Watco Holdings, Inc.-Continuance in Control Exemption-Blue Ridge Southern Railroad, L.L.C., 40204-40205 [2014-16277]

Download as PDF 40204 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 133 / Friday, July 11, 2014 / Notices submit spatial data for any potential routes under consideration in the planning study, if known. Spatial data must be submitted to the FRA through grants.gov in either shapefile or Keyhole Markup Language (KML) file formats, utilizing the World Geodetic System (WGS) 84 datum standard. Additional guidance and instructions concerning the submission of spatial data is available on the FY14 Grant Application Solicitation homepage at www.fra.dot.gov/Page/P0701. Section 5: Award Administration Information 5.1 5.2 Administrative and National Policy Requirements tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES The grantee and any subgrantee must comply with all applicable laws and regulations. A non-exclusive list of administrative and national policy requirements that grantees must follow includes: Procurement standards, compliance with Federal civil rights laws and regulations, disadvantaged business enterprises (DBE), debarment and suspension, drug-free workplace, FRA’s and OMB’s Assurances and Certifications, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), labor standards, safety oversight, environmental protection, National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), environmental justice, and Buy America or Buy American provisions (as applicable). General Requirements The grantee must comply with all post-award reporting, auditing, monitoring, and close-out requirements, as described on the FY14 Grant Application Solicitation homepage at www.fra.dot.gov/Page/P0701. VerDate Mar<15>2010 20:23 Jul 10, 2014 Jkt 232001 Authority: Sec. 192, Pub. L. 113–76, 128 Stat. 603; Pub. L. 111–117, 123 Stat. 3056– 57; Pub. L. 111–8, 123 Stat. 934–5; Pub. L. 110–161, 121 Stat. 2393–4. Corey Hill, Director, Office of Program Delivery. Award Notices Applications selected for funding will be announced after the application review period. FRA will contact applicants with successful applications after announcement with information and instructions about the award process. Notification of a selected application is not an authorization to begin proposed project activities. The period of performance for grants awarded under this notice is dependent upon the project and will be determined on a grant-by-grant basis. Extensions to the period of performance will be considered only through written requests to the FRA with specific and compelling justifications for why an extension is required. Any obligated funding that has not been spent by the grantee and reimbursed by the FRA upon completion of the grant will be deobligated. 5.3 Section 6: Agency Contact For further information regarding this notice and the grants program, please contact Mary Ann McNamara, Office of Program Delivery, Federal Railroad Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Mail Stop 20, Washington, DC 20590; Email: maryann.mcnamara@ dot.gov; Phone: (202) 493–6393; Fax: (202) 493–6333. [FR Doc. 2014–16172 Filed 7–10–14; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910–06–P DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board [Docket No. FD 35820] Blue Ridge Southern Railroad, L.L.C.— Acquisition Exemption—Norfolk Southern Railway Company Blue Ridge Southern Railroad, L.L.C. (BLU)1, a noncarrier, has filed a verified notice of exemption under 49 CFR 1150.31 to acquire from Norfolk Southern Railway Company (NSR), and to operate, three rail lines in the State of North Carolina comprising a total distance of approximately 91.8 miles extending between (1) milepost T0.0 at Murphy Jct., and milepost T47.0 at Dillsboro; (2) milepost W1.0 at Asheville, and milepost W26.0 at East Flat Rock; and (3) milepost TR0.0 at Henderson, and milepost TR19.8 at Pisgah Forest. This transaction is related to a concurrently filed verified notice of exemption in Watco Holdings, Inc.— Continuance in Control Exemption— Blue Ridge Southern Railroad, L.L.C., Docket No. FD 35821, wherein Watco Holdings, Inc. seeks Board approval under 49 CFR 1180.2(d)(2) to continue in control of BLU, upon BLU’s becoming a Class III rail carrier. BLU states that the agreement between BLU and NSR does not contain any provision that prohibits BLU or may limit future interchange traffic with a third-party connecting carrier. BLU has certified that its projected annual revenues as a result of this transaction will not result in BLU’s becoming a Class II or Class I rail carrier. Because BLU’s projected annual revenues will exceed $5 million, BLU 1 BLU is a wholly owned subsidiary of Watco Holdings, Inc. PO 00000 Frm 00147 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 certified to the Board on May 9, 2014, that it had complied with the requirements of 49 CFR 1150.32(e) by providing notice to employees and their labor union on the affected 91.8-mile line. This transaction may be consummated on or after July 25, 2014, the effective date of the exemption (30 days after the exemption was filed). If the notice contains false or misleading information, the exemption is void ab initio. Petitions to revoke the exemption under 49 U.S.C. 10502(d) may be filed at any time. The filing of a petition to revoke will not automatically stay the effectiveness of the exemption. Petitions for stay must be filed no later than July 18, 2014 (at least seven days before the exemption becomes effective). An original and 10 copies of all pleadings, referring to Docket No. FD 35820 must be filed with the Surface Transportation Board, 395 E Street SW., Washington, DC 20423–0001. In addition, one copy of each pleading must be served on Karl Morell, Ball Janik LLP, 655 Fifteenth Street NW., Suite 225,Washington, DC 20005. Board decisions and notices are available on our Web site at WWW.STB.DOT.GOV Decided: July 8, 2014. By the Board, Rachel D. Campbell, Director, Office of Proceedings. Raina S. White, Clearance Clerk. [FR Doc. 2014–16276 Filed 7–10–14; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4915–01–P DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board [Docket No. FD 35821] Watco Holdings, Inc.—Continuance in Control Exemption—Blue Ridge Southern Railroad, L.L.C. Watco Holdings, Inc. (Watco), a noncarrier, has filed a verified notice of exemption pursuant to 49 CFR 1180.2(d)(2) to continue in control of Blue Ridge Southern Railroad, L.L.C. (BLU), upon BLU’s becoming a Class III rail carrier. Watco owns, indirectly, 100 percent of the issued and outstanding stock of BLU, a limited liability company. This transaction is related to a concurrently filed verified notice of exemption in Blue Ridge Southern Railroad, L.L.C.—Acquisition Exemption—Norfolk Southern Railway Company, Docket No. FD 35820, wherein BLU seeks Board approval to acquire and operate approximately 91.8 E:\FR\FM\11JYN1.SGM 11JYN1 tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 133 / Friday, July 11, 2014 / Notices miles of rail line owned by Norfolk Southern Railway Company between specified points in North Carolina. The transaction may be consummated on or after July 25, 2014, the effective date of the exemption (30 days after the notice of exemption was filed). Watco is a Kansas corporation that currently controls, indirectly, one Class II rail carrier, operating in two states, and 28 Class III rail carriers, operating in 19 states. For a complete list of these rail carriers, and the states in which they operate, see Watco’s notice of exemption filed on June 25, 2014. The notice is available on the Board’s Web site at ‘‘WWW.STB.DOT.GOV.’’ Watco represents that: (1) The rail lines to be operated by BLU do not connect with any of the rail lines operated by the carriers in the Watco corporate family; (2) the continuance in control is not a part of a series of anticipated transactions that would result in such a connection; and (3) the transaction does not involve a Class I carrier. Therefore, the transaction is exempt from the prior approval requirements of 49 U.S.C. § 11323. See 49 CFR 1180.2(d)(2). Watco states that the purpose of the transaction is to reduce overhead expenses, coordinate billing, maintenance, mechanical, and personnel policies and practices of its rail carrier subsidiaries and thereby improve the overall efficiency of rail service provided by the railroads in the Watco corporate family. Under 49 U.S.C. 10502(g), the Board may not use its exemption authority to relieve a rail carrier of its statutory obligation to protect the interests of its employees. Because the transaction involves the control of one Class II and one or more Class III rail carriers, the transaction is subject to the labor protection requirements of 49 U.S.C. 11326(b) and Wisconsin Central Ltd.— Acquisition Exemption—Lines of Union Pacific Railroad, 2 S.T.B. 218 (1997). If the verified notice contains false or misleading information, the exemption is void ab initio. Petitions to revoke the exemption under 49 U.S.C. 10502(d) may be filed at any time. The filing of a petition to revoke will not automatically stay the effectiveness of the exemption. Petitions for stay must be filed by July 18, 2014 (at least seven days before the exemption becomes effective). An original and 10 copies of all pleadings, referring to Docket No. FD 35821, must be filed with the Surface Transportation Board, 395 E Street SW., Washington, DC 20423–0001. In VerDate Mar<15>2010 22:04 Jul 10, 2014 Jkt 232001 addition, a copy of each pleading must be served on Karl Morell, Ball Janik LLP, 655 Fifteenth Street NW., Suite 225, Washington, DC 20005. Board decisions and notices are available on our Web site at ‘‘WWW.STB.DOT.GOV.’’ Decided: July 8, 2014. By the Board, Rachel D. Campbell, Director, Office of Proceedings. Raina S. White, Clearance Clerk. [FR Doc. 2014–16277 Filed 7–10–14; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4915–01–P DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS [OMB Control No. 2900–0744] Proposed Information Collection (Call Center Satisfaction Survey): Comment Request Veterans Benefits Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs. ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: The Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), is announcing an opportunity for public comment on the proposed collection of certain information by the agency. Under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, Federal agencies are required to publish notice in the Federal Register concerning each proposed collection of information, including each proposed revision of a currently approved collection, and allow 60 days for public comment in response to the notice. This notice solicits comments for information needed from Veterans regarding their recent experience in contacting VA call centers. DATES: Written comments and recommendations on the proposed collection of information should be received on or before September 9, 2014. SUMMARY: Submit written comments on the collection of information through Federal Docket Management System (FDMS) at www.Regulations.gov or to Nancy J. Kessinger, Veterans Benefits Administration (20M35), Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20420 or email: nancy.kessinger@va.gov. Please refer to ‘‘OMB Control No. 2900–0744’’ in any correspondence. During the comment period, comments may be viewed online through FDMS. ADDRESSES: PO 00000 Frm 00148 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 9990 40205 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nancy J. Kessinger at (202) 632–8924 or FAX (202) 632–8925. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the PRA of 1995 (Public Law 104–13; 44 U.S.C. 3501–3521), Federal agencies must obtain approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for each collection of information they conduct or sponsor. This request for comment is being made pursuant to Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA. With respect to the following collection of information, VBA invites comments on: (1) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of VBA’s functions, including whether the information will have practical utility; (2) the accuracy of VBA’s estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information; (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (4) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or the use of other forms of information technology. Title: VBA Call Center Satisfaction Survey. OMB Control Number: 2900–0744. Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection. Abstract: VBA maintains a commitment to improve the overall quality of service for Veterans. Feedback from Veterans regarding their recent experience to the VA call centers will provide VBA with three key benefits to: (1) Identify what is most important to Veterans; (2) determine what to do to improve the call center experience; and (3) serve to guide training and/or operational activities aimed at enhancing the quality of service provided to Veterans and active duty personnel. Affected Public: Individuals or households. Estimated Annual Burden: 3,600 hours. Estimated Average Burden Per Respondent: 6 minutes. Frequency of Response: On occasion. Estimated Number of Respondents: 36,000. Dated: July 7, 2014. By direction of the Secretary. Crystal Rennie, Department Clearance Officer, U. S. Department of Veterans Affairs. [FR Doc. 2014–16160 Filed 7–10–14; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 8320–01–P E:\FR\FM\11JYN1.SGM 11JYN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 133 (Friday, July 11, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40204-40205]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-16277]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Surface Transportation Board

[Docket No. FD 35821]


Watco Holdings, Inc.--Continuance in Control Exemption--Blue 
Ridge Southern Railroad, L.L.C.

    Watco Holdings, Inc. (Watco), a noncarrier, has filed a verified 
notice of exemption pursuant to 49 CFR 1180.2(d)(2) to continue in 
control of Blue Ridge Southern Railroad, L.L.C. (BLU), upon BLU's 
becoming a Class III rail carrier. Watco owns, indirectly, 100 percent 
of the issued and outstanding stock of BLU, a limited liability 
company.
    This transaction is related to a concurrently filed verified notice 
of exemption in Blue Ridge Southern Railroad, L.L.C.--Acquisition 
Exemption--Norfolk Southern Railway Company, Docket No. FD 35820, 
wherein BLU seeks Board approval to acquire and operate approximately 
91.8

[[Page 40205]]

miles of rail line owned by Norfolk Southern Railway Company between 
specified points in North Carolina.
    The transaction may be consummated on or after July 25, 2014, the 
effective date of the exemption (30 days after the notice of exemption 
was filed).
    Watco is a Kansas corporation that currently controls, indirectly, 
one Class II rail carrier, operating in two states, and 28 Class III 
rail carriers, operating in 19 states. For a complete list of these 
rail carriers, and the states in which they operate, see Watco's notice 
of exemption filed on June 25, 2014. The notice is available on the 
Board's Web site at ``WWW.STB.DOT.GOV.''
    Watco represents that: (1) The rail lines to be operated by BLU do 
not connect with any of the rail lines operated by the carriers in the 
Watco corporate family; (2) the continuance in control is not a part of 
a series of anticipated transactions that would result in such a 
connection; and (3) the transaction does not involve a Class I carrier. 
Therefore, the transaction is exempt from the prior approval 
requirements of 49 U.S.C. Sec.  11323. See 49 CFR 1180.2(d)(2).
    Watco states that the purpose of the transaction is to reduce 
overhead expenses, coordinate billing, maintenance, mechanical, and 
personnel policies and practices of its rail carrier subsidiaries and 
thereby improve the overall efficiency of rail service provided by the 
railroads in the Watco corporate family.
    Under 49 U.S.C. 10502(g), the Board may not use its exemption 
authority to relieve a rail carrier of its statutory obligation to 
protect the interests of its employees. Because the transaction 
involves the control of one Class II and one or more Class III rail 
carriers, the transaction is subject to the labor protection 
requirements of 49 U.S.C. 11326(b) and Wisconsin Central Ltd.--
Acquisition Exemption--Lines of Union Pacific Railroad, 2 S.T.B. 218 
(1997).
    If the verified notice contains false or misleading information, 
the exemption is void ab initio. Petitions to revoke the exemption 
under 49 U.S.C. 10502(d) may be filed at any time. The filing of a 
petition to revoke will not automatically stay the effectiveness of the 
exemption. Petitions for stay must be filed by July 18, 2014 (at least 
seven days before the exemption becomes effective).
    An original and 10 copies of all pleadings, referring to Docket No. 
FD 35821, must be filed with the Surface Transportation Board, 395 E 
Street SW., Washington, DC 20423-0001. In addition, a copy of each 
pleading must be served on Karl Morell, Ball Janik LLP, 655 Fifteenth 
Street NW., Suite 225, Washington, DC 20005.
    Board decisions and notices are available on our Web site at 
``WWW.STB.DOT.GOV.''

    Decided: July 8, 2014.

    By the Board, Rachel D. Campbell, Director, Office of 
Proceedings.
Raina S. White,
Clearance Clerk.
[FR Doc. 2014-16277 Filed 7-10-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915-01-P

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.