Surface Transportation Board 2014 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Notice is hereby given of a meeting of the National Grain Car Council (NGCC), pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C., app. 2 section 10(a)(2).

The Board is granting an exemption under 49 U.S.C. 10502 from the prior approval requirements of 49 U.S.C. 10901 for the California High-Speed Rail Authority (Authority) to construct an approximately 114-mile high-speed passenger rail line between Fresno and Bakersfield, California (the Line). The Line would be the second section of the statewide California High-Speed Train System. This exemption is subject to environmental mitigation conditions and the condition that the Authority build the route designated as environmentally preferable.

As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burdens, and as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 3501- 3519 (PRA), the Surface Transportation Board (STB or Board) gives notice that it is requesting from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval of the information collection resulting from the Board's annual request that Class I carriers and rail carriers that are members of the American Shortline and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) provide the Board with information about the plans and preparations that these rail carriers have made in anticipation of the increased demand for rail service during the fall peak demand season. The Board previously published a notice about this collection in the Federal Register on June 24, 2013, at 78 FR 37882 (60-day notice). That notice allowed for a 60-day public review and comment period. No comments were received. Comments may now be submitted to OMB concerning: (1) The accuracy of the Board's burden estimates; (2) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information collected; (3) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on the respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology when appropriate; and (4) whether the collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Board, including whether the collection has practical utility. Submitted comments will be considered and also included in the Board's request for OMB approval.

The Surface Transportation Board (STB or Board), as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public to take this opportunity to comment on the ``Extension of Generic Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service Delivery'' for approval under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 3501-3519 (PRA). This collection was developed as part of a Federal Government-wide effort to streamline the process for seeking feedback from the public on the Board's service delivery. This notice announces our intent to submit this collection to OMB for approval and solicits comments on specific aspects for the proposed information collection. Comments are requested concerning: (a) Whether the collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology; and (e) estimates of capital or start-up costs and costs of operation, maintenance, and purchase of services to provide information. Burden means the total time, effort, or financial resources expended by persons to generate, maintain, retain, disclose, or provide information to or for a Federal agency. This includes the time needed to review instructions; to develop, acquire, install, and utilize technology and systems for the purpose of collecting, validating, and verifying information, processing and maintaining information, and disclosing and providing information; to train personnel and to be able to respond to a collection of information, to search data sources, to complete and review the collection of information; and to transmit or otherwise disclose the information. Submitted comments will be summarized and included in the Board's request for OMB approval.

Texas Bus and Limo Acquisition Corp. (TBL), GBJ, Inc. (GBJ), Echo Tours and Charters L.P. (Echo), Roadrunner Charters, Inc. (Roadrunner), and Star Shuttle, Inc. (Star) (collectively, Applicants) have filed an application under 49 U.S.C. 14303 for Echo to acquire control of Tri-City Charters of Bossier, Inc. (Tri-City), and for TBL thereafter to acquire control of GBJ, Echo, Roadrunner, and Star. The Board is tentatively approving and authorizing the transaction, and, if no opposing comments are timely filed, this notice will be the final Board action. Persons wishing to oppose the application must follow the rules at 49 CFR 1182.5 and 1182.8.

Pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations, the Surface Transportation Board has obtained OMB approval for the collection of information adopted by the Board in Demurrage Liability, STB Ex Parte No. 707 (STB served April 14, 2014).

The Surface Transportation Board's (Board) Office of Environmental Analysis (OEA) has prepared an Environmental Assessment (EA) in response to a verified notice of exemption filed on May 27, 2014 by the Hartwell Railroad Company (Hartwell). Hartwell seeks to construct approximately 1,360 feet of connecting railroad track, pursuant to 49 CFR 1150.36. The proposal would allow Hartwell's existing Toccoa-Elberton Line to connect with CSX Transportation's, Inc. (CSXT) existing Abbeville Subdivision in Elbert County, GA. The proposal would re-establish a prior rail connection formerly owned by the Norfolk Southern Railway Company (NSR) and occur on land within existing railroad rights-of-way either owned by Hartwell or CSXT. The prior connection, which allowed Hartwell to indirectly interchange its rail traffic with CSXT, was formally abandoned by NSR in 1995. Since then, Hartwell has been required to interchange its traffic solely with NSR at the other end of its line (some 40-miles northwest of the Proposed Action) in order to access the mainlines of CSXT approximately 60 miles to the northeast and about 37 miles to the southwest. The proposed rail line construction would permit Hartwell to reach points served by CSXT that NSR does not serve and eliminate the inefficiency that would otherwise involve three carriers (Hartwell-NSR- CSXT) instead of two (Hartwell-CSXT) to reach points served solely by CSXT. Hartwell expects to handle up to one train per day in each direction over the new connection with CSXT. The EA identifies the natural and man-made resources in the area of the proposed rail line and analyzes the potential impacts of the proposal on these resources. Based on the information provided from all sources to date and its independent analysis, OEA preliminarily concludes that construction of the proposed rail line connection would have no significant environmental impacts if the Board imposes and Hartwell implements the recommended mitigation measures set forth in the EA. Copies of the EA have been served on all interested parties and will be made available to additional parties upon request. The entire EA is also available on the Board's Web site (www.stb.dot.gov) by clicking on the ``Decisions & Notices'' button that appears in the drop down menu for ``E-LIBRARY,'' and searching by Service Date (July 1, 2014) or Docket Number (FD 35756). OEA will consider all comments received when making its final environmental recommendations to the Board. The Board will then consider OEA's final recommendations and the complete environmental record in making its final decision in this proceeding.

The Board is publishing, and providing the public an opportunity to comment on, the 2013 weighted average state tax rates for each Class I railroad, as calculated by the Association of American Railroads (AAR), for use in the Revenue Shortfall Allocation Method (RSAM).