FOR RELEASE
Contact: Janie Sheng (202) 245-0221
04/06/2007 (Friday)
No. 07-18


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www.stb.gov
SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD ADOPTS ANNUAL REVISIONS TO ITS USER FEES


The Surface Transportation Board announced today that the agency has adopted its 2007 User Fee Update Schedule (2007 Update) for the processing of various transportation financial transactions and other types of proceedings filed with the STB. The 2007 Update—to become effective May 6, 2007—primarily is designed to offset agency expenses and to reflect changes to the Surface Transportation Board's overhead. The 2007 Update complies with the Congressional directive that the STB raise $1.250 million in fees to cover a portion of its budget, and with the statutory requirement that it conduct a proceeding annually to update its user fee schedule to reflect the cost of the services it provides.


Fee increases in the 2007 Update generally were derived from the formula adopted by the STB (following public notice and comment procedures) in the proceeding entitled Regulations Governing Fees for Services—1987 Update, 4 I.C.C.2d 137 (1987). In addition, the STB increased the percentage for two fees that the STB continues to hold below full cost. For example, the fees for most formal complaints, which had been calculated at 40 percent of full cost last year, moved to 50 percent of full cost this year. In adopting the 2007 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.


The STB made its 2007 Update in the proceeding entitled Regulations Governing Fees for Services Performed in Connection with Licensing and Related Services—2007 Update, STB Ex Parte No. 542 (Sub-No. 14). That decision 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.


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