Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 87.djvu/1026

 994

PUBLIC LAW 93-236-.JAN. 2, 1974

[87 STAT.

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(2) eiitei' liito, \vithout regard to section 3709 of the Revised Statutes of the United States (41 U.S.C. 5), such contracts, leases, cooperative agreements, or other transactions as may be necessary in the conduct of the functions and duties of the Office, with any person (inchiding a government entity). (d) DUTIES.—In addition to its duties, and responsibilities under other provisions of this Act, the Office shall— (1) study and evaluate the Secretary's report on rail services in the region required under section 204(a) of this Act and submit its report thereon to the Association within 120 days after the date of enactment of this Act. The Office shall also solicit, study, and evaluate the views with respect to present and future rail service needs of the region from Governors of States within the region; mayors and chief executives of political subdivisions within such States; shippers; the Secretary of Defense; manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers within the region; consumers of goods and products shipped by rail; and all other interested perpubiic hearings. j^^j^g ^j^g Office shall conduct public hearings to solicit comments on such report and to I'eceive such views; (2) employ and utilize the services of attorneys and such other personnel as may be required in order properly to protect the interests of those communities and users of rail service which, for whatever reason, such as their size or location, might not otherwise be adequately represented in the course of the hearings and evaluations which the Office is required to conduct and perform under other provisions of this Act; standards, (3) withiu 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, pu ication. determine and publish standards for determining the "revenue attributable to the rail properties", the "avoidable costs of providing service", and "a reasonable return on the value", as those phrases are used in section 304 of this Act, after a proceeding in accordance with the.provisions of section 553 of title 5, United 80 Stat. 383. States Codc; aud (4) assist States and local and regional transportation agencies in making determinations whether to provide rail service continuation subsidies to maintain in operation particular rail properties by establishing criteria for determining whether particular rail properties are suitable for rail service continuation subsidies. Such criteria should include the following considerations: Rail properties are suitable if the cost of the required subsidy for such pr-operties per year to the taxpayers is less than the cost of termination of rail service over such properties measured by inci-eased fuel consumption and operational costs for alternative modes of ti-ansportation; the cost to the gross national product in terms of reduced output of goods and services; the cost of relocating or assisting through unemployment, retraining, and welfare benefits to individuals and firms adversely affected thereby; and the cost to the environment measured by damage caused by increased polhition. F I N A L SYSTEM

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SEC. 206. (a) GOALS.—The final system plan shall be formulated in such a way as to effectuate the following goals: (1) the creation, through a process of reorganization, of a financially self-sustaining rail service system in the region; (2) the estalishment and maintenance of a rail service system adequate to meet the rail transportation needs and service requirements of the region;

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