WPC I?߁^s!SASB \rPm`R핗{%YUdd4FOD;=$}OwMc5!t4 p( hA&Fk;P3jBTU Q̷@ό0 jHpvIr:O~D7m(fyz/08<)> |*.b9 Ȏr¦ʄ8K&)oy_*kOÕJ7FJ8ʛ: [.9[bw>>T7p=eMoZ[x`L "H#>]6S#ms`Yk$@Pۄ9AVbqkXl ? b~NW (s.L a;(eZV㓺vQ& Y,9oVaΨJ&?U-UBv %r0 0< CI fc ae By  n 0!   w@l4UBnX Zq` 0e 0D6zSh2T TUN ht AQf 0D} 0D 0D D/I Bx\  `*Times New RomanTTX' Ntc of Petition/Hearing   0 .     v)  o[X4` hp x (#%'0*,.8135@8:<H?AXo    XXXXXXXX  iLXp x (#%'0*,.8135@8:<H?AX4` Xi!VXX!NOTICEOFHEARINGORDERNO.26326 V @    1  A  Ԅ(2v$  c!h    o[X4` hp x (#%'0*,.8135@8:<H?AXo    XXXXXXXX   dTable_A d3|P\  `*Times New RomanTTXXP\  P6QXP\  `*Times New RomanTT^\  P6QP\  `*Times New RomanTT5\  P6QP(c$h    o[X4` hp x (#%'0*,.8135@8:<H?AXo    XdbXXXXdbXXXdb  <$  o[X4` hp x (#%'0*,.8135@8:<H?AXo    XD%XXXXD%XXXD% 4   1    XXD%TheSurfaceTransportationBoardwasformerlyknownastheInterstateCommerceCommission.The  ICCTerminationActof1995,Pub.No.10488,109Stat.803,enactedonDecember29,1995,andtookeffectonJanuary1,1996,abolishedtheICCandtransferredcertainfunctionsandproceedingstotheSurfaceTransportationBoard.  ӀE b\  `*Times New RomanTT\  `*Times New RomanTTXXP\  P6QXP\  `*Times New RomanTT5\  P6QPH g $  o[X4` hp x (#%'0*,.8135@8:<H?AXo    XXXXXXXX 4   1    XXTheSurfaceTransportationBoardwasformerlyknownastheInterstateCommerceCommission.The  ICCTerminationActof1995,Pub.No.10488,109Stat.803,becameeffectiveonJanuary1,1996.ItabolishedtheICCandtransferredcertainfunctionstotheSurfaceTransportationBoard.((3$  c!h    o[X4` hp x (#%'0*,.8135@8:<H?AXo    XXXXXXXX   4   0  (#$  0   '"  XXXXXX  OfficeoftheSecretary  ServiceDateFebruary7,1996րLcMvO׏u :WPFIG AC:\WINDOWS̔+ً4(hH  Z 6Times New Roman Regular@WTable_A&'()+C<< CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(3$  !  (3$  !  ($$   1  ,,' dxdP Pd  c!h    o[X4` hp x (#%'0*,.8135@8:<H?AXo    XXXXXXXX  ݛXh  XX%  q%;+'j px `@Ex4X4Xx4Xqߛa%-` 0 `E<dtX aBEFORETHEIDAHOPUBLICUTILITIESCOMMISSION     ' %X4` X'XX*q ddd Xdd Xdd X(#(#q,I ,w , +  3 " B _3INTHEMATTEROFUNIONPACIFICRAILROADCOMPANYSPROPOSEDABANDONMENTOFTHETRACKAGEBETWEENMILEPOST7ATMADDENSANDMILEPOST24ATEMMETT 4*    4) B  )))))) '  'CASENO.UP-RR-95-2NOTICEOFHEARINGORDERNO.26326-#!   _ -! 4% ! 4 OnDecember6,1995,theUnionPacificRailroadCompany(UnionPacific)notifiedthisCommissionthatitintendedtosubmitformalapplicationtotheSurfaceTransportationBoard, #  1      כto *  abandon17milesoftheMaddensBranchlocatedinCanyonandGemCounties.TheportionofthetrackproposedforabandonmentrunsgenerallybetweenthecommunitiesofMiddletonandEmmett.RailservicetoMiddletonwouldbediscontinued.TheApplicationstatedthatUnionPacificplanstoabandonthetrackagebecauseithasnotbeenusedinthelasttwoyearsandclaimedthisabandonmentwillhavenoaffectonshippers. 4 OnDecember26,1995,theCommissionissuedaNoticeofApplicationandNoticeofModifiedProcedureseekingcommentsconcerningpotentialaffectsoftheabandonmentonshippers,customersandnearbycommunities.TheCommissionreceivedtimelycommentsfromtheCommissionStaff,UnionPacific,andUnitedTransportationUnionIdahoLegislativeBoard(UnionBoard).TheUnionBoardrequestedapublichearinginthematter. 4 OnJanuary30,1996,theSurfaceTransportationBoardpublishednoticeintheFederalRegister,thattheproposedabandonmentshouldbeexemptedfromthenormalabandonmentprocessbecausenotraffichasmovedoverthisbranchinthelasttwoyears.Consequently,theabandonmentwilltakeeffectonFebruary29,1996ifnoprotestsarefiled.BecauseofthetimelinesetbytheSurfaceTransportationBoard,theCommissionfindsthatthereisgoodcausetosetthismatterforhearingonlessthanfourteen(14)daysnoticeasrequiredbyRule241.IDAPA31.01.01.241.񛀀 4 TheauthoritytograntordenytheabandonmentrestssolelywiththeSurfaceTransportationBoard.However,pursuanttoIdahoCode62424thisCommissionconductsan Z(#: independentreviewtodeterminewhethertheabandonmentwouldadverselyaffectIdahospublicinterestandwhetherthebranchhasapotentialforprofitability.Morespecifically,theCommissionisrequiredtodeterminewhethertheabandonment:[1]wouldadverselyaffecttheareathenbeingserved;[2]whetherthereisreasontobelievethattheclosurewouldimpairtheaccessofIdahocommunitiestovitalgoodsandservicesandmarketaccesstothosecommunities,and;[3]whetherthelinehasapotentialforprofitability.IftheCommissionfindsthattheforegoingcriteriahavebeenmet,thenitmaytransmitareportofitsfindingstotheSurfaceTransportationBoardonbehalfofthepeopleofthestateofIdaho. 4 Afterconsiderationofthecommentsfiledbytheallparties,theCommissionshallsetthismatterforhearing.BecauseofthetimelinesetbytheSurfaceTransportationBoard,theCommissionfindsthatthereisgoodcausetosetthismatterforhearingonlessthanfourteen(14)daysnoticeasrequiredbyourProceduralRule241.IDAPA31.01.01.241.  NOTICEOFHEARING      4 YOUAREHEREBYNOTIFIEDthattheCommissionwillconductapublichearinginthismattercommencingat 2:00P.M. ONTUESDAYFEBRUARY20,1996,ATTHEEMMETT ` PUBLICLIBRARY,275S.HAYESAVE.,EMMETT,IDAHO .Atthattime,theCommission  willtaketestimonyfromtheStaff,therailroad,shippersandotherinterestedpersons.Testimonyspecificallydirectedtowhetherabandonmentofthistrackagewouldbeadversetothepublicinterestisinvited.TheUnionBoardandtheCommissionStaffaredesignatedaspartiestothecase. 4 YOUAREFURTHERNOTIFIEDthatahearingexaminerwillbedesignatedtoconductthishearing.򛀀IdahoCode61211providesthatanyinvestigation,inquiryorhearingwhichthe  ( CommissionhasthepowertoundertakeorheldbyorbeforeanyCommissionerorhearingexaminerdesignatedforthatpurposebytheCommission. 4 YOUAREFURTHERNOTIFIEDthatotherpersonsdesiringtointerveneinthiscaseforthepurposeofpresentingevidenceorcrossexaminingwitnessesmustfileaPetitiontoIntervenewiththeCommissionpursuanttoRule72and73oftheCommissionRulesofProcedure,IDAPA31.01.01.000etseq.Giventheexpeditednatureofthisproceeding,PetitionstoInterveneshould @)$4  befiledassoonaspossible.Interventionmaybegrantedatthehearing.Personsdesiringtopresent *%6 theirviewswithoutpartiesrightsofparticipationandexaminationarenotrequiredtointerveneandmaypresenttheircommentswithoutpriornotificationtotheCommissionortootherparties. $ 4 4 $ 4 YOUAREFURTHERNOTIFIEDthatallhearingsinthismatterwillbeheldinfacilitiesmeetingtheaccessibilityrequirementsoftheAmericanswithDisabilitiesAct.PersonsneedingthehelpofasignlanguageinterpreterorotherassistanceofthekindthattheCommissionisobligatedtoprovideundertheAmericanswithDisabilitiesActinordertoparticipateinortounderstandthetestimonyandargumentatapublichearingmayasktheCommissiontoprovideasignlanguageinterpreterorotherassistanceatthehearing.Therequestforassistancemustbereceivedatleastfive(5)workingdaysbeforethehearingbycontactingtheCommissionSecretaryat: 4 &  IDAHOPUBLICUTILITIESCOMMISSION 4 POBOX83720 4 BOISE,IDAHO837200074 4 (208)3340338(TELEPHONE) 4 (208)3343151(TEXTTELEPHONE)'" 4 YOUAREFURTHERNOTIFIEDthattheCommissionhasjurisdictionoverthismatterpursuanttoIdahoCode62424.TheCommissionmayissueOrdersconsistentwithitsauthority  \ underthissectionorunderTitle61orTitle62.  ORDER  2     4 ITISHEREBYORDEREDthattheUnionBoardsrequestforapublichearingisgranted.Giventheexpeditednatureofthisproceeding,thereisgoodcausetosetthismatterforhearingonlessthan14daysnotice. 4 ITISFURTHERORDEREDthattheUnionBoardandtheCommissionStaffaredesignatedaspartiestothiscase.TheCommissionalsoextendsaninvitationtoUnionPacificandtoIdahoNorthern&PacificRailroadCompanytoattendthehearingandprovideevidencefortheCommissionsconsideration. 4 ITISFURTHERORDEREDthatahearingexaminerbedesignatedtoconductthisproceedingpursuanttoIdahoCode61211. (#2  4 ̜ h+&6  4 DONEbyOrderoftheIdahoPublicUtilitiesCommissionatBoise,IdahothisπdayofFebruary1996.! u 4` ! u  󀀀 8  Ѐ u u[Ӏ u RALPHNELSON,PRESIDENT $ t  u  󀀀 $  Ѐ u MARSHAH.SMITH,COMMISSIONER    u   u DENNISS.HANSEN,COMMISSIONERATTEST:򀀀 4 MyrnaJ.WaltersCommissionSecretarynXXD%vld/OUPRR952.shXD%Xn u