Kasgro Rail Corp.-Discontinuance of Service Exemption-in Lawrence County, Pa., 19592-19593 [2018-09399]
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sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES
19592
Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 86 / Thursday, May 3, 2018 / Notices
According to Pan Am, MBR, a Class
III rail carrier, has been operating over
the Line pursuant to a trackage rights
agreement dated June 22, 1992, which
Pan Am claims expired in 2004.1 Pan
Am asks that the Board terminate MBR’s
operating authority so that Pan Am may
repossess its property, after which Pan
Am states it would provide service over
the Line.
According to Pan Am, the Line does
not contain federally granted rights-ofway. Any documentation in Pan Am’s
possession will be made available
promptly to those requesting it. Pan
Am’s entire case-in-chief for adverse
discontinuance was filed with the
application.
In a decision served June 23, 2017,
Pan Am was granted exemptions from
several statutory provisions as well as
waivers of certain Board regulations that
were not relevant to its adverse
discontinuance application or that
sought information not available to Pan
Am.
Any interested person may file
written comments or protests (including
protestant’s entire opposition case)
concerning the proposed adverse
discontinuance by May 29, 2018.
Persons who may oppose the proposed
adverse discontinuance but who do not
wish to participate fully in the process
by submitting verified statements of
witnesses containing detailed evidence
should file comments. Persons opposing
the proposed adverse discontinuance
who wish to participate actively and
fully in the process should file a protest,
observing the filing, service, and content
requirements of 49 CFR 1152.25. Pan
Am’s reply is due by June 12, 2018.
All filings in response to this notice
must refer to Docket No. AB 1256 and
must be sent to: (1) Surface
Transportation Board, 395 E Street SW,
Washington, DC 20423–0001; and (2)
Robert B. Burns, 1700 Iron Horse Park,
North Billerica, MA 01862.
Filings may be submitted either via
the Board’s e-filing format or in the
traditional paper format. Any person
using e-filing should comply with the
instructions found on the Board’s
‘‘www.stb.gov’’ website, at the ‘‘EFILING’’ link. Any person submitting a
filing in the traditional paper format
should send the original and 10 copies
of the filing to the Board with a
certificate of service. Except as
otherwise set forth in 49 CFR pt. 1152,
every document filed with the Board
must be served on all parties to this
1 See Milford-Bennington R.R.—Trackage Rights
Exemption—Boston & Me. Corp., FD 32103 (ICC
served July 9, 1992).
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:29 May 02, 2018
Jkt 244001
adverse discontinuance proceeding. 49
CFR 1104.12(a).
Persons seeking further information
concerning discontinuance procedures
may contact the Board’s Office of Public
Assistance, Governmental Affairs, and
Compliance at (202) 245–0238 or refer
to the full discontinuance regulations at
49 CFR pt. 1152. Assistance for the
hearing impaired is available through
the Federal Information Relay Service
(FIRS) at 1–800–877–8339.
Board decisions and notices are
available on our website at
‘‘WWW.STB.GOV.’’
Decided: April 30, 2018.
By the Board, Scott M. Zimmerman, Acting
Director, Office of Proceedings.
Kenyatta Clay,
Clearance Clerk.
[FR Doc. 2018–09398 Filed 5–2–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915–01–P
SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD
[Docket No. AB 1264X]
Kasgro Rail Corp.—Discontinuance of
Service Exemption—in Lawrence
County, Pa.
On April 13, 2018, Kasgro Rail Corp.
(Kasgro) filed with the Board a petition
under 49 U.S.C. 10502 for exemption
from the prior approval requirements of
49 U.S.C. 10903 to discontinue its lease
operations over approximately four
miles of rail line owned by EASX
Corporation (EASX) in Lawrence
County, Pa. (the Line).
The Line consists of three segments.
The New Castle Branch begins at New
Castle Monumented Base Line (MBL), at
Survey Station 10+00, opposite the
former Pittsburgh and Lake Erie
Railroad’s (P&LE) Main Line MBL
Survey Station 2580+10, and extends in
a generally northeasterly direction to the
former P&LE Valuation Station 146+10.
The Big Run Branch begins at P&LE
New Castle Branch Baseline of Survey,
at Survey Station 84+44, and extends in
a generally southwesterly direction to a
connection with CSX Transportation,
Inc. (CSXT). The Sample Spur begins at
Valuation Station 2+00 off of CSXT’s
main line between Cumberland, Md.,
and Willard, Ohio, and continues in a
generally northward direction to
Valuation Station 40+75.7, where it
connects with New Castle Industrial
Railroad (NCIR), formerly known as ISS
Rail, Inc. (ISS). The Line is located
entirely within the New Castle station.
The Line traverses United States Postal
Service Zip Codes 16101 and 16102.
Kasgro states that, based on inquiry of
EASX and information in Kasgro’s
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
possession, the Line does not contain
any federally granted rights-of-way.
Kasgro states that any documentation in
its possession will be made available to
those requesting it.
Kasgro states that it acquired
authority to lease the Line in June
2000.1 During that time, ISS and ISS’s
successor, NCIR, operated over the Line,
as required by the lease. On April 3,
2018, Kasgro gave EASX written notice
of its intent to exit the lease 30 days
after the STB authorizes Kasgro to
discontinue service. Kasgro states that
following Kasgro’s proposed
discontinuance, NCIR will continue to
operate the Line for EASX.
As a condition to this exemption, any
employee adversely affected by the
discontinuance of service shall be
protected under Oregon Short Line
Railroad—Abandonment Portion
Goshen Branch Between Firth &
Ammon, in Bingham & Bonneville
Counties, Idaho, 360 I.C.C. 91 (1979).
By issuance of this notice, the Board
is instituting an exemption proceeding
pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 10502(b). A final
decision will be issued by August 1,
2018.
Because this is a discontinuance
proceeding and not an abandonment
proceeding, trail use/rail banking and
public use conditions are not
appropriate. Because there will be
environmental review during
abandonment, this discontinuance does
not require an environmental review.
See 49 CFR 1105.6(c)(5), 1105.8(b).
Any offer of financial assistance
(OFA) under 49 CFR 1152.27(b)(2) to
subsidize continued rail service will be
due no later than August 13, 2018, or 10
days after service of a decision granting
the petition for exemption, whichever
occurs sooner.2 Each OFA must be
accompanied by a $1,800 filing fee. See
49 CFR 1002.2(f)(25).
All filings in response to this notice
must refer to Docket No. AB 1264 and
must be sent to: (1) Surface
Transportation Board, 395 E Street SW,
Washington, DC 20423–0001; and (2)
Jeffrey O. Moreno, Thompson Hine LLP,
1919 M Street NW, Suite 700,
Washington, DC 20036. Replies to this
petition are due on or before May 23,
2018.
1 See Kasgro Rail Corp.—Lease & Operation
Exemption—EASX Corp. & Rail Servs. Corp., FD
33882 (STB served June 22, 2000).
2 The Board modified its OFA procedures
effective July 29, 2017. Among other things, the
OFA process now requires potential offerors, in
their formal expression of intent, to make a
preliminary financial responsibility showing based
on a calculation using information contained in the
carrier’s filing and publicly-available information.
See Offers of Financial Assistance, EP 729 (STB
served June 29, 2017); 82 FR 30,997 (July 5, 2017).
E:\FR\FM\03MYN1.SGM
03MYN1
Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 86 / Thursday, May 3, 2018 / Notices
Persons seeking further information
concerning discontinuance procedures
may contact the Board’s Office of Public
Assistance, Governmental Affairs, and
Compliance at (202) 245–0238 or refer
to the full abandonment and
discontinuance regulations at 49 CFR pt.
1152. Assistance for the hearing
impaired is available through the
Federal Information Relay Service
(FIRS) at 1–800–877–8339.
Board decisions and notices are
available on our website at
WWW.STB.GOV.
Decided: April 30, 2018.
By the Board, Scott M. Zimmerman, Acting
Director, Office of Proceedings.
Kenyatta Clay,
Clearance Clerk.
[FR Doc. 2018–09399 Filed 5–2–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Railroad Administration
[Docket Number FRA–2018–0041]
sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES
Petition for Waiver of Compliance
Under part 211 of Title 49 of the Code
of Federal Regulations (CFR), this
provides the public notice that on April
18, 2018, the Port Authority TransHudson Corporation (PATH) petitioned
the Federal Railroad Administration
(FRA) for a waiver of compliance from
certain provisions of the Federal
railroad safety regulations contained at
49 CFR part 214. FRA assigned the
petition docket number FRA–2018–
0041.
PATH is requesting relief from the
definition of ‘‘fouling a track’’ found in
49 CFR 214.7 at certain locations within
PATH’s tunnel system if certain
conditions are met. PATH seeks the
waiver to allow tunnel bench walls to be
considered a ‘‘place of safety’’ under
§ 214.329, Train Approach Warning, for
the safety and efficiency of roadway
maintenance procedures at that those
locations. If approved, when train
approach warning or foul time is used
as the method of protection, roadway
workers may move to a previously
arranged place of safety designated as a
‘‘Clearance Area.’’ Due to track and
physical structure configurations, the
designated ‘‘Clearance Area’’ can be less
than the required four feet from the near
running rail, yet still provides a place of
safety, protecting roadway workers from
the risk of being struck by moving trains
or on-track equipment. PATH states
safety will be improved by reducing the
distance roadway workers must walk to
reach a compliant place of safety upon
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:29 May 02, 2018
Jkt 244001
receiving warning of an approaching
train. PATH also contends roadway
maintenance procedures will be more
efficient by increasing the number of
clearing locations, thereby reducing
time spent moving to and from places of
safety.
PATH is a rapid transit system, with
13.8 route miles, of which 7.4 miles are
composed of an underground tunnel
system that operates between the states
of New York and New Jersey. The
current tunnel system was built between
1873 and 1901. As such, the physical
structure and track configurations
within the tunnel system provide many
locations where it is physically
impossible to clear outside four feet of
the near rail. PATH explains that the
historical use and safety record of bench
walls as a place of clearance for close to
half a century without incident show
that, under certain conditions, they can
be used as a place of safety within the
four-foot fouling envelope.
A copy of the petition, as well as any
written communications concerning the
petition, is available for review online at
www.regulations.gov and in person at
the U.S. Department of Transportation’s
(DOT) Docket Operations Facility, 1200
New Jersey Ave. SE, W12–140,
Washington, DC 20590. The Docket
Operations Facility is open from 9 a.m.
to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday,
except Federal Holidays.
Interested parties are invited to
participate in these proceedings by
submitting written views, data, or
comments. FRA does not anticipate
scheduling a public hearing in
connection with these proceedings since
the facts do not appear to warrant a
hearing. If any interested parties desire
an opportunity for oral comment and a
public hearing, they should notify FRA,
in writing, before the end of the
comment period and specify the basis
for their request.
All communications concerning these
proceedings should identify the
appropriate docket number and may be
submitted by any of the following
methods:
• Website: https://
www.regulations.gov. Follow the online
instructions for submitting comments.
• Fax: 202–493–2251.
• Mail: Docket Operations Facility,
U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200
New Jersey Avenue SE, W12–140,
Washington, DC 20590.
• Hand Delivery: 1200 New Jersey
Avenue SE, Room W12–140,
Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m.
and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday,
except Federal Holidays.
Communications received by June 18,
2018 will be considered by FRA before
PO 00000
Frm 00073
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
19593
final action is taken. Comments received
after that date will be considered if
practicable.
Anyone can search the electronic
form of any written communications
and comments received into any of our
dockets by the name of the individual
submitting the comment (or signing the
document, if submitted on behalf of an
association, business, labor union, etc.).
DOT posts these comments, without
edit, including any personal information
the commenter provides, to
www.regulations.gov, as described in
the system of records notice (DOT/ALL–
14 FDMS), which can be reviewed at
https://www.transportation.gov/privacy.
See also https://www.regulations.gov/
privacyNotice for the privacy notice of
regulations.gov.
Robert C. Lauby,
Associate Administrator for Railroad Safety,
Chief Safety Officer.
[FR Doc. 2018–09401 Filed 5–2–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–06–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Railroad Administration
[Docket Number FRA–2009–0015]
Petition for Waiver of Compliance
Under part 211 of Title 49 Code of
Federal Regulations (CFR), this
document provides the public notice
that on April 13, 2018, Ritron, Inc.
(Ritron) petitioned the Federal Railroad
Administration (FRA) for a waiver of
compliance from certain provisions of
the Federal railroad safety regulations
contained at 49 CFR 232.409(d). FRA
assigned the petition Docket Number
FRA–2009–0015.
Ritron is seeking to extend its waiver
of compliance from 49 CFR 232.409(d)
for three models of its two-way
transceiver radios used for the link
modules inside Head-of-Train (HOT)
and End-of-Train (EOT) devices. These
three models are DTX–445, DTX–454,
and DTX–460. These models use a
master reference oscillator to determine
the frequency stability of the
transmitted signal. The actual
transmitted signal is phase-locked to
this master oscillator by a phase-locked
loop. This self-calibrating procedure
eliminates the need for yearly recalibrations. Ritron states that if the
radio is operating, it is within
specifications. Ritron originally received
a waiver of compliance on July 21, 2010.
Ritron received an updated waiver, to
add another radio to that included in
the original request, on September 4,
2013.
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03MYN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 86 (Thursday, May 3, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19592-19593]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-09399]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD
[Docket No. AB 1264X]
Kasgro Rail Corp.--Discontinuance of Service Exemption--in
Lawrence County, Pa.
On April 13, 2018, Kasgro Rail Corp. (Kasgro) filed with the Board
a petition under 49 U.S.C. 10502 for exemption from the prior approval
requirements of 49 U.S.C. 10903 to discontinue its lease operations
over approximately four miles of rail line owned by EASX Corporation
(EASX) in Lawrence County, Pa. (the Line).
The Line consists of three segments. The New Castle Branch begins
at New Castle Monumented Base Line (MBL), at Survey Station 10+00,
opposite the former Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad's (P&LE) Main
Line MBL Survey Station 2580+10, and extends in a generally
northeasterly direction to the former P&LE Valuation Station 146+10.
The Big Run Branch begins at P&LE New Castle Branch Baseline of Survey,
at Survey Station 84+44, and extends in a generally southwesterly
direction to a connection with CSX Transportation, Inc. (CSXT). The
Sample Spur begins at Valuation Station 2+00 off of CSXT's main line
between Cumberland, Md., and Willard, Ohio, and continues in a
generally northward direction to Valuation Station 40+75.7, where it
connects with New Castle Industrial Railroad (NCIR), formerly known as
ISS Rail, Inc. (ISS). The Line is located entirely within the New
Castle station. The Line traverses United States Postal Service Zip
Codes 16101 and 16102.
Kasgro states that, based on inquiry of EASX and information in
Kasgro's possession, the Line does not contain any federally granted
rights-of-way. Kasgro states that any documentation in its possession
will be made available to those requesting it.
Kasgro states that it acquired authority to lease the Line in June
2000.\1\ During that time, ISS and ISS's successor, NCIR, operated over
the Line, as required by the lease. On April 3, 2018, Kasgro gave EASX
written notice of its intent to exit the lease 30 days after the STB
authorizes Kasgro to discontinue service. Kasgro states that following
Kasgro's proposed discontinuance, NCIR will continue to operate the
Line for EASX.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ See Kasgro Rail Corp.--Lease & Operation Exemption--EASX
Corp. & Rail Servs. Corp., FD 33882 (STB served June 22, 2000).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
As a condition to this exemption, any employee adversely affected
by the discontinuance of service shall be protected under Oregon Short
Line Railroad--Abandonment Portion Goshen Branch Between Firth & Ammon,
in Bingham & Bonneville Counties, Idaho, 360 I.C.C. 91 (1979).
By issuance of this notice, the Board is instituting an exemption
proceeding pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 10502(b). A final decision will be
issued by August 1, 2018.
Because this is a discontinuance proceeding and not an abandonment
proceeding, trail use/rail banking and public use conditions are not
appropriate. Because there will be environmental review during
abandonment, this discontinuance does not require an environmental
review. See 49 CFR 1105.6(c)(5), 1105.8(b).
Any offer of financial assistance (OFA) under 49 CFR 1152.27(b)(2)
to subsidize continued rail service will be due no later than August
13, 2018, or 10 days after service of a decision granting the petition
for exemption, whichever occurs sooner.\2\ Each OFA must be accompanied
by a $1,800 filing fee. See 49 CFR 1002.2(f)(25).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ The Board modified its OFA procedures effective July 29,
2017. Among other things, the OFA process now requires potential
offerors, in their formal expression of intent, to make a
preliminary financial responsibility showing based on a calculation
using information contained in the carrier's filing and publicly-
available information. See Offers of Financial Assistance, EP 729
(STB served June 29, 2017); 82 FR 30,997 (July 5, 2017).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
All filings in response to this notice must refer to Docket No. AB
1264 and must be sent to: (1) Surface Transportation Board, 395 E
Street SW, Washington, DC 20423-0001; and (2) Jeffrey O. Moreno,
Thompson Hine LLP, 1919 M Street NW, Suite 700, Washington, DC 20036.
Replies to this petition are due on or before May 23, 2018.
[[Page 19593]]
Persons seeking further information concerning discontinuance
procedures may contact the Board's Office of Public Assistance,
Governmental Affairs, and Compliance at (202) 245-0238 or refer to the
full abandonment and discontinuance regulations at 49 CFR pt. 1152.
Assistance for the hearing impaired is available through the Federal
Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339.
Board decisions and notices are available on our website at
WWW.STB.GOV.
Decided: April 30, 2018.
By the Board, Scott M. Zimmerman, Acting Director, Office of
Proceedings.
Kenyatta Clay,
Clearance Clerk.
[FR Doc. 2018-09399 Filed 5-2-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915-01-P