WPCF  
      6     MXyo~s(5Ģ@p7}[|Kpڻ5+ÊG{B~D*N;w%#yKt"؎
N6ɉ'WQOKA1dC)=&*=`@VnDc
8+}heھ,Øi˅*)1P4XIa|^"S$yEϛP|r'~6xޑn;zYrg#K֫R$zǶ]gɓrxoT̓{XR{o(ywB'Qvy CmqDPׯrqiV#ǰ]Mk4rPVe)Ph*j=,>kUw^;݀iWr-dqa>#t'zYD`q#8xg` ,           	%      h     N   n  0   (     w   @     0	   C   $  4      g  n   X  {                             z  ~  0   l   	  0   D   d
       
   U   N      	                     U   B                  U   N   _            _            _            _            _   	                                             U   N                                                                             	B                     	                     	      &   	      .   	      6   	      >    %p : \ o f f i c e \ w p w i n \ t e m p l a t e \ p u c \ d m e m o . w p t       (                    $       
    g&      T  T  E    Q 2 e r    (                  2 B$       
    !     +}           J      \	  	   `   * T i m e s   N e w   R o m a n       T T                                                                               XXP \	    P 6QXP \	  	   `   * T i m e s   N e w   R o m a n       T T                                                                               5 \	    P 6QP"| x            
      
    B)     DECISIONMEMORANDUM@    *        1
   
 ڈ    (#(#K (# % )    % )   l        7 / 3 0   D e c M e m o   N t c   o f   I n t e n t   t o   A b a n d o n                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       
               
 '           H a m l i n , S   
 0      
 .      
       
       
           (      (           3$       
    !              0
   
     (                 #$           0
   
  
        "   % %        
             1
   
      TherailabandonmentdutiesformallyexercisedbyInterstateCommerceCommission(ICC)werereassigned   	       totheSurfaceTransportationBoard(STB)intheICCTerminationActof1995,PublicLaw10488.ThisLawabolishedtheICCandestablishedtheSTBwithintheU.S.DepartmentofTransportation.RegulationspreviouslyissuedbytheICCwerecontinuedpursuantto61Fed.Reg.1842(January24,1996).( hH  	   Z  6 T i m e s   N e w   R o m a n   R e g u l a r           D3    \	  	   `   * T i m e s   N e w   R o m a n       T T   ( hH  	   Z  6 T i m e s   N e w   R o m a n   R e g u l a r           H  ( ON  	   Z  6 T i m e s   N e w   R o m a n   R e g u l a r                          d    +1     +2     M3     M4     M5   
    !         X  
            
 %     *    , X  4 `	X   X*      @    ;;!  DECISION MEMORANDUM0              (#(#  TO:    4 COMMISSIONERNELSON   	 >       4 COMMISSIONERSMITH    4 COMMISSIONERHANSEN    4 MYRNAWALTERS    4 TONYACLARK    4 % &    % &      DONHOWELL    4 GARYRICHARDSON    4 WORKINGFILE(Pat)FROM:    4 % (    % (   D   SUSANHAMLIN   	 8
       4 RONLAWDATE:    4 % *    % *      JULY30,1996   	 v   RE:0    4 % +    % +      UPNOTICEOFINTENTTOABANDONONEHALFMILEOFNEWMEADOWS   	 *z   BRANCHNEARWEISER,UPRR961    4(#4(#                    4     4 OnJune24,1996,UnionPacificRailroadCompanynotifiedtheCommissionthatitintendstoabandonahalfmilesegmentoftheNewMeadowsBranchnearWeiserinWashingtonCounty,Idaho.Atonetime,thisbranchlineranallthewaytoTamarack.In1993thisbranchwassoldtotheIdahoNorthern&PacificRailroadCompany.    4    %  %  % %      &d &  % % InCaseNo.INRR951,theCommissionconsideredwhethertheabandonmentof83.1miles   	 k   ofthisbranchline(identifiedastheCouncilbranch)wouldadverselyaffectIdahospublicinterest.#   &d & & &d+  # #   %  % & &dJ  # InOrder   	 b    No.26016issuedMay1995,theCommissiondidnotopposeIdahoNorthernsabandonmentofthisbranchbeforetheInterstateCommerceCommission(ICC)           
   #     1
   
      
   
 .   %  %  % %    &d &  % % Thebranchatissueinthiscaseisanadditionalhalf   	 @$   mile stuboftheCouncilBranchownedbyUnionPacific.#   &d & & &d  # #   %  % & &d  # ԀUnionPacificintendstoabandontheadditional   	 7!&   halfmile stubonthisbranch.    4 UnionPacificassertsthattherehavebeennofreightshipmentsoriginatingorterminatingoverthislineforatleastthelasttwoyears.TheRailroadfurtherassertsthattherearenoshippersonthissegmentofthetracktobeabandonedandthereisnoforeseeablepossibilityoffuturerailtrafficmovingoverthisportionofthebranch.Consequently,theRailroadclaimsthatretentionofthissegmentofthebranchisnotcostjustified.    4 Giventheassertionthatnorailtraffichasmovedoverthisbranchinthelasttwoyears,theRailroadsSTBApplicationqualifiesasan exemptionapplication.Inanexemptionproceeding,    o+&6    abandonmentwillnormallybegrantedbytheSTBthirtydaysafterpublicationintheFederalRegister.The STBhasissuednoticethattheeffectivedatewillbeAugust28,1996,unlessanobjectionisfiled.     %y  %  % %y    & &  % %y @    ss   STAFFSINVESTIGATION   	    #   & & & &  #    Xѥ X & &     4 #   & & X Xѥ  # ԀOnJune25,1996,   & & & & toinvestigatethepotentialimpacttheproposedabandonmentwouldhave   	 	   ontheareaandlocalshippers,Staff#   & & & &  #    & & & & ԀtraveledtotheCityofWeisertoidentifythetrackageandtalktolocal   	 c
   businesses.#   & & & &䪦  # ԀThissegmenthasfewadjacentbusinesses,beingmostlyborderedbyresidentialandundeveloped   	 Z   property.Staffattemptedtolocateanypossibleshippersusingthisportionoftherailroad.Nonewerefound.StaffcontactedtheU.S.ForestRangerStation,whichislocatedneartheintersectionoftheUSHighway95andthetrackageproposedforabandonment.EmployeesattheRangerStationstatedthattheywereunawareofanyoneusingthisportionoftherailroadandthattotheirknowledgeithadnotbeenusedforseveralyears.TheywereenthusiasticaboutthepossibilityofthetracksbeingremovedthatcrossHighway95becausetheyclaimthecrossingisinpoorrepair.Finally,StaffcontactedMr.JackMcDanielofMcDanielConstructionwhosebusinessislocatedadjacenttothetracksatMilepost0.5.Althoughheisnotashipper,Mr.McDanielstatedthattohisknowledgethetrackshavenotbeenusedforshippingforatleasttwoyears.    4 Staffalsocontactedcommunityofficialsconcerningtheproposedabandonment.Mr.JohnWalker,theWeiserCityClerk,informedStaffthattheCitydidnotopposetheabandonmentandthattheCitywasgoingtocontacttheRailroadaboutobtainingthepropertyafterthetracksareremoved.StaffalsocontactedMr.RoyMink,chairmanoftheWashingtonCountyCommission,whotoldtheStaffthatitwasacityratherthanacountyissue,andrecommendedthattheCityofWeisershouldlookatarecreationaluseoftherightawayiftheabandonmentisallowed.Hisonlyconcernwasthepossiblelossoftaxestothecountyfromrailcar sstorageonthatsectionoftrackinthefuture.        	 *       4 Staffcontactedstateofficialsabouttheimpactoftheproposedabandonment.Mr.RonKerr,astaterailplannerfortheIdahoTransportationDepartment,indicatedthattheDepartmentisworkingonanUS95WeiserbypassprojectthatwillexpandpartofUS95nearthisproposedabandonment.Mr.Kerrstatedthathecouldnotseeanyadverseeffectstothehighwayprojectbytheproposedabandonmentandthatmostlikelyitcouldbenefittheprojectbecausearailcrossingwillbeeliminated.TheHistoricalSocietyinformedStaffthatthebranchisnoteligiblefortheNationalRegisterofHistoricPlaces,butisrecommendingthataprofessionalarchaeologistinspectthesiteforpotentialeffectsofabandonmentonarchaeologicalproperties.    4 Finally,StaffcontactedIdahoNorthernandPacificRailroadabouttheproposedabandonment.IdahoNortherninformedStaffthatitdidnotusethishalfmilestretchandthereforedonotopposetheabandonment.   	 -(@   ЇConclusion   	          & & & &      4 IdahoCode62424statesthat whenever anyrailroadproposestoabandonanybranchlineor   	 G   mainlinenowinoperationwithinthestateof Idaho,theCommission  mustdetermine whether[1]itwouldadverselyaffecttheareathenbeingserved,[2] theclosure wouldimpairtheaccessofIdahocommunitiestovitalgoodsandservicesandmarketaccesstothosecommunities,and[3] the linehaspotentialfor profitability.#   & & & &!  # Staffconcludesthatabandonmentofthishalfmilestubofthelinewillhavenoadverseeffect   	 c
   onthecommunitiesoriginallyservedbythelines,norwillitimpairaccesstothecommunityofvitalgoodsandservices.UnionPacificassertsthatretentionofthissegmentisnotcostjustifiedbecausethereisnoforeseeableuseforthishalfmilebranchinthefuture,thusthereisnopotentialforprofitability ..Finally,Staffisawareofnopartieswhoopposetheabandonmentandcouldnotfindanyshippersthatwouldbeaffectedbytheproposedabandonment.   & & & &     	 v    @      S tT aA fF fF sS   rR eE cC oO mM mM eE nN dD aA tT iI oO nN    	 T    #   & & & &S  #    Xѥ X & &     4 #   & & X Xѥ!  #    & & & &      4  #   & & & &9"  #    & & & & StaffhasconcludedthatthecriteriaforIdahoCode#   & & & &䪨"  #    & & & & 62424havenotbeenmet,therefore,   	    recommendsthattheCommissionnotopposethisabandonmentbeforetheSurfaceTransportationBoard.  @    !  C oO mM mM iI sS sS iI oO nN  D eE cC iI sS iI oO nN    	 g"       4 DoestheCommissionwish toadoptStaffsrecommendationandissueafinalOrderforthiscase?#   & & & &%#  #  DoestheCommissionhaveanothersuggestion?    	 E&                4     `	               h      򀀀   	  ,       4     `	               h      Susan Hamlin   	  & & bls/Muprr961.sh #   & &	  (  # 