FOR RELEASE
Contact: Dennis Watson
04/06/2005 (Wednesday)
(202) 565-1596
No. 05-10
FIRS 1 (800) 877-8339
www.stb.gov


Surface Transportation Board Adopts Revisions to Its User Fees Reflecting Inflationary Cost Increases & Varying Changes to Overhead Factors


Surface Transportation Board (Board) Chairman Roger Nober announced today that the Board has adopted its 2005 User Fee Update Schedule (“2005 Update”) for the processing of various transportation financial transactions and other types of proceedings filed with the Board.


The STB made its 2005 Update in the proceeding entitled Regulations Governing Fees for Services Performed in Connection with Licensing and Related Services—2005 Update, STB Ex Parte No. 542 (Sub-No. 12). In adopting the 2005 Update, the agency reiterated that the regulations provide for the waiver of a fee for any entity demonstrating that payment of such a fee will present a financial hardship.


Today’s decision in STB Ex Parte No. 542 (Sub-No. 12) is available for viewing and downloading via the STB’s Web site at http://www.stb.dot.gov. A printed copy of the agency’s decision also is available for a fee by contacting ASAP Document Solutions, 9332 Annapolis Rd., Suite 103, Lanham, MD 20706, telephone (202) 306-4004, or via asapdc@verizon.net. A fact sheet is attached to this news release.


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ATTACHMENT
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FACT SHEET

Regulations Governing Fees for Services Performed in Connection with Licensing and Related Services—2005 Update, STB Ex Parte No. 542 (Sub-No. 12)

The 2005 Update—to become effective May 6, 2005—primarily is designed to offset agency expenses and to reflect changes to the Surface Transportation Board’s overhead factors (decreases to two factors and an increase to the third).

The 2005 Update maintains the same 127 fee or sub-fee items (“items”) from the Board’s 2004 User Fee Update Schedule (“2004 Update”). Only 61 (about 48 percent) of these fees reflect increases over the Board’s 2004 Update, ranging from small increases of $1 for seven items and $2 for one other item, to a $35,400 increase for the processing of a maximum coal case under the coal-rate guidelines. Of the 61 items being increased, about 64 percent (39 items) are being increased by $100 or less, while the remaining items (22) are being increased by more than $100 each. Sixty-six existing items remain unchanged.

The regulations at Section 1002 of Title 49, United Stated Code (49 CFR 1002) require the Board to conduct a proceeding annually to update its user fee schedule to reflect the cost of the services it provides. Fee increases involved in the 2005 Update generally were derived from the application of the update formula at Section 1002.3(d) of Title 49 adopted by the Board (following public notice and comment procedures) in the proceeding entitled Regulations Governing Fees for Services—1987 Update, 4 I.C.C.2d 137 (1987). The 2005 Update is in accordance with the Congressional directive, included in the Fiscal Year 2005 transportation appropriations legislation, that the Board raise $1.050 million in fees to cover a portion of its budget.

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