Notice2022-23322
Report: Alternatives to URCS
Primary source
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Published
October 26, 2022
Issuing agencies
Surface Transportation Board
Abstract
The Surface Transportation Board (Board) seeks written public comments on the independent report prepared by Laurits R. Christensen Associates, Inc. (Christensen Associates), entitled, Alternatives to URCS. The report may be accessed via the Board's website at www.stb.gov.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 87 Issue 206 (Wednesday, October 26, 2022)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 206 (Wednesday, October 26, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Page 64835]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2022-23322]
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SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD
[Docket No. EP 771]
Report: Alternatives to URCS
AGENCY: Surface Transportation Board.
ACTION: Notice and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The Surface Transportation Board (Board) seeks written public
comments on the independent report prepared by Laurits R. Christensen
Associates, Inc. (Christensen Associates), entitled, Alternatives to
URCS. The report may be accessed via the Board's website at
<a href="http://www.stb.gov">www.stb.gov</a>.
DATES: Comments are due by February 23, 2023. Replies to comments are
due by May 24, 2023.
ADDRESSES: Comments and replies may be filed with the Board either via
e-filing on the Board's website at <a href="http://www.stb.gov">www.stb.gov</a>, or in writing addressed
to: Surface Transportation Board, Attn: Docket No. EP 771, 395 E Street
SW, Washington, DC 20423-0001. Filings will be posted to the Board's
website.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael Boyles at (202) 245-0336.
Assistance for the hearing impaired is available through the Federal
Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Board is authorized, under 49 U.S.C.
11161, to maintain cost accounting rules for rail carriers. In 1989,
the Board's predecessor, the Interstate Commerce Commission, adopted
the Uniform Railroad Costing System (URCS) as its general purpose
costing system. Adoption of the Unif. R.R. Costing Sys. as a Gen.
Purpose Costing Sys. for All Regul. Costing Purposes, 5 I.C.C.2d 894
(1989). The Board uses URCS for a variety of regulatory functions. URCS
is used in rate reasonableness proceedings as part of the initial
market dominance determination, and at later stages is used in parts of
the Board's determination as to whether the challenged rate is
reasonable, and, when warranted, the maximum rate prescription. URCS is
also used to, among other things, develop variable costs for making
cost determinations in abandonment proceedings, to provide the railroad
industry and shippers with a standardized costing model, to cost the
Board's Carload Waybill Sample to develop industry cost information,
and to provide interested parties with basic cost information regarding
railroad industry operations.
In 2020 the Board commissioned Christensen Associates to perform a
study and write a report to identify and evaluate alternatives to URCS
that could be used as a replacement general purpose costing methodology
to generate railroad-specific variable costs for regulatory purposes.
That report has been completed and is posted on the Board's website at
<a href="https://www.stb.gov/reports-data/reports-studies/">https://www.stb.gov/reports-data/reports-studies/</a> and in this docket.
The Board now seeks public comments and replies from all interested
persons on the report's recommendations. The Board has not made any
determinations on whether it will propose changes to its general
purpose costing system. Given the preliminary and exploratory nature of
this request for comments, the Board will not release supporting
materials, such as the Confidential Carload Waybill Sample data or
underlying workpapers developed by Christensen Associates, at this
time. Should the Board move forward with a proposal to modify its
general purpose costing system, a further opportunity for comment will
be provided.
It is ordered:
1. Comments are due by February 23, 2023; reply comments are due by
May 24, 2023.
2. Notice of this decision will be published in the Federal
Register.
3. This decision is effective on its service date.
Decided: October 21, 2022.
By the Board, Mai T. Dinh, Director, Office of Proceedings.
Jeffrey Herzig,
Clearance Clerk.
[FR Doc. 2022-23322 Filed 10-25-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915-01-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on October 26, 2022.
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