SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD ELIMINATES POSITION OF SECRETARY; MAKES OTHER PROCEDURAL CHANGES

[STBNews@xxxxxxxxxxx]

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>From the Surface Transportation Board, Washington, D.C.
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The Surface Transportation Board today announced an update to its
regulations that eliminates the vacant position of Secretary and removes
other incorrect or obsolete references. In recent years, most of the tasks
and staff of the Secretary's Office have been reassigned to other Board
offices.

            For practitioners, the new regulations mean changes in the way
            filings are addressed and new contacts for other business. The
            changes will be effective as of Nov. 16.

            All Board filings should be sent to the attention of the Chief,
            Section of Administration, Office of Proceedings, Surface
            Transportation Board, including requests for a waiver or
            reduction of filing fees.

            All filing fees should be made payable to the "Surface
            Transportation Board."

            Questions regarding Board regulations, offers of financial
            assistance, public use of trails, published notices and
            requests for non-attorneys to practice before the Board should
            be addressed to the Office of Public Assistance, Governmental
            Affairs, and Compliance.

            The Director of the Office of Proceedings will have authority
            to dispose of routine matters, to decide whether complaint
            proceedings shall be assigned for oral hearing or handled under
            modified procedure and whether to dismiss a complaint or
            application at the request of the complainant or applicant.

            The Records Officer in the Office of Public Assistance,
            Governmental Affairs, and Compliance will be the new custodian
            of records for the Board, and will be responsible for
            certifying copies of records.

            The complete changes to the Board's regulations are in STB Ex
            Parte No. 685, issued today. The full text can be found on the
            Board's Web site, www.stb.dot.gov.

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