[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 166 (Wednesday, August 26, 2020)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 52871-52873]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-16771]



[[Page 52871]]

Vol. 85

Wednesday,

No. 166

August 26, 2020

Part XXX





Surface Transportation Board





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Semiannual Regulatory Agenda

  Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 166 / Wednesday, August 26, 2020 / 
UA: Reg Flex Agenda  

[[Page 52872]]


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SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD

49 CFR Ch. X

[STB Ex Parte No. 536 (Sub-No. 48)]


Semiannual Regulatory Agenda

AGENCY: Surface Transportation Board.

ACTION: Semiannual regulatory agenda.

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SUMMARY: The Chairman of the Surface Transportation Board is publishing 
the Regulatory Flexibility Agenda for spring 2020.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: A contact person is identified for 
each of the rules listed below.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA), 5 
U.S.C. 601 et seq., sets forth a number of requirements for agency 
rulemaking. Among other things, the RFA requires that, semiannually, 
each agency shall publish in the Federal Register a Regulatory 
Flexibility Agenda, which shall contain:
    (1) A brief description of the subject area of any rule that the 
agency expects to propose or promulgate, which is likely to have a 
significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities;
    (2) A summary of the nature of any such rule under consideration 
for each subject area listed in the agenda pursuant to paragraph (1), 
the objectives and legal basis for the issuance of the rule, and an 
approximate schedule for completing action on any rule for which the 
agency has issued a general notice of proposed rulemaking; and
    (3) The name and telephone number of an agency official 
knowledgeable about the items listed in paragraph (1).
    Accordingly, a list of proceedings appears below containing 
information about subject areas in which the Board is currently 
conducting rulemaking proceedings or may institute such proceedings in 
the near future. It also contains information about existing 
regulations being reviewed to determine whether to propose 
modifications through rulemaking.
    The agenda represents the Chairman's best estimate of rules that 
may be considered over the next 12 months, but does not necessarily 
reflect the views of any other individual Board Member. However, 
section 602(d) of the RFA, 5 U.S.C. 602(d), provides: ``Nothing in 
[section 602] precludes an agency from considering or acting on any 
matter not included in a Regulatory Flexibility Agenda or requires an 
agency to consider or act on any matter listed in such agenda.''
    The Chairman is publishing the agency's Regulatory Flexibility 
Agenda for spring 2020 as part of the Unified Agenda of Federal 
Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions (Unified Agenda). The Unified 
Agenda is coordinated by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), 
pursuant to Executive Orders 12866 and 13563. The Board is 
participating voluntarily in the program to assist OMB and has included 
rulemaking proceedings in the Unified Agenda beyond those required by 
the RFA.

    Dated: March 4, 2020.

    By the Board, Chairman Begeman.
Jeffrey Herzig,
Clearance Clerk.

             Surface Transportation Board--Long-Term Actions
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                                                           Regulation
       Sequence No.                    Title             Identifier No.
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388.......................  Review of Commodity,               2140-AB29
                             Boxcar, and TOFC/COFC
                             Exemptions, EP 704 (Sub-
                             No. 1).
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             Surface Transportation Board--Completed Actions
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                                                           Regulation
       Sequence No.                    Title             Identifier No.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
389.......................  Exclusion of Demurrage             2140-AB48
                             Regulation From Certain
                             Class Exemptions, EP 760.
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SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD (STB)

Long-Term Actions

388. Review of Commodity, Boxcar, and TOFC/COFC Exemptions, EP 704 
(Sub-No. 1)

    E.O. 13771 Designation: Independent agency.
    Legal Authority: 49 U.S.C. 10502; 49 U.S.C. 13301
    Abstract: The Board proposed to revoke the class exemptions for the 
rail transportation of: (1) Crushed or broken stone or riprap; (2) 
hydraulic cement; and (3) coke produced from coal, primary iron or 
steel products, and iron or steel scrap, wastes, or tailings. On March 
19, 2019, the Board issued a decision waiving the prohibition on ex 
parte communications in this proceeding and providing a 90-day period 
for meetings with Board members.
    Timetable:

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               Action                    Date            FR Cite
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NPRM................................   03/28/16  81 FR 17125
NPRM Comment Period End.............   07/26/16
NPRM Reply Comment Period End.......   08/26/16
Next Action Undetermined............
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    Regulatory Flexibility Analysis Required: Yes.
    Agency Contact: Amy Ziehm, Branch Chief, Office of Proceedings, 
Surface Transportation Board, 395 E Street SW, Washington, DC 20423-
0001, Phone: 202 245-0391, Email: [email protected].
    Francis O'Connor, Deputy Director, Office of Economics, Surface 
Transportation Board, 395 E Street SW, Washington, DC 20423-0001, 
Phone: 202 245-0331, Email: francis.o'[email protected].
    RIN: 2140-AB29

SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD (STB)

Completed Actions

389. Exclusion of Demurrage Regulation From Certain Class Exemptions, 
EP 760

    E.O. 13771 Designation: Independent agency.
    Legal Authority: 49 U.S.C. 10502; 49 U.S.C. 13301
    Abstract: The Board adopted rules to clarify its regulations 
governing exemptions for certain miscellaneous commodities and boxcar 
transportation so that those regulations unambiguously state that 
demurrage continues to be subject to Board regulation. The Board

[[Page 52873]]

also revoked, in part, the exemption that currently covers certain 
agricultural commodities so that the exemption would not apply to the 
regulation of demurrage, thereby making the agricultural commodities 
exemption consistent with similar exemptions covering non-intermodal 
transportation.
    Timetable:

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               Action                    Date            FR Cite
------------------------------------------------------------------------
NPRM................................   10/15/19  84 FR 55109
NPRM Comment Period End.............   11/06/19
NPRM Reply Comment Period End.......   12/06/19
Final Rule..........................   03/04/20  85 FR 12749
Final Rule Effective................   04/03/20
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Regulatory Flexibility Analysis Required: Yes.
    Agency Contact: Amy Ziehm, Branch Chief, Office of Proceedings, 
Surface Transportation Board, 395 E Street SW, Washington, DC 20423-
0001, Phone: 202 245-0391, Email: [email protected].
    RIN: 2140-AB48

[FR Doc. 2020-16771 Filed 8-25-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915-01-P