487 Filed 4–12–06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4915–01–P DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request April 7, 2006. The Department of Treasury has submitted the following public information collection requirement(s) to OMB for review and clearance under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104–13. Copies of the submission(s) may be obtained by calling the Treasury Bureau Clearance Officer listed. Comments regarding this information collection should be addressed to the OMB reviewer listed and to the Treasury Department Clearance Officer, Department of the Treasury, Room 11000, 1750 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20220. DATES: Written comments should be received on or before May 15, 2006 to be assured of consideration. Bureau of Public Debt OMB Number: 1535–0136. Type of Review: Extension. Title: Application for Refund of Purchase Price of United States Savings Bonds for Organizations. Form: PDF 5410. PO 00000 Frm 00077 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 Description: Used by an organization to request refund of purchase price of United States Savings Bonds. Respondents: Business or other forprofit and Not-for-profit institutions. Estimated Total Burden Hours: 300 hour. Clearance Officer: Vicki S. Thorpe, (304) 480–8150, Bureau of the Public Debt, 200 Third Street, Parkersburg, West Virginia 26106. OMB Reviewer: Alexander T. Hunt, (202) 395–7316, Office of Management and Budget, Room 10235, New Executive Office Building Washington, DC 20503. Michael A. Robinson, Treasury PRA Clearance Officer. [FR Doc. E6–5510 Filed 4–12–06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4810–39–P DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request April 7, 2006. The Department of Treasury has submitted the following public information collection requirement(s) to OMB for review and clearance under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104–13. Copies of the submission(s) may be obtained by calling the Treasury Bureau Clearance Officer listed. Comments regarding this information collection should be addressed to the OMB reviewer listed and to the Treasury Department Clearance Officer, Department of the Treasury, Room 11000, 1750 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20220. DATES: Written comments should be received on or before May 15, 2006 to be assured of consideration. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) OMB Number: 1545–0064. Type of Review: Extension. Title: Application for Exemption from Social Security and Medicare Taxes and Waiver of Benefits. Form: IRS Form 4029. Description: Form 4029 is used by members of recognized religious groups to apply for exemption from social security and Medicare taxes under IRC sections 1402(g) and 3127. The information is used to approve or deny exemption from social security and Medicare taxes. Respondents: Individuals or households. Estimated Total Burden Hours: 3,154 hours. OMB Number: 1545–0817. E:\FR\FM\13APN1.SGM 13APN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 71 (Thursday, April 13, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19235-19236]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-5487]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Surface Transportation Board

[STB Docket No. AB-586 (Sub-No. 2X)]


North Central Railway Association, Inc.--Abandonment Exemption--
in Hardin County, IA

    North Central Railway Association, Inc. (NCRA), has filed a notice 
of exemption under 49 CFR 1152 subpart F--Exempt Abandonments to 
abandon and discontinue service over a 10.54-mile line of railroad 
between milepost 201.46, near Ackley, IA, and milepost 212.00, near 
Steamboat Rock, IA, in Hardin County, IA.\1\ The line traverses United 
States Postal Service Zip Codes 50672, 50671, and 50601.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ NCRA's notice of exemption identified the issue line as an 
11.70-mile rail line, from milepost 200.30 to milepost 212.00. 
Subsequently, NCRA was advised of an ongoing need for car 
interchange and switch moves over a portion of the line between 
mileposts 200.36 and 201.46. Therefore, by letter filed on March 31, 
2006, NCRA amended its notice to pertain to the line segment from 
milepost 201.46 to milepost 212.00.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    NCRA has certified that: (1) No local traffic has moved over the 
line for at least 2 years; (2) there is no overhead traffic on the line 
that would have 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 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

[[Page 19236]]

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 May 13, 2006, unless stayed pending reconsideration. 
Petitions to stay that do not involve environmental issues,\2\ formal 
expressions of intent to file an OFA under 49 CFR 1152.27(c)(2),\3\ and 
trail use/rail banking requests under 49 CFR 1152.29 must be filed by 
April 24, 2006. Petitions to reopen or requests for public use 
conditions under 49 CFR 1152.28 must be filed by May 3, 2006, with the 
Surface Transportation Board, 1925 K Street, NW., Washington, DC 20423-
0001.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \2\ 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.
    \3\ Each OFA must be accompanied by the appropriate filing fee, 
which is currently set at $1,200, see 49 CFR 1002.2(f)(25), but is 
scheduled to increase to $1,300, effective April 19, 2006. See 
Regulations Governing Fees for Services Performed in Connection with 
Licensing and Related Services--2006 Update, STB Ex Parte No. 542 
(Sub-No. 13) (STB served Mar. 20, 2006).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    A copy of any petition filed with the Board should be sent to 
NCRA's representative: T. Scott Bannister, Attorney for North Central 
Railway Association, Inc., 111 Fifty-Sixth Street, Des Moines, IA 
50312.
    If the verified notice contains false or misleading information, 
the exemption is void ab initio.
    NCRA has filed environmental and historic reports that address the 
effects, if any, of the abandonment on the environment and historic 
resources. SEA will issue an environmental assessment (EA) by April 18, 
2006. Interested persons may obtain a copy of the EA by writing to SEA 
(Room 500, Surface Transportation Board, Washington, DC 20423-0001) or 
by calling SEA, at (202) 565-1539. [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), NCRA 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 NCRA's filing of a notice of 
consummation by April 13, 2007, 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: April 7, 2006.

    By the Board, David M. Konschnik, Director, Office of 
Proceedings.
Vernon A. Williams,
Secretary.
 [FR Doc. E6-5487 Filed 4-12-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915-01-P
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