Surface Transportation Board December 2019 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Board has approved the first quarter 2020 Rail Cost Adjustment Factor (RCAF) and cost index filed by the Association of American Railroads. The first quarter 2020 RCAF (Unadjusted) is 1.043. The first quarter 2020 RCAF (Adjusted) is 0.440. The first quarter 2020 RCAF-5 is 0.414.

The Chairman of the Surface Transportation Board is publishing the Regulatory Flexibility Agenda for fall 2019.

The Seven County Infrastructure Coalition (Coalition) intends to seek Board approval to construct and operate an approximately 85- mile rail line between the Uinta Basin in northeastern Utah and an existing rail line near Kyune, Utah. On June 19, 2019, the Board's Office of Environmental Analysis (OEA) issued a Notice of Intent to Prepare an EIS and a Notice of Availability of the Draft Scope of Study (Draft Scope), pursuant to National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). OEA requested comments on the Draft Scope from federal, state, and local agencies; tribes; other interested stakeholders; and the public during the public scoping period and held six public meetings in the project area. After review and consideration of all comments received, this notice sets forth the Final Scope of Study (Final Scope) of the EIS. The Final Scope reflects additions and changes to the Draft Scope as a result of comments received during the scoping comment period. The Final Scope also summarizes and addresses the principal environmental concerns raised by the comments on the Draft Scope and explains if and how these issues will be addressed in the EIS.

As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), the Surface Transportation Board (STB or Board) gives notice of its intent to seek approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for an extension of the collection of Rail Depreciation Studies, described below.

As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), the Surface Transportation Board (STB or Board) gives notice of its intent to seek approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for an extension of the collection required by statute for rail or water carrier equipment liens (recordations), water carrier tariffs, and rail agricultural contract summaries, as described in more detail below.

The Surface Transportation Board (Board or STB) is adopting a final rule amending its regulations related to the National Trails System Act to: (1) Provide that the initial term for Certificates or Notices of Interim Trail Use or Abandonment will be one year (instead of the current 180 days); (2) permit up to three one-year extensions of the initial period if the trail sponsor and the railroad agree; and (3) permit additional one-year extensions if the trail sponsor and the railroad agree and extraordinary circumstances are shown.