[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 215 (Wednesday, November 5, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65921-65922]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-26344]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Surface Transportation Board

[STB Finance Docket No. 35184; STB Finance Docket No. 35185]


East Central Regional Railroad Authority--Acquisition Exemption--
Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern Railroad Corporation; State of South Dakota 
by and Through Its South Dakota Railroad Authority and Its Department 
of Transportation--Acquisition Exemption--East Central Regional 
Railroad Authority

    East Central Regional Railroad Authority (ECRRA), a noncarrier, has 
filed a verified notice of exemption under 49 CFR 1150.31 to acquire 
approximately 15.33 miles of rail line from Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern 
Railroad Corporation (DM&E) with DM&E retaining subleasehold rights to

[[Page 65922]]

continue to conduct operations over the line. The line extends from 
milepost 145.0 near Yale, SD, to milepost 160.33 near Huron, SD, (the 
Yale-Huron line), in Beadle County, SD.
    Concurrently, the South Dakota Railroad Authority (SDRA) and the 
South Dakota Department of Transportation (SDDOT), political 
subdivisions of the State of South Dakota and collectively a non-
operating Class III rail carrier, filed a verified notice of exemption 
under 49 CFR 1150.41 for SDRA to acquire the Yale-Huron line from 
ECRRA, with ECRRA retaining leasehold rights, and, in turn, for SDDOT 
to immediately acquire the Yale-Huron line from SDRA.
    The applicants expect to consummate the transactions on November 
20, 2008.
    Following consummation of the transactions, DM&E will remain the 
operator of the Yale-Huron line by virtue of having retained 
subleasehold rights in the sale agreement with ECRRA.
    The applicants explain that SDDOT will become the ultimate owner of 
the line so that it can fund necessary rehabilitation of the line 
pursuant to South Dakota statutes. According to the applicants, the 
slightly complex transactional structure involved here is due to 
specific language in the applicable South Dakota statutes making it 
necessary that ECRRA first acquire the Yale-Huron line from DM&E and 
then, in turn, transfer the line to SDRA, before it can ultimately be 
acquired by SDDOT.
    The applicants certify that their projected annual revenues as a 
result of these transactions will not result in the creation of a Class 
II or Class I rail carrier and further certify that the projected 
annual revenues of each of the applicants will not exceed $5 million.
    Pursuant to the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2008, Public Law 
No. 110-161, Sec.  193, 121 Stat. 1844 (2007), nothing in this decision 
authorizes the following activities at any solid waste rail transfer 
facility: collecting, storing or transferring solid waste outside of 
its original shipping container; or separating or processing solid 
waste (including baling, crushing, compacting and shredding). The term 
``solid waste'' is defined in section 1004 of the Solid Waste Disposal 
Act, 42 U.S.C. 6903.
    If the verified notice contains false or misleading information, 
the exemption is void ab initio. Petitions to revoke the exemption 
under 49 U.S.C. 10502(d) may be filed at any time. The filing of a 
petition to revoke will not automatically stay the effectiveness of the 
exemption. Petitions to stay must be filed no later than November 12, 
2008 (at least 7 days before the exemption becomes effective).
    An original and 10 copies of all pleadings, referring to STB 
Finance Docket Nos. 35184 and 35185, must be filed with the Surface 
Transportation Board, 395 E Street, SW., Washington, DC 20423-0001. In 
addition, a copy of each pleading must be served on: (1) For ECRRA--
Douglas E. Kludt, Churchill, Manolis, Freeman, Kludt, Shelton and 
Burns, 333 Dakota Avenue, South, P.O. Box 176, Huron, SD 57350; and (2) 
for SDRA and SDDOT--Myles L. Tobin, Fletcher & Sippel LLC, 29 North 
Wacker Drive, Suite 920, Chicago, IL 60606.
    Board decisions and notices are available on our Web site at 
``http://www.stb.dot.gov.''

    Decided: October 29, 2008.

    By the Board, David M. Konschnik, Director, Office of 
Proceedings.
Jeff Herzig,
Clearance Clerk.
[FR Doc. E8-26344 Filed 11-4-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915-01-P