40976                                SERVICE DATE – AUGUST 9, 2010

DO

FR-4915-01-P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Surface Transportation Board

[Docket No. AB 295 (Sub-No. 8X)]

The Indiana Rail Road Company—Abandonment Exemption―in Sullivan County, Ind.

            The Indiana Rail Road Company (INRD) filed a verified notice of exemption under 49 C.F.R. pt. 1152 subpart F–Exempt Abandonments to abandon a 4.37-mile portion of its Kindill Lead extending from milepost 3.1 to milepost 7.47, in Sullivan County, Ind.[1]  The line traverses United States Postal Service Zip Codes 47438 and 47882.

            INRD has certified that:  (1) no local traffic has moved over the line for at least 2 years; (2) any overhead traffic on the line (there is none) can be rerouted over other lines; (3) no formal complaint filed by a user of rail service on the line (or by a state or local government entity acting on behalf of such user) regarding cessation of service over the line either is pending with the Surface Transportation Board (Board) or with any U.S. District Court or has been decided in favor of complainant within the 2-year period; and (4) the requirements at 49 C.F.R. § 1105.7(c) (environmental report), 49 C.F.R. § 1105.11 (transmittal letter), 49 C.F.R. § 1105.12 (newspaper publication), and 49 C.F.R. § 1152.50(d)(1) (notice to governmental agencies) have been met.

            As a condition to this exemption, any employee adversely affected by the abandonment shall be protected under Oregon Short Line Railroad & The Union Pacific 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) has been received, this exemption will be effective on September 8, 2010, unless stayed pending reconsideration.  Petitions to stay that do not involve environmental issues,[2] formal expressions of intent to file an OFA under 49 C.F.R. § 1152.27(c)(2),[3] and trail use/rail banking requests under 49 C.F.R. § 1152.29 must be filed by August 19, 2010.  Petitions to reopen or requests for public use conditions under 49 C.F.R. § 1152.28 must be filed by August 30, 2010, with the Surface Transportation Board, 395 E Street, S.W., Washington, DC  20423-0001.

            A copy of any petition filed with the Board should be sent to INRD’s representative:  John Broadley, John H. Broadley & Associates, P.C., 1054 31st Street, N.W., Suite 540, Washington, DC  20007.

            If the verified notice contains false or misleading information, the exemption is void ab initio.

            INRD has filed a combined environmental and historic report which addresses the effects, if any, of the abandonment on the environment and historic resources.  SEA will issue an environmental assessment (EA) by August 13, 2010.  Interested persons may obtain a copy of the EA by writing to SEA (Room 1100, Surface Transportation Board, Washington, DC  20423-0001) or by calling SEA, at (202) 245-0305.  [Assistance for the hearing impaired is available through the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339.]  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 C.F.R. § 1152.29(e)(2), INRD 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 INRD’s filing of a notice of consummation by August 9, 2011, and there are no legal or regulatory barriers to consummation, the authority to abandon will automatically expire.

            Board decisions and notices are available on our website at “WWW.STB.DOT.GOV.”

Decided:  August 4, 2010.

            By the Board, Rachel D. Campbell, Director, Office of Proceedings.