[United States Government Manual]
[July 01, 1995]
[Pages 596-600]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]
INTERSTATE COMMERCE COMMISSION
Twelfth Street and Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20423
Phone, 202-927-7119
Chairman Linda J. Morgan
Vice Chairman Gus A. Owen
Commissioners J.J. Simmons III, Gail
C. McDonald,
(vacancy)
Chief of Staff and Chief Executive Officer Amy Northcutt
Deputy Chief Executive Officer J.B. Robinson
Counsel to the Chief Executive John M. Atkisson
Officer/Privacy/Freedom of
Information Act Officer
Chief, Section of Facility and Don Hirst
Systems Services
Chief, Section of Financial Aubrey Herndon
Services
Chief, Section of Personnel J.B. Robinson
Services
Director, Office of Compliance and Enforcement Bernard Gaillard
Associate Director Thomas T. Vining
Deputy Director, Section of Dixie Horton
Operations, Insurance, and
Tariffs
Deputy Director, Section of Charles E. Wagner
Investigations and
Enforcement
Director, Office of Economic and Environmental Milan P. Yager
Analysis
Associate Director Leland Gardner
Deputy Director, Section of Ward L. Ginn
Costing and Financial
Information
Deputy Director, Section of Thomas A. Schmitz
Research and Analysis
Deputy Director, Section of Elaine K. Kaiser
Environmental Analysis
Director, Office of Human Relations Alexander W. Dobbins
Director, Office of Proceedings David M. Konschnik
Assistant to the Director, Julia M. Farr
Section of Administration
Deputy Director, Section of Legal Joseph H. Dettmar
Counsel I
Deputy Director, Section of Legal Beryl Gordon
Counsel II
Director, Office of Congressional and Press Richard S. Fitzsimmons
Services
Director, Office of Public Assistance Dan G. King
General Counsel Henri F. Rush
Deputy General Counsel Ellen D. Hanson
Inspector General James J. Mckay
Secretary Vernon A. Williams
Assistant Secretary Anne K. Quinlan
Chief, Section of Records Edward C. Fernandez
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Chief, Section of Licensing (vacancy)
Chief, Section of Publications Ellen R. Keys
[For the Interstate Commerce Commission statement of organization, see
the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 49, Part 1011]
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The Interstate Commerce Commission regulates interstate surface
transportation, including trains, trucks, buses, water carriers,
household goods transporters, freight forwarders, transportation
brokers, and pipelines that are not regulated by the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission. The regulatory laws vary depending on the type of
transportation; however, they generally involve certification of
carriers seeking to provide transportation for the public and regulation
of their rates, adequacy of service, and carrier consolidations. The
Commission assures that the public receives shipping rates and services
that are fair and reasonable.
The Interstate Commerce Commission was created as an independent
regulatory agency by act of February 4, 1887 (49 U.S.C. 10301 et seq.),
now known as the Interstate Commerce Act.
The Commission's responsibilities include regulation of carriers
engaged in transportation in interstate commerce and in foreign commerce
to the extent that it takes place within the United States. Surface
transportation under the Commission's jurisdiction includes railroads,
trucking companies, bus lines, household goods transporters, freight
forwarders, water carriers, transportation brokers, and pipelines that
are not regulated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
The Commission's authority has been strengthened and its
jurisdiction broadened by subsequent legislation, such as the Hepburn
Act, the Panama Canal Act, the Motor Carrier Act of 1935, and the
Transportation Acts of 1920, 1940, and 1958.
However, in more recent legislation, beginning with the Railroad
Revitalization and Regulatory Reform Act of 1976 (45 U.S.C. 801), the
Commission's statutory mandate has been altered to provide for less
regulation over carrier rates and practices. This fundamental shift in
national transportation policy has proceeded in the Motor Carrier Act of
1980, the Staggers Rail Act of 1980, the Household Goods Transportation
Act of 1980, the Bus Regulatory Reform Act of 1982, the Surface Freight
Forwarder Deregulation Act of 1986, the Negotiated Rates Act of 1993,
and the Trucking Industry Regulatory Reform Act of 1994. These measures
provided for a sharply reduced Federal role in regulating the trucking,
railroad, and bus industries.
The Chairman is designated by the President from among the five
Commissioners. The Commissioners elect their own Vice Chairman annually
and may delegate certain duties and functions to individual
Commissioners or to boards consisting of not less than three eligible
employees.
Field offices are maintained in various cities to monitor the
utilization of railroad freight cars in order to avoid severe shortages,
investigate violations of the Interstate Commerce Act and related laws,
and provide assistance to the public in its use of regulated carriers
that provide transportation by railroad, highway, and waterway.
Activities
In broad terms and within prescribed legal limits, Commission
regulations encompass transportation economics and service.
In the transportation economics area, the Commission settles
controversies over rates and charges among regulated carriers, shippers,
receivers of freight, passengers, and others. It rules upon applications
for mergers, consolidations, and acquisitions of control. It prescribes
accounting rules and awards reparations and administers laws relating to
railroad bankruptcy. It acts to prevent unlawful discrimination,
destructive competition,
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and rebating. It also has jurisdiction over the use, control, supply,
movement, distribution, exchange, interchange, and return of railroad
equipment. Under certain limited conditions, the Commission is
authorized to direct the handling and movement of traffic over a
railroad and its distribution over other lines of railroads.
In the transportation service area, the Commission grants the right
to operate railroads, trucking companies, bus lines, household goods
transporters, freight forwarders, water carriers, and transportation
brokers. It also approves applications to construct and abandon railroad
lines.
Although public hearings on matters before the Commission may be
held at any point throughout the country, final decisions are made at
the Washington, DC, headquarters in all formal proceedings. These cases
include rulings upon rate changes, applications to engage in for-hire
transport, carrier mergers, adversary proceedings on complaint actions,
and punitive measures taken in enforcement matters.
Regional Offices--Interstate Commerce Commission
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Headquarters/Address Director
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CENTRAL--Rm. 1304, 219 S. Dearborn William Redmond, Jr.
St., Chicago, IL 60604
EASTERN--Rm. 16400, 3535 Market Richard M. Biter
St., Philadelphia, PA 19104
WESTERN--Suite 500, 211 Main St., John H. Kirkemo
San Francisco, CA 94105
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Sources of Information
Consumer Affairs The Commission maintains a staff at each of its
regional offices to handle complaints from the public regarding the
transportation services provided by carriers.
Among the many consumer-oriented services are a series of advisory
bulletins alerting the public and prospective transportation users to
the existence of certain transportation problems. There is also a
regulation requiring household goods carriers to furnish an information
bulletin to each prospective customer. These public advisories may be
obtained
from the Office of Compliance and Enforcement, Interstate Commerce
Commission, Washington, DC 20423. Phone, 202-927-5500.
Contracts and Procurement Inquiries regarding the Commission's
procurement and contracting activities should be addressed to the Chief
Operating Officer, Interstate Commerce Commission, Washington, DC 20423.
Phone, 202-927-5370.
Employment Applications for employment may be sent to the Chief,
Section of Personnel Services, Interstate Commerce Commission,
Washington, DC 20423. Phone, 202-927-7288.
Publications A complete list of publications, including explanatory
material on the operation and activities of the Interstate Commerce
Commission and on special consumer-related fields, such as household
goods movements and small shipments, is available. It may be obtained
from the Office of Public Services, Room 3130, Interstate Commerce
Commission, Washington, DC 20423. Phone, 202-927-5350.
Reading Rooms The library and several rooms at ICC Headquarters are
available for records inspection and copying. Requests for access to
public records should be made at the Office of the Secretary, Room 2215,
ICC Building; or write to the Secretary, Interstate Commerce Commission,
Washington, DC 20423. Phone, 202-927-7428.
Small Business Activities The Commission maintains an Office of Public
Services to help the small business owner or transportation firm in such
matters as how to file protests on rates, how to file for new operating
authority or extensions, or how to obtain adequate service where there
is none. Inquiries should be addressed to the Office of Public Services,
Room 3119, Interstate Commerce Commission, Washington, DC 20423. Phone,
202-927-7597.
Speakers Requests for speakers to discuss subjects relating to the
Commission's organization, operations, procedures, and regulations
should be
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directed to the Office of Public Services, Room 3130, Interstate
Commerce Commission, Washington, DC 20423. Phone, 202-927-5350.
For further information, contact the Office of Public Services,
Interstate Commerce Commission, Room 3130, Twelfth Street and
Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20423. Phone, 202-927-5350.
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