[The Regulatory Plan and Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions]
[Surface Transportation Board Semiannual Regulatory Agenda]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office, www.gpo.gov]


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Part LXIII





Surface Transportation Board





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Semiannual Regulatory Agenda

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SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD (STB)                                     


  



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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Surface Transportation Board

49 CFR Ch. X

STB Ex Parte No. 536 (Sub-No. 9)

Semiannual Regulatory Agenda

AGENCY:  Surface Transportation Board.

ACTION:  Semiannual regulatory agenda.

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SUMMARY:  The Surface Transportation Board, in accordance with the 
requirements of the Regulatory Flexibility Act, is publishing a 
semiannual agenda of: (1) current and projected rulemakings; and (2) 
existing regulations being reviewed to determine whether to propose 
modifications through rulemaking. Listed below are the regulatory 
actions to be developed or reviewed during the next 12 months. 
Following each rule identified is a brief description of the rule, 
including its purpose and legal basis.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:  The Regulatory Flexibility Act, 5 U.S.C. 
601 et seq. (RFA), sets forth a number of requirements for agency 
rulemaking. Among other things, the RFA requires that, during the 
months of April and October of each year, 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 which 
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 concerning 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 Board's best estimate of rules that 
will be considered over the next 12 months. 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 Board is publishing its October 2000 regulatory 
flexibility agenda 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 Order 12866. The Board is participating in 
the program voluntarily to assist OMB.

     For this edition of the Unified Agenda, the most important 
significant regulatory actions are included in The Regulatory Plan, 
which appears in part II of this issue of the Federal Register. The 
Surface Transportation Board's Regulatory Plan entry is listed in 
the table of contents below and is denoted by a bracketed bold 
reference that directs the reader to the appropriate sequence 
number in part II.

Decided: August 14, 2000.

By the Board, Chairman Morgan, Vice Chairman Burkes, and Commissioner 
Clyburn.

 Vernon A. Williams,

Secretary.

                                Surface Transportation Board--Proposed Rule Stage
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                                                                                                    Regulation
 Sequence                                          Title                                          Identification
  Number                                                                                              Number
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4870         Major Rail Consolidation Procedures, STB Ex Parte No. 582 (Sub-No. 1) (Reg Plan Seq     2140-AA56
            No. 173)............................................................................
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References in boldface appear in the Regulatory Plan in Part II of this issue of the Federal Register.


                                 Surface Transportation Board--Long-Term Actions
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                                                                                                    Regulation
 Sequence                                          Title                                          Identification
  Number                                                                                              Number
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4871         Safe Implementation of Board-Approved Transactions, STB Ex Parte No. 574...........     2140-AA50
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                                 Surface Transportation Board--Completed Actions
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                                                                                                    Regulation
 Sequence                                          Title                                          Identification
  Number                                                                                              Number
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4872         Modification of the Carload Waybill Sample and Public Use File Regulations, STB Ex      2140-AA55
            Parte No. 385 (Sub-No. 4)...........................................................
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Surface Transportation Board (STB)                  Proposed Rule Stage


  



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4870.  MAJOR RAIL CONSOLIDATION PROCEDURES, STB EX PARTE NO. 582 
(SUB-NO. 1)

 Regulatory Plan: This entry is Seq. No. 173 in Part II of this issue 
of the Federal Register.

RIN: 2140-AA56
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Surface Transportation Board (STB)                    Long-Term Actions


  



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4871. SAFE IMPLEMENTATION OF BOARD-APPROVED TRANSACTIONS, STB EX PARTE 
NO. 574

Priority: Substantive, Nonsignificant

Legal Authority: 5 USC 553; 5 USC 559; 49 USC 721; 49 USC 10901; 49 USC 
10902; 49 USC 11323; 49 USC 11324; 49 USC 11325; 42 USC 4332

CFR Citation: 49 CFR 244; 49 CFR 1106

Legal Deadline: None

Abstract: The Surface Transportation Board and the Federal Railroad 
Administration (FRA) have proposed complementary regulations 
establishing procedures for the development and implementation of 
safety integration plans (SIPs) by railroads proposing to engage in 
certain merger, consolidation, or acquisition of control transactions 
with another railroad. Under the proposed rules, railroads seeking to 
consummate a Board-covered transaction would be required to file a 
written document with the FRA and the Board explaining how each step in 
implementing a contemplated transaction would be performed safely.

Timetable:
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Action                            Date                      FR Cite

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ANPRM                           12/04/97                    62 FR 64193
ANPRM Comment Period End        02/19/98
NPRM                            12/31/98                    63 FR 72225
NPRM Comment Period End         03/01/99
Internal Review of Comments      To Be                       Determined

Regulatory Flexibility Analysis Required: No

Government Levels Affected: None

Agency Contact: Evelyn Kitay, Attorney, Surface Transportation Board, 
1925 K Street NW., Washington, DC 20423-0001
Phone: 202 565-1563
TDD Phone: 800 877-8339
Fax: 202 565-9001
Email: [email protected]

RIN: 2140-AA50
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Surface Transportation Board (STB)                    Completed Actions


  



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4872. MODIFICATION OF THE CARLOAD WAYBILL SAMPLE AND PUBLIC USE FILE 
REGULATIONS, STB EX PARTE NO. 385 (SUB-NO. 4)

Priority: Substantive, Nonsignificant

Legal Authority: 49 USC 721; 49 USC 10707; 49 USC 11144; 49 USC 11145

CFR Citation: 49 CFR 1244

Legal Deadline: None

Abstract: The Surface Transportation Board has modified its regulations 
governing reporting by railroads of information on rail movements for 
inclusion in the annual rail carload waybill sample. The changes 
require identification of contract carriage movements and limit the 
period the waybill sample is confidential to 30 years.

Timetable:
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Action                            Date                      FR Cite

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ANPRM                           05/17/99                    64 FR 26773
ANPRM Comment Period End        07/01/99
NPRM                            01/06/00                      65 FR 732
NPRM Comment Period End         02/22/00
Final Action                    06/16/00                    65 FR 37710
Final Action Effective          01/01/01

Regulatory Flexibility Analysis Required: No

Small Entities Affected: No

Government Levels Affected: None

Agency Contact: Paul A. Aguiar, Surface Transportation Board, 1925 K 
Street NW., Washington, DC 20423-0001
Phone: 202 565-1527
TDD Phone: 800 877-8339
Fax: 202 565-9000
Email: [email protected]

RIN: 2140-AA55
[FR Doc. 00-22736 Filed 11-29-00]
BILLING CODE 4915-00-S