FOR RELEASE: Contact: Dennis Watson
Friday, February 21, 1997 (202) 927-5350
No. 97-11 TDD (202) 927-5721
PUBLIC AND MEDIA ADVISORY: SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD TO RELOCATE,
EFFECTIVE MARCH 17, 1997;
MAIL & CASE ACCEPTANCE & PROCESSING, DECISION ISSUANCE
TO BE SUSPENDED DURING MARCH 13-18 TO FACILITATE MOVE
Surface Transportation Board (Board) Chairman Linda J. Morgan announced today that, on Monday, March 17, 1997, the Board is scheduled to occupy new quarters at the following address: Surface Transportation Board, 1925 K Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20423-0001. The Board also is issuing a public advisory relative to the Board's processing of work immediately prior to and following its March 17 relocation.
Because of necessary equipment relocation and other workspace disruptions anticipated prior to, during, and immediately after the move, between Thursday, March 13 through Tuesday, March 18, 1997, the Board will not:
• accept normal mailed case filings
• accept non-mail filings (other than tariff filings)
• receive general mail
• process cases, and
• issue decisions.
In addition, because of the number of time-sensitive matters handled by the Board, it is also providing advance notice that case filings that would begin a proceeding and trigger a deadline for processing or effectiveness will not be accepted between March 13-18. Similarly, the effectiveness of previously issued decisions, or previously filed self-executing notices (of exemption from Board regulation, for example) that otherwise would become effective between March 13-18 will be delayed one day for every calendar day during that period, meaning that these decisions will become effective six calendar days from the date that they otherwise would have become effective.
To avoid any potential unfairness to the public, the effectiveness of any notice of exemption filed with the Board on March 12, 1997, that would normally become effective in seven days (March 19, 1997) will be delayed one day for each of the six calendar days between March 13-18, and thus will not be permitted to take effect until March 25, 1997. This will alleviate any problems that could otherwise be presented for those persons wishing to seek a stay of effectiveness, or problems that might otherwise occur in connection with the processing of offers of financial assistance to continue railroad service following Board approval of a rail line abandonment or service discontinuance.
The Board will continue to receive tariff filings during the March 13-18 interval, so as not to delay effectiveness of rate reductions for service in the noncontiguous domestic trade (domestic transportation between or among points in the contiguous United States and points in Alaska, U.S. territories, or possessions), which may become effective on one day's notice.
Beginning March 16, 1997, the Board’s new telephone numbers may be obtained simply by dialing Board phone numbers now in use. A tape recording will advise of number changes. Once completed, new Board telephone books will be available through DC News & Data, Inc., the official contractor, duplicator, and distributor of Board decisions and orders.
DC News & Data, Inc. will relocate its offices from its present location at Room 2229, 1201 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC to Suite 210, 1925 K Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20006 between March 13-18 and will reopen for business on March 19, 1997.
The Board announced its relocation and specified its procedures during the period of March 13-18 in its decision in Surface Transportation Board--1997 Office Relocation Business Plan, STB Ex Parte No. 546, issued to the public on February 21, 1997.
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