Revisions to Arbitration Procedures, 61653 [2017-28009]
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Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 248 / Thursday, December 28, 2017 / Notices
SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD
[Docket No. EP 730 (Sub-No. 1)]
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Revisions to Arbitration Procedures
Under Section 13 of the Surface
Transportation Board Reauthorization
Act of 2015 (STB Reauthorization Act),
codified at 49 U.S.C. 11708, Congress
directed the Board to ‘‘promulgate
regulations to establish a voluntary and
binding arbitration process to resolve
rail rate and practice complaints’’ that
are subject to the Board’s jurisdiction. In
May 2016, the Board issued a Notice of
Proposed Rulemaking proposing to
modify its existing regulations at 49 CFR
pt. 1108 and § 1115.8 to conform to the
requirements of the STB
Reauthorization Act. Revisions to
Arbitration Procedures, EP 730 (STB
served May 12, 2016). Section 11708(f)
provides that, unless parties otherwise
agree, an arbitrator or panel of
arbitrators shall be selected from a roster
maintained by the Board. Accordingly,
the Board’s rules establish a process for
creating and maintaining a roster of
arbitrators. See Revisions to Arbitration
Procedures (Final Rule), EP 730, slip op.
at 3–4 (STB served Oct. 11, 2016).
By decision served December 2, 2016,
the Board sought applications from all
interested persons who wished to be
considered for inclusion on the initial
roster. The Board assessed each
applicant’s qualifications to identify
individuals who can ably serve as
arbitrators based on the criteria
established by the Board in its Final
Rule at 49 CFR 1108.6(b). By decision
served February 23, 2017, the Board
adopted and issued its roster of
arbitrators. The roster is published on
the Board’s website at https://
www.stb.gov/stb/litigationalternatives/
CurrentArbitration.html (a link to the
current arbitrator roster is located in the
section titled, ‘‘Arbitration
Procedures’’).
Section 1108.6(b) requires that the
Board update the roster of arbitrators
every year. Accordingly, the Board is
now requesting the names and
qualifications of new arbitrators who
wish to be placed on the roster.
Arbitrators who wish to remain on the
roster must notify the Board of their
continued availability and confirm that
the biographical information on file
with the Board remains accurate and if
not, provide any necessary updates.
Arbitrators who do not confirm their
continued availability will be removed
from the roster. This decision will be
served on all current arbitrators.
Any person who wishes to be added
to the roster should file an application
describing his or her experience with
VerDate Sep<11>2014
18:14 Dec 27, 2017
Jkt 244001
rail transportation and economic
regulation, as well as professional or
business experience, including
agriculture, in the private sector. Each
applicant should also describe his or her
training in dispute resolution and/or
experience in arbitration or other forms
of dispute resolution, including the
number of years of experience. Lastly,
the applicant should provide his or her
contact information and fees.
All comments—including filings from
new applicants, updates to existing
arbitrator information, and
confirmations of continued
availability—should be submitted by
January 22, 2018.1 The Board will assess
each new applicant’s qualifications to
determine which individuals can ably
serve as arbitrators based on the criteria
established under section 1108.6(b). The
Board will then establish an updated
roster of arbitrators by no-objection vote.
The roster will include a brief
biographical sketch of each arbitrator,
including information such as
background, area(s) of expertise,
arbitration experience, and geographical
location, as well as contact information
and fees. The roster will be published
on the Board’s website.
It is ordered:
1. Applications from persons
interested in being added to the Board’s
roster of arbitrators and confirmations of
continued availability (with updates, if
any, to existing arbitrator information)
from persons currently on the
arbitration roster, are due by January 22,
2018.
2. This decision will be served on all
current arbitrators and published in the
Federal Register.
3. This decision is effective on the
date of service.
Decided: December 21, 2017.
By the Board, Scott M. Zimmerman, Acting
Director, Office of Proceedings.
Jeffrey Herzig,
Clearance Clerk.
[FR Doc. 2017–28009 Filed 12–27–17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915–01–P
SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD
[Docket No. EP 526 (Sub-No. 10)]
Notice of Railroad-Shipper
Transportation Advisory Council
Vacancies
AGENCY:
Surface Transportation Board
(Board).
1 Persons who have informally indicated an
interest in being included on the arbitrator roster
(e.g., correspondence to Board members) should
submit a comment pursuant to this decision.
PO 00000
Frm 00121
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
61653
Notice of vacancies on the
Railroad-Shipper Transportation
Advisory Council (RSTAC) and
solicitation of nominations.
ACTION:
The Board hereby gives notice
of vacancies on RSTAC for two small
shipper representatives, one large
shipper representative, two small
railroad representatives, and two large
railroad representatives. The Board
seeks suggestions for candidates to fill
these vacancies.
DATES: Nominations are due on January
22, 2018.
ADDRESSES: Suggestions may be
submitted either via the Board’s e-filing
format or in the traditional paper
format. Any person using e-filing should
attach a document and otherwise
comply with the instructions at the
E–FILING link on the Board’s website,
at https://www.stb.gov. Any person
submitting a filing in the traditional
paper format should send an original
and 10 copies to: Surface Transportation
Board, Attn: Docket No. EP 526 (Sub–
No. 10), 395 E Street SW, Washington,
DC 20423–0001 (if sending via express
company or private courier, please use
zip code 20024). Please note that
submissions will be available to the
public at the Board’s offices and posted
on the Board’s website under Docket
No. EP 526 (Sub–No. 10).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Katherine Bourdon at 202–245–0285.
Assistance for the hearing impaired is
available through the Federal
Information Relay Service (FIRS) at
1–800–877–8339.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
Board, created in 1996 to take over
many of the functions previously
performed by the Interstate Commerce
Commission, exercises broad authority
over transportation by rail carriers,
including regulation of railroad rates
and service (49 U.S.C. 10701–47,
11101–24), the construction,
acquisition, operation, and
abandonment of rail lines (49 U.S.C.
10901–07), as well as railroad line sales,
consolidations, mergers, and common
control arrangements (49 U.S.C. 10902,
11323–27).
RSTAC was established upon the
enactment of the ICC Termination Act of
1995 (ICCTA) on December 29, 1995, to
advise the Board’s Chairman, the
Secretary of Transportation, the
Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation of the Senate, and the
Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure of the House of
Representatives with respect to rail
transportation policy issues RSTAC
considers significant. RSTAC focuses on
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\28DEN1.SGM
28DEN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 248 (Thursday, December 28, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Page 61653]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-28009]
[[Page 61653]]
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SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD
[Docket No. EP 730 (Sub-No. 1)]
Revisions to Arbitration Procedures
Under Section 13 of the Surface Transportation Board
Reauthorization Act of 2015 (STB Reauthorization Act), codified at 49
U.S.C. 11708, Congress directed the Board to ``promulgate regulations
to establish a voluntary and binding arbitration process to resolve
rail rate and practice complaints'' that are subject to the Board's
jurisdiction. In May 2016, the Board issued a Notice of Proposed
Rulemaking proposing to modify its existing regulations at 49 CFR pt.
1108 and Sec. 1115.8 to conform to the requirements of the STB
Reauthorization Act. Revisions to Arbitration Procedures, EP 730 (STB
served May 12, 2016). Section 11708(f) provides that, unless parties
otherwise agree, an arbitrator or panel of arbitrators shall be
selected from a roster maintained by the Board. Accordingly, the
Board's rules establish a process for creating and maintaining a roster
of arbitrators. See Revisions to Arbitration Procedures (Final Rule),
EP 730, slip op. at 3-4 (STB served Oct. 11, 2016).
By decision served December 2, 2016, the Board sought applications
from all interested persons who wished to be considered for inclusion
on the initial roster. The Board assessed each applicant's
qualifications to identify individuals who can ably serve as
arbitrators based on the criteria established by the Board in its Final
Rule at 49 CFR 1108.6(b). By decision served February 23, 2017, the
Board adopted and issued its roster of arbitrators. The roster is
published on the Board's website at https://www.stb.gov/stb/litigationalternatives/CurrentArbitration.html (a link to the current
arbitrator roster is located in the section titled, ``Arbitration
Procedures'').
Section 1108.6(b) requires that the Board update the roster of
arbitrators every year. Accordingly, the Board is now requesting the
names and qualifications of new arbitrators who wish to be placed on
the roster. Arbitrators who wish to remain on the roster must notify
the Board of their continued availability and confirm that the
biographical information on file with the Board remains accurate and if
not, provide any necessary updates. Arbitrators who do not confirm
their continued availability will be removed from the roster. This
decision will be served on all current arbitrators.
Any person who wishes to be added to the roster should file an
application describing his or her experience with rail transportation
and economic regulation, as well as professional or business
experience, including agriculture, in the private sector. Each
applicant should also describe his or her training in dispute
resolution and/or experience in arbitration or other forms of dispute
resolution, including the number of years of experience. Lastly, the
applicant should provide his or her contact information and fees.
All comments--including filings from new applicants, updates to
existing arbitrator information, and confirmations of continued
availability--should be submitted by January 22, 2018.\1\ The Board
will assess each new applicant's qualifications to determine which
individuals can ably serve as arbitrators based on the criteria
established under section 1108.6(b). The Board will then establish an
updated roster of arbitrators by no-objection vote. The roster will
include a brief biographical sketch of each arbitrator, including
information such as background, area(s) of expertise, arbitration
experience, and geographical location, as well as contact information
and fees. The roster will be published on the Board's website.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Persons who have informally indicated an interest in being
included on the arbitrator roster (e.g., correspondence to Board
members) should submit a comment pursuant to this decision.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
It is ordered:
1. Applications from persons interested in being added to the
Board's roster of arbitrators and confirmations of continued
availability (with updates, if any, to existing arbitrator information)
from persons currently on the arbitration roster, are due by January
22, 2018.
2. This decision will be served on all current arbitrators and
published in the Federal Register.
3. This decision is effective on the date of service.
Decided: December 21, 2017.
By the Board, Scott M. Zimmerman, Acting Director, Office of
Proceedings.
Jeffrey Herzig,
Clearance Clerk.
[FR Doc. 2017-28009 Filed 12-27-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915-01-P