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   H P   L a s e r J e t   4   P l u s / 4 M   P l u s                       HPPCL5E      ,,,,0                                                                                                                                                               ( hH  	   Z  6 T i m e s   N e w   R o m a n   R e g u l a r           X    (                    $           T A B L E   A    
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   )     STAFFCOMMENTS         h            1
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    !         S t a f f   C o m m e n t s                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     
               
 '           W o o d b u r y , S   
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 .      
       
       
             \	  	   `   * T i m e s   N e w   R o m a n       T T       (      (           3$       
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   
     (                 #$           0
   
  
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   )     STAFFCOMMENTS         h            1
   
 ڄ 
      
   )                                               X           T A B L E   A    
    !         X                                          &v &  X X   SUSANE.HAMLIN   	       DEPUTYATTORNEYGENERALIDAHOPUBLICUTILITIESCOMMISSIONPOBOX83720BOISE,ID837200074(208)3340314STREETADDRESSFOREXPRESSMAILING:472W.WASHINGTONST.BOISE,ID837025983AttorneyfortheCommissionStaff#   X.  X & &v׳   #    	 8
   @            X X. BEFORETHEIDAHOPUBLICUTILITIESCOMMISSION#   X.  X  #  #    	    *w               d                       d d      X      d d      X      d d      X             (#(#w ,    I               ,    w               ,                   +
   
 3     	 " 
    _        3 INTHEMATTEROF   X.  X  X X. UNIONPACIFIC   	    RAILROADCOMPANYSPROPOSEDABANDONMENTOFONEHALFMILEOFTHENEWMEADOWSBRANCHNEARWEISERINWASHINGTONCOUNTY,IDAHO#   X.  X  X X.  # 
4  *  X           	           4 )   	    )))))
'    H            ' CASENO.UPRR961   	    STAFFCOMMENTS-  # ! X"      
   
 _   -                    COMESNOWtheCommissionStaffbyandthroughitsattorneyofrecord,SusanE.Hamlin,DeputyAttorneyGeneral,andherebysubmitsthesecommentsasprovidedforintheNoticeofApplicationissuedJuly8,1996:@    $  INTRODUCTION   	 !,        OnJune24,1996,UnionPacificRailroadCompany(UnionPacific)notifiedtheCommissionthatitintendstosubmitformalapplicationtotheSurfaceTransportationBoardtoabandonaonehalfmilesegmentoftheNewMeadowsBranchnearWeiserinWashingtonCounty,Idaho.TheraillineoftheproposedabandonmentisattheendofaveryshortsegmentoftrackknownastheNewMeadowsBranch,whichextendsentirelyfromWeiser,Idaho,inawesterlydirectionontheendofMilepost1.00.TheproposedabandonmentinvolvesadiscontinuationofaportionoftheNewϜMeadowsBranchextendingfromrailroadmilepost.50totheendofthelineatrailroadmilepost
    
 1.00,adistanceofonehalfmile.AportionofthistrackageintersectswithUSHighway95.   	 -X(<      % %  X X.      #   X.  X % %	  # UnionPacificassertsthattherehasbeennofreightshipmentsorlocaltrafficoriginatingor
    
 terminatingoverthislineforatleastthelasttwoyearsandthatthereisnoforeseeablepossibilityoffuturerailtrafficmovingoverthisportionofthebranch.    p AccordingtoIdahoCode62434,   	    whenarailroadproposestoabandontrackage,thePUCisrequiredtodeterminewhether(1)itwouldadverselyaffecttheareabeingserved,(2)thereisreasontobelievethattheclosurewouldimpairtheaccesstoIdahocommunitiestovitalgoodsandservicesandmarketaccesstothosecommunities,and(3)thelinehaspotentialprofitability.ItisStaffspositionthattheabandonmentofthistrackagewouldnothaveanadverseimpacttoIdahospublicinterest.@       STAFFSINVESTIGATION   	 X      X.  X  X X.      #   X.  X  X X.  #      OnJune25,1996,   X.  X  X X. toinvestigatethepotentialimpacttheproposedabandonmentwouldhave   	 (x   ontheareaandlocalshippers,Staff#   X.  X  X X.%  #    X.  X  X X. ԀtraveledtotheCityofWeisertoidentifythetrackageandtalk   	    tolocalbusinesses.#   X.  X  X X.  # ԀItappearsthatthissegmenthasfewadjacentbusinesses,beingmostlybordered   	 H   byresidentialandundevelopedproperty.Anattemptwasmadetolocateanypossibleshipperslocatedonthisportionoftherailroad.Nonewerefound.StaffcontactedtheU.S.ForestRangerStation,whichislocatedneartheintersectionoftheUSHighway95andthetrackageproposedforabandonment.EmployeesattheRangerStationstatedthattheywereunawareofanyoneusingthisportionoftherailroadandthattotheirknowledgeithadnotbeenusedforseveralyears.TheywereenthusiasticaboutthepossibilityofthetracksbeingremovedthatcrossHighway95becausetheyϜclaimthecrossingisinpoorrepair.Finally,StaffcontactedMr.JackMcDanielofMcDanielConstructionwhosebusinessislocatedadjacenttothetracksatMilepost0.5.Mr.McDanielstatedthattohisknowledgethetrackshavenotbeenusedforshippingforatleasttwoyears.     Staffalsocontactedcommunityofficialsconcerningtheproposedabandonment.Mr.JohnWalker,theWeiserCityClerk,informedStaffthattheCitydidnotopposetheabandonmentandthattheCitywasgoingtocontacttheRailroadaboutobtainingthepropertyafterthetracksareremoved.StaffalsocontactedMr.RoyMink,chairmanoftheWashingtonCountyCommission,whotoldtheStaffthatitwasreallymoreacityissuethanacountyissue,andfeltthattheCityofWeisershould
    
 lookatarecreationaluseoftherightawayiftheabandonmentisallowed.Hisonlyconcernwas   	 ,`'8   thepossiblelossoftaxestothecountyonrailcarsthatmightbestoredonthatsectionoftrackinthefuture.    `	    	 h   
    
      Staffcontactedstateofficialsabouttheimpactoftheproposedabandonment.Mr.RonKerr,astaterailplannerfortheIdahoTransportationDepartment,indicatedthattheDepartmentisworkingonanUS95WeiserbypassprojectthatwillexpandpartofUS95nearthisproposedϜabandonment.Mr.Kerrstatedthathecouldnotseeanyadverseeffectstothehighwayprojectbytheproposedabandonmentandthatmostlikelyitcouldbenefittheprojectbecausearailcrossingwillbeeliminated.TheHistoricalSocietyinformedStaffthatthebranchisnoteligiblefortheNationalRegisterofHistoricPlaces,butisrecommendingthataprofessionalarchaeologistinspectthesiteforpotentialeffectsofabandonmentonarchaeologicalproperties.     Finally,StaffcontactedIdahoNorthernandPacificRailroadabouttheproposedϜabandonment.IdahoNortherninformedStaffthatitdidnotusethishalfmilestretchandthereforedonotopposetheabandonment.@    FF%  CONCLUSION   	 `        Staffconcludesthatabandonmentofthishalfmilestubofthelinewillhavenoadverseeffectonthecommunitiesoriginallyservedbythelines,norwillitimpairaccesstothecommunityofvitalgoodsandservices.Staffisawareofnopartieswhoopposetheabandonmentandcouldnotfindanyshippersthatwouldbeaffectedbytheproposedabandonment.     RESPECTFULLYSUBMITTEDthisdayofJuly1996.                  `	               h           򀀀   	 #,            `	               h           SusanE.Hamlin   	 $-            `	               h           DeputyAttorneyGeneral̛         `	               h           RonLaw,Administrator         `	               h           RegulatedCarrierDivision̜      X X. bls/Nuprr961.com #   X.  X    #    	  +p&4    	   	 +$'5       X.  X  X X. @      CERTIFICATEOFSERVICE   	     Z  F     X  4    x   (# % ' 0* , . 81 3 5 @8 : < H? A   XZ             4 IHEREBYCERTIFYthatonthis29thdayofJuly1996,IservedatrueandcorrectcopyofSTAFFCOMMENTS,inCaseNo.UPRR9 	5	6 21,byUnitedStatesMail,postageprepaid,   	 	(   toeachofthefollowing:       y         4      JosephAnthoferLawDepartmentUnionPacificRailroadCompany1416DodgeStreet,Room830Omaha,NE681790001    4     4      򀀀   	 h       4      SECRETARY   	 X    f  F 4   4    ! T$ & ) \+ - 0 d2 4 7 l9 ; > t@ B $E   X 4   Xf     4     <           x #   X.  X  X X.  # ԛ