Senators to mull STB chairman renomination

OREANDA-NEWS. A long period of regulatory uncertainty for the rail industry is poised to come to an end as US senators this week take up the renomination to the Surface Transportation Board (STB) of former chairman Dan Elliott.

The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science & Transportation scheduled a 6 May hearing on Capitol Hill to consider Elliott's renomination to a second five-year term by President Barack Obama. He has not faced major opposition to his reinstatement to the board, which would require a confirmation vote from the full Senate.

STB has been functioning with only two of its three members since Elliott was forced to leave on 31 December because he had not been confirmed. Acting chairwoman Deb Miller (D) and vice chairwoman Ann Begeman (R) have functioned as a two-member board since then, as two members whose vote could cancel each other out.

Shippers' groups have become increasingly concerned about delays of major decisions because Elliott was not present, leaving major cases undecided such as the National Industrial Transportation League's reciprocal switching proposal. Sources had told Argus that Elliott was planning to withdraw from consideration if action was not taken by early summer on his confirmation.

The reasons for the delay in confirming Elliott are not clear. If reconfirmed, Elliott would be sworn in to serve until 31 December, 2018.