The Athens Line, LLC-Discontinuance of Service Exemption-in Oconee and Clarke Counties, Ga, 17446 [2019-08369]

Download as PDF 17446 Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 80 / Thursday, April 25, 2019 / Notices Johnson LLP, 1330 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20036. If the verified notice contains false or misleading information, the exemption is void ab initio. BNSF has filed a combined environmental and historic report that addresses the potential effects of the abandonment on the environment and historic resources. OEA will issue an environmental assessment (EA) by April 30, 2019. The EA will be available to interested persons on the Board’s website, by writing to OEA, or by calling OEA at (202) 245–0305. Assistance for the hearing impaired is available through the Federal Relay Service at (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 a notice of consummation by April 25, 2020, and there are no legal or regulatory barriers to consummation, the authority to abandon will automatically expire. Board decisions and notices are available at www.stb.gov. Decided: April 22, 2019. By the Board, Allison C. Davis, Acting Director, Office of Proceedings. Jeffrey Herzig, Clearance Clerk. [FR Doc. 2019–08368 Filed 4–24–19; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4915–01–P SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD [Docket No. AB 1274X] khammond on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with NOTICES The Athens Line, LLC— Discontinuance of Service Exemption—in Oconee and Clarke Counties, Ga The Athens Line, LLC (Athens Line), has filed a verified notice of exemption under 49 CFR pt. 1152 subpart F— Exempt Abandonments and Discontinuances of Service to discontinue service over an approximately 13.8-mile rail line from milepost F–91.5 (at Bishop, Ga.) to milepost 105.3 (in Athens, Ga.) (the Line). The Line traverses U.S. Postal Service Zip Codes 30601, 30602, 30605, 30606, 30677, and 30621. VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:25 Apr 24, 2019 Jkt 247001 Athens Line has certified that: (1) No local traffic has moved over the Line for at least two years; (2) no overhead traffic has moved over the Line for at least two years; (3) no formal complaint filed by a user of rail service on the Line (or a state or local government entity acting on behalf of such user) regarding cessation of service over the Line either is pending before the Surface Transportation Board (Board) or any U.S. District Court or has been decided in favor of the complainant within the two-year period; and (4) the requirements at 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 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). 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) 1 to subsidize continued rail service has been received, this exemption will be effective on May 25, 2019, unless stayed pending reconsideration. Petitions to stay that do not involve environmental issues must be filed by May 3, 2019, and formal expressions of intent to file an OFA to subsidize continued rail service under 49 CFR 1152.27(c)(2) 2 must be filed by May 6, 2019.3 Petitions for reconsideration must be filed by May 15, 2019, with the Surface Transportation Board, 395 E Street SW, Washington, DC 20423–0001. A copy of any petition filed with Board should be sent to Athens Line’s representative, Richard H. Streeter, Law Office of Richard H. Streeter, 5255 Partridge Lane NW, Washington, DC 20016. 1 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). 2 Each OFA must be accompanied by the filing fee, which currently is set at $1,800. See 49 CFR 1002.2(f)(25). 3 Because this is a discontinuance proceeding and not an abandonment, trail use/rail banking and public use conditions are not appropriate. Because there will be an environmental review during abandonment, this discontinuance does not require environmental review. PO 00000 Frm 00073 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 If the verified notice contains false or misleading information, the exemption is void ab initio. Board decisions and notices are available at www.stb.gov. Decided: April 19, 2019. By the Board, Allison C. Davis, Acting Director, Office of Proceedings. Jeffrey Herzig, Clearance Clerk. [FR Doc. 2019–08369 Filed 4–24–19; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4915–01–P SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD [Docket No. FD 36290] Union Pacific Railroad Company— Trackage Rights Exemption—Norfolk Southern Railway Company Union Pacific Railroad Company (UP) has filed a verified notice of exemption under 49 CFR 1180.2(d)(7) to acquire trackage rights from Norfolk Southern Railway Company (NSR). UP states that NSR, pursuant to a written trackage rights agreement, has agreed to grant UP overhead trackage rights over approximately 288 miles of NSR’s rail line between the UP/NSR connection at Control Point West MC at Birmingham, Mo., near milepost S266.3 and the UP/ NSR connection at Control Point Iles at Springfield, Ill., near milepost DH 416.5.1 The verified notice states that the proposed transaction will provide UP with an alternative route between Kansas City, Mo., and Springfield, thereby increasing efficiency in operations. The transaction may be consummated on or after May 9, 2019, the effective date of the exemption (30 days after the verified notice of exemption was filed). As a condition to this exemption, any employees affected by the trackage rights will be protected by the conditions imposed in Norfolk & Western Railway—Trackage Rights— Burlington Northern, Inc., 354 I.C.C. 605 (1978), as modified in Mendocino Coast Railway—Lease & Operate—California Western Railroad, 360 I.C.C. 653 (1980). 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 1 A redacted version of the agreement between UP and NSR was filed with UP’s verified notice of exemption. UP simultaneously filed a motion for a protective order to protect the confidential and commercially sensitive information in the unredacted version of the agreement, which UP submitted under seal. That motion will be addressed in a separate decision. E:\FR\FM\25APN1.SGM 25APN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 80 (Thursday, April 25, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Page 17446]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-08369]


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SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD

[Docket No. AB 1274X]


The Athens Line, LLC--Discontinuance of Service Exemption--in 
Oconee and Clarke Counties, Ga

    The Athens Line, LLC (Athens Line), has filed a verified notice of 
exemption under 49 CFR pt. 1152 subpart F--Exempt Abandonments and 
Discontinuances of Service to discontinue service over an approximately 
13.8-mile rail line from milepost F-91.5 (at Bishop, Ga.) to milepost 
105.3 (in Athens, Ga.) (the Line). The Line traverses U.S. Postal 
Service Zip Codes 30601, 30602, 30605, 30606, 30677, and 30621.
    Athens Line has certified that: (1) No local traffic has moved over 
the Line for at least two years; (2) no overhead traffic has moved over 
the Line for at least two years; (3) no formal complaint filed by a 
user of rail service on the Line (or a state or local government entity 
acting on behalf of such user) regarding cessation of service over the 
Line either is pending before the Surface Transportation Board (Board) 
or any U.S. District Court or has been decided in favor of the 
complainant within the two-year period; and (4) the requirements at 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 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). 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) \1\ to subsidize continued rail service has 
been received, this exemption will be effective on May 25, 2019, unless 
stayed pending reconsideration. Petitions to stay that do not involve 
environmental issues must be filed by May 3, 2019, and formal 
expressions of intent to file an OFA to subsidize continued rail 
service under 49 CFR 1152.27(c)(2) \2\ must be filed by May 6, 2019.\3\ 
Petitions for reconsideration must be filed by May 15, 2019, with the 
Surface Transportation Board, 395 E Street SW, Washington, DC 20423-
0001.
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    \1\ 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).
    \2\ Each OFA must be accompanied by the filing fee, which 
currently is set at $1,800. See 49 CFR 1002.2(f)(25).
    \3\ Because this is a discontinuance proceeding and not an 
abandonment, trail use/rail banking and public use conditions are 
not appropriate. Because there will be an environmental review 
during abandonment, this discontinuance does not require 
environmental review.
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    A copy of any petition filed with Board should be sent to Athens 
Line's representative, Richard H. Streeter, Law Office of Richard H. 
Streeter, 5255 Partridge Lane NW, Washington, DC 20016.
    If the verified notice contains false or misleading information, 
the exemption is void ab initio.
    Board decisions and notices are available at www.stb.gov.

    Decided: April 19, 2019.

    By the Board, Allison C. Davis, Acting Director, Office of 
Proceedings.
Jeffrey Herzig,
Clearance Clerk.
[FR Doc. 2019-08369 Filed 4-24-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915-01-P
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