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STB to Hold a Field Hearing in Oregon
Author: Coos Bay Rail Fan
Date: 07-30-2008 - 06:48
This story ran on
KRSB Radio in Roseburg, Oregon:
After hearing from Oregon’s Congressional Delegation, local elected officials and business owners, the Surface Transportation Board has announced a field hearing in Oregon on CORP’s proposed abandonment of the Coos Bay line.
A statement released by the STB says, “Because this proceeding involves issues of significant importance to the people of Oregon, the Board will grant the requests for a public hearing to be held in Oregon. The time and location will be determined by Board order that is expected to be issued on August 1, 2008."
Allyn Ford, President of Roseburg Forest Products and Chairman of the Coos-Siskiyou Shippers Coalition, started a wave of requests for such a hearing last week. Soon after, letters echoing Ford’s request came from Senators Ron Wyden and Gordon Smith, Representative Peter DeFazio, Governor Ted Kulongoski and several state lawmakers.
Each letter had a common point: members of the Surface Transportation Board need to hear directly from those impacted by the embargo and abandonment of the line between Eugene and Coos Bay.
The Central Oregon and Pacific Railroad and its parent company, Rail America, closed down the line over safety concerns with one days’ notice last September. Since then, shippers along the line have faced sharp increases in shipping costs. RailAmerica officials claim to have tried to enter into a mutual agreement to restore service on the line, to no avail.
KRSB Radio in Roseburg, Oregon:
After hearing from Oregon’s Congressional Delegation, local elected officials and business owners, the Surface Transportation Board has announced a field hearing in Oregon on CORP’s proposed abandonment of the Coos Bay line.
A statement released by the STB says, “Because this proceeding involves issues of significant importance to the people of Oregon, the Board will grant the requests for a public hearing to be held in Oregon. The time and location will be determined by Board order that is expected to be issued on August 1, 2008."
Allyn Ford, President of Roseburg Forest Products and Chairman of the Coos-Siskiyou Shippers Coalition, started a wave of requests for such a hearing last week. Soon after, letters echoing Ford’s request came from Senators Ron Wyden and Gordon Smith, Representative Peter DeFazio, Governor Ted Kulongoski and several state lawmakers.
Each letter had a common point: members of the Surface Transportation Board need to hear directly from those impacted by the embargo and abandonment of the line between Eugene and Coos Bay.
The Central Oregon and Pacific Railroad and its parent company, Rail America, closed down the line over safety concerns with one days’ notice last September. Since then, shippers along the line have faced sharp increases in shipping costs. RailAmerica officials claim to have tried to enter into a mutual agreement to restore service on the line, to no avail.
| Subject | Written By | Date/Time (PST) |
|---|---|---|
 STB to Hold a Field Hearing in Oregon |
Coos Bay Rail Fan | 07-30-2008 - 06:48 |