ARA Sends a Petition to STB for Declaratory Order
Oct 23 2015
ARA sends a petition to the Surface Transportation Board (STB) seeking a declaration from the Board that, if a Class I railroad fails to meet the December 31, 2015 deadline for implementing PTC, it still must continue to accept and transport TIH shipments over those lines pursuant to its common carrier obligation. Anhydrous ammonia is a TIH commodity, and it accounts for 45 percent of rail TIH volumes. It is the basic building block of all nitrogen fertilizers, and, therefore, is a critically important commodity to many of the Interested Agricultural Parties’ members engaged in agricultural production and in providing farm supplies and inputs to farmer-customers. Accordingly, we concur with the Petition’s underlying principle that Class I railroads do not have a legal right to unilaterally suspend their common carrier obligation to transport anhydrous ammonia because of their failure to comply with the PTC requirements of the RSIA.