Trans Rail Holding Company-Continuance of Control Exemption-Merrimack & Grafton Railroad Corporation, 34709 [2020-12229]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 109 / Friday, June 5, 2020 / Notices with the comments, and serve a decision within 60 days of the close of the record that either accepts, rejects, or modifies AAR’s railroad-specific tax information. Id. If no comments are filed by July 6, 2020, AAR’s submitted weighted average state tax rates will be automatically adopted by the Board, effective July 7, 2020. Id. Decided: June 1, 2020. By the Board, Allison C. Davis, Director, Office of Proceedings. Kenyatta Clay, Clearance Clerk. [FR Doc. 2020–12107 Filed 6–4–20; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4915–01–P SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD [Docket No. FD 36403] lotter on DSK9F5VC42PROD with NOTICES Trans Rail Holding Company— Continuance of Control Exemption— Merrimack & Grafton Railroad Corporation Trans Rail Holding Company (TRHC), a noncarrier railroad holding company, has filed a verified notice of exemption under 49 CFR 1180.2(d)(2) to continue in control of Merrimack & Grafton Railroad Corporation (MGRC), upon MGRC’s becoming a Class III rail carrier. This transaction is related to a concurrently filed verified notice of exemption in Merrimack & Grafton Railroad—Change of Operators Exemption—Line of New England Southern Railroad, Docket No. FD 36405. In that proceeding, MGRC seeks an exemption under 49 CFR 1150.31 to operate over approximately 73 miles of rail line in New Hampshire (the Line). According to the verified notice, TRHC currently controls five Class III railroads through ownership of their controlling stock: (1) Vermont Railway, Inc.; (2) the Clarendon and Pittsford Railroad Company; (3) Washington County Railroad Company; (4) the New York & Ogdensburg Railway Company, Inc.; and (5) Green Mountain Railroad Corporation. The verified notice states that: (1) The Line does not connect with any of the tracks of the other five railroads controlled by TRHC; (2) the transaction is not part of a series of anticipated transactions that would connect the Line to any of the tracks of the other railroads; and (3) neither MGRC nor any of the carriers controlled by TRHC are Class I rail carriers. The proposed transaction is therefore exempt from the prior approval requirements of 49 U.S.C. 11323. See 49 CFR 1180.2(d)(2). The earliest this transaction may be consummated is June 20, 2020, the VerDate Sep<11>2014 18:21 Jun 04, 2020 Jkt 250001 effective date of the exemption (30 days after the verified notice was filed). 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. However, 49 U.S.C. 11326(c) does not provide for labor protection for transactions under 49 U.S.C. 11324 and 11325 that involve only Class III rail carriers. Because this transaction involves Class III rail carriers only, the Board, under the statute, may not impose labor protective conditions for this transaction. 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 to stay must be filed no later than June 12, 2020 (at least seven days before the exemption becomes effective). All pleadings, referring to Docket No. FD 36403, must be filed with the Surface Transportation Board either via e-filing or in writing addressed to 395 E Street SW, Washington, DC 20423–0001. In addition, a copy of each pleading must be served on TRHC’s representative, Thomas W. Wilcox, GKG Law, P.C., 1055 Thomas Jefferson Street NW, Suite 500, Washington, DC 20007. According to the verified notice, this action is categorically excluded from environmental review under 49 CFR 1105.6(c) and from historic preservation reporting requirements under 49 CFR 1105.8(b)(1). Board decisions and notices are available at www.stb.gov. Decided: June 2, 2020. By the Board, Allison C. Davis, Director, Office of Proceedings. Brendetta Jones, Clearance Clerk. [FR Doc. 2020–12229 Filed 6–4–20; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4915–01–P OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE [Docket No. USTR–2020–0022] Initiation of Section 301 Investigations of Digital Services Taxes Office of the United States Trade Representative. ACTION: Notice of initiation of investigations, and request for comments. AGENCY: The U.S. Trade Representative is initiating SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00121 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 34709 investigations with respect to Digital Services Taxes (DSTs) adopted or under consideration by Austria, Brazil, the Czech Republic, the European Union, India, Indonesia, Italy, Spain, Turkey, and the United Kingdom. The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) is seeking public comments in connection with these investigations. DATES: To be assured of consideration, you must submit written comments by July 15, 2020. ADDRESSES: You should submit written comments through the Federal eRulemaking Portal: https:// www.regulations.gov (Regulations.gov). Follow the instructions for submitting comments in section IV. The docket number is USTR–2020–0022. For issues with on-line submissions, please contact the USTR Section 301 line at 202–395– 5725. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For procedural questions concerning the submission of written comments, please contact the USTR Section 301 line at 202–395–5725. For questions concerning the investigation, please contact Patrick Childress, Assistant General Counsel, 202–395–3150; or Robert Tanner, Director for ICT Services & Digital Trade, 202–395–6125. For questions regarding specific jurisdictions covered by the investigations, please contact: For the EU, EU member States, Turkey, and the United Kingdom: Michael Rogers, Director for Europe, 202–395–2684; for Brazil, Courtney Smothers, Senior Director for MERCOSUR Countries, 202–395–7657; for India, Brendan Lynch, Deputy Assistant U.S. Trade Representative, South and Central Asian Affairs, 202–395–2851; and for Indonesia, Bart Thanhauser, Director for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, 202– 395–4088. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Digital Services Taxes Over the past two years, various jurisdictions have taken under consideration or adopted taxes on revenues that certain companies generate from providing certain digital services to, or aimed at, users in those jurisdictions. They are referred to as Digital Services Taxes or DSTs. Available evidence suggests the DSTs are expected to target large, U.S.-based tech companies. These jurisdictions include: Austria: In October 2019, Austria adopted a DST that applies a 5% tax to revenues from online advertising services. The law went into force on January 1, 2020. The tax applies only to E:\FR\FM\05JNN1.SGM 05JNN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 109 (Friday, June 5, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Page 34709]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-12229]


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SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD

[Docket No. FD 36403]


Trans Rail Holding Company--Continuance of Control Exemption--
Merrimack & Grafton Railroad Corporation

    Trans Rail Holding Company (TRHC), a noncarrier railroad holding 
company, has filed a verified notice of exemption under 49 CFR 
1180.2(d)(2) to continue in control of Merrimack & Grafton Railroad 
Corporation (MGRC), upon MGRC's becoming a Class III rail carrier.
    This transaction is related to a concurrently filed verified notice 
of exemption in Merrimack & Grafton Railroad--Change of Operators 
Exemption--Line of New England Southern Railroad, Docket No. FD 36405. 
In that proceeding, MGRC seeks an exemption under 49 CFR 1150.31 to 
operate over approximately 73 miles of rail line in New Hampshire (the 
Line).
    According to the verified notice, TRHC currently controls five 
Class III railroads through ownership of their controlling stock: (1) 
Vermont Railway, Inc.; (2) the Clarendon and Pittsford Railroad 
Company; (3) Washington County Railroad Company; (4) the New York & 
Ogdensburg Railway Company, Inc.; and (5) Green Mountain Railroad 
Corporation.
    The verified notice states that: (1) The Line does not connect with 
any of the tracks of the other five railroads controlled by TRHC; (2) 
the transaction is not part of a series of anticipated transactions 
that would connect the Line to any of the tracks of the other 
railroads; and (3) neither MGRC nor any of the carriers controlled by 
TRHC are Class I rail carriers. The proposed transaction is therefore 
exempt from the prior approval requirements of 49 U.S.C. 11323. See 49 
CFR 1180.2(d)(2).
    The earliest this transaction may be consummated is June 20, 2020, 
the effective date of the exemption (30 days after the verified notice 
was filed).
    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. However, 49 U.S.C. 11326(c) 
does not provide for labor protection for transactions under 49 U.S.C. 
11324 and 11325 that involve only Class III rail carriers. Because this 
transaction involves Class III rail carriers only, the Board, under the 
statute, may not impose labor protective conditions for this 
transaction.
    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 to stay must be filed no later than June 12, 2020 
(at least seven days before the exemption becomes effective).
    All pleadings, referring to Docket No. FD 36403, must be filed with 
the Surface Transportation Board either via e-filing or in writing 
addressed to 395 E Street SW, Washington, DC 20423-0001. In addition, a 
copy of each pleading must be served on TRHC's representative, Thomas 
W. Wilcox, GKG Law, P.C., 1055 Thomas Jefferson Street NW, Suite 500, 
Washington, DC 20007.
    According to the verified notice, this action is categorically 
excluded from environmental review under 49 CFR 1105.6(c) and from 
historic preservation reporting requirements under 49 CFR 1105.8(b)(1).
    Board decisions and notices are available at www.stb.gov.

    Decided: June 2, 2020.

    By the Board, Allison C. Davis, Director, Office of Proceedings.
Brendetta Jones,
Clearance Clerk.
[FR Doc. 2020-12229 Filed 6-4-20; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4915-01-P
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