FOR RELEASE
Contact: Dennis Watson
11/17/2003 (Monday)
(202) 565-1596
No. 03-46
FIRS 1 (800) 877-8339
www.stb.gov


Public & Media Advisory: Surface Transportation Board Provides Schedule of Appearances, Time Allocations & Instructions for Public & Media Attendance at Nov. 19 Oral Argument in "Carolina Power" v. Norfolk Southern" Rail Rate-Complaint Case


Surface Transportation Board (Board) Chairman Roger Nober today provided a schedule of speakers' appearances, and instructions for public and media attendance, at the Board's November 19, 2003 oral argument concerning the railroad rate-complaint case entitled Carolina Power & Light Company v. Norfolk Southern Railway Company, STB Docket No. 42072.



The Board will hold the Wednesday, November 19 oral argument beginning at 10:00 a.m. in the Board's hearing room on the 7th Floor of the Mercury Building, 1925 K Street, N.W. (at the intersection of 20th & K Sts.), Washington, D.C.



MATTER AT ISSUE:

The Board is holding the November 19 oral argument to allow the two parties in this rate-complaint proceeding, the Carolina Power & Light Company ("Carolina Power") and the Norfolk Southern Railway Company ("Norfolk Southern"), to present their positions in a public forum. At issue is Carolina Power's complaint challenging the reasonableness of the rates charged by Norfolk Southern for movements of coal from various mine origins in Virginia, West Virginia, and Kentucky to Carolina Power's Roxboro and Mayo electricity-generating facilities in North Carolina. Carolina Power has asked the Board to prescribe the maximum reasonable rates that Norfolk Southern may charge for this traffic.



INSTRUCTIONS FOR PUBLIC AND MEDIA ATTENDANCE:

• There will be no reserved seating. Given the following procedures, please plan to arrive early enough to be seated no later than 9:45 a.m.

• Please enter the Mercury Building's K Street entrance. All visitors must be cleared through security in the Board's Suite 100 (on the main corridor of the 1st Floor) prior to being escorted to the hearing room.

• For security reasons, be prepared to produce photo identification (such as a driver's license), pass through a metal detector, and submit to an inspection of all briefcases, handbags, etc.

• Quiet laptops and tape recorders may be brought into the hearing room, but absolutely no provision will be made for the connection of personal computers to Board telephone lines.

• Cellular telephone use is not permitted in the hearing room, or in the rear anteroom. Cellular phones may only be used outside the hearing room.

• The Board's hearing room complies with the Americans With Disabilities Act, and persons needing such accommodation should contact Beverly Ledbetter, in the Board's Section of Facilities Management, at (202) 565-1709, by the close of business on Tuesday, November 18, 2003.



SCHEDULE OF APPEARANCES

The attached schedule identifies Carolina Power's and Norfolk Southern's speakers and their order of appearance.



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ATTACHMENT
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ATTACHMENT

Carolina Power & Light Company v. Norfolk Southern Railway Company, STB Docket No. 42072

SCHEDULE OF APPEARANCES



Each speaker in the November 19, 2003 oral argument in the above proceeding will be allotted 45 minutes. C. Michael Loftus, the speaker for Carolina Power, will open the oral argument and may reserve part of his time for rebuttal, if he chooses. G. Paul Moates will speak for Norfolk Southern.



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