Joint Petition for Rulemaking To Establish a Voluntary Arbitration Program for Small Rate Disputes

Document Headings Document headings vary by document type but may contain the following: the agency or agencies that issued and signed a document the number of the CFR title and the number of each part the document amends, proposes to amend, or is directly related to the agency docket number / agency internal file number the RIN which identifies each regulatory action listed in the Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions See the Document Drafting Handbook for more details. Surface Transportation Board 49 CFR Part 1108 [Docket No. EP 765] AGENCY: Surface Transportation Board. ACTION: Petition for rulemaking. SUMMARY: The Board institutes a rulemaking proceeding to consider a proposal to establish a new, voluntary arbitration program intended to help resolve small rate disputes. ( printed page 78076) DATES: Published in the Federal Register on December 3, 2020, the Board will provide an opportunity for additional public participation in a subsequent decision. ADDRESSES: Comments and replies may be filed with the Board via e-filing on the Board's website at www.stb.gov and will be posted to the Board's website. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Amy Ziehm at (202) 245-0391. Assistance for the hearing impaired is available through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On July 31, 2020, five railroad parties—Canadian National Railway Company (CN); CSX Transportation, Inc. (CSXT); The Kansas City Southern Railway Company (KCS); Norfolk Southern Corporation; and Union Pacific Railroad Company (UP) (collectively, Petitioners)  [ 1 ] —filed a petition for rulemaking to create a new, voluntary small rate case arbitration program, to be codified at 49 CFR part 1108a , which would function alongside the Board's existing arbitration program at 49 CFR part 1108 . Petitioners pledge to participate in their proposed arbitration program for a period of five years, provided the Board adopts the program according…