Surface Transportation Board 2015 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Surface Transportation Board's (Board) Office of Environmental Analysis (OEA) has prepared an Environmental Assessment (EA) in response to a petition for exemption filed on June 27, 2014 by the Northwest Tennessee Regional Port Authority (NWTRPA) to construct and operate an approximately 5.5 mile line of railroad in Lake County, Tennessee. The proposed rail line would connect the Port of Cates Landing, a river port located on the Mississippi River, with an existing line of railroad operated by the Tennken Railroad at a connection near Tiptonville, Tennessee. The proposed rail line would provide rail service to customers at the Port of Cates Landing and at the Lake County Industrial Park, a proposed industrial park located adjacent to the Port of Cates Landing. The EA evaluates the potential environmental impacts of three alternative rail alignments, as well as the No Action Alternative and preliminarily concludes that construction of the proposed rail line connection would have no significant environmental impacts if the Board imposes and NWTRPA implements the recommended mitigation measures set forth in the EA. The entire EA is 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 ``ELIBRARY,'' and searching by Service Date (December 28, 2015) or Docket Number (FD 35802).

The Surface Transportation Board (Board) is proposing a definition of ``on-time performance'' for purposes of Section 213 of the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008 (PRIIA).

The Board has approved the first quarter 2016 Rail Cost Adjustment Factor (RCAF) and cost index filed by the Association of American Railroads. The first quarter 2016 RCAF (Unadjusted) is 0.864. The first quarter 2016 RCAF (Adjusted) is 0.368. The first quarter 2016 RCAF-5 is 0.347.

Under 49 U.S.C. 10502, the Board revokes the class exemption as it pertains to the local trackage rights described in Docket No. FD 35963 to permit the temporary trackage rights to expire at midnight on December 31, 2018, in accordance with the agreement of the parties,\1\ subject to the employee protective conditions set forth in Oregon Short Line RailroadAbandonment Portion Goshen Branch Between Firth & Ammon, in Bingham & Bonneville Counties, Idaho (Oregon Short Line), 360 I.C.C. 91 (1979).

The Surface Transportation Board seeks comment on whether and how it should update its rules pertaining to offers of financial assistance in order to improve that process and protect it against abuse.

Under 49 U.S.C. 10502, the Board revokes the class exemption as it pertains to the trackage rights described in Docket No. FD 35965 \1\ to permit the trackage rights to expire on January 1, 2020, as provided in the underlying temporary trackage rights agreement subject to the employee protective conditions set forth in Oregon Short Line RailroadAbandonment Portion Goshen Branch Between Firth & Ammon, in Bingham & Bonneville Counties, Idaho, 360 I.C.C. 91 (1979).

Notice is hereby given of a meeting of the Rail Energy Transportation Advisory Committee (RETAC), pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), 5 U.S.C. app. 2 section 10(a)(2). This meeting was originally scheduled for Thursday, October 1, 2015, 80 FR 55712 (Sept. 16, 2015). However, the meeting was postponed due to the possibility of a Federal Government shutdown.

As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 3501-3521 (PRA), the Surface Transportation Board (STB or Board) gives notice of its intent to seek approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for an extension of the Waybill Compliance Survey. This information collection is described in detail below. Comments are requested 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 summarized and included in the Board's request for OMB approval.