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>From the Surface Transportation Board, Washington, D.C.
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The Surface Transportation Board today moved to significantly reduce filing
fees for shipper complaints to $350. Currently, shippers are charged as
much as $20,600 to file a complaint.
The proposed rulemaking, approved by the Board today,
would implement a new fee schedule that would charge
shippers $350 to file a rate or unreasonable practice
complaint. The fee to file an expedited small rate case
would remain $150.
âCharging a small business more than $20,000 to bring a
complaint is not right,ââ said STB Chairman Daniel R.
Elliott III. âI am afraid that some meritorious cases were
discouraged by the high filing fees.â
Elliott said that while the new fee structure would make it
easier to file formal cases at the STB, he hopes that
shippers would first avail themselves of the agencyâs free
informal mediation service, called the Rail Customer and
Public Assistance Program. The Board also offers a
successful program of formal mediation as well.
The decision in Docket No. EP 542 (Sub-No.
18)( http://www.stb.dot.gov/decisions/readingroom.nsf/WebDecisionID/41377?OpenDocument )
can be found at www.stb.dot.gov.
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