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Arlington, VA |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Susannah Williams swilliams@acd-chem.com |
Arlington, VA – Today, Alliance for Chemical Distribution (ACD) President and CEO Eric R. Byer released the following statement after the Surface Transportation Board (STB) notice of proposed rulemaking to repeal 49 C.F.R. part 1144, which governs the prescription of reciprocal switching, through routes, and through rates:
“ACD applauds the STB’s notice of proposed rulemaking to repeal its regulations on intramodal rail competition. For too long, U.S. shippers, including those in the chemical distribution industry, have been held captive to high rates, service disruptions, and safety declines. At its core, reciprocal switching would address some of these challenges by allowing rail customers to request their freight be moved to another competitive line if it is reasonably accessible.
“As it currently stands, the STB is limited in its ability to order reciprocal switching by requiring shippers to prove anticompetitive conduct. If adopted, the repeal of this regulation would restore the STB’s full statutory discretion to consider competitive access remedies on a case-by-case basis. This, in turn, will strengthen our economy and our nation’s chemical supply chain resiliency. At a time when the STB is already considering the application of the Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern mega-merger, which would upend supply chains around the nation, this decision is welcome news.”
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The Alliance for Chemical Distribution (ACD) partners with our more than 400 chemical distribution industry members to provide the education, connection, standards, and advocacy they need to responsibly move the essential products our world depends on. As leaders in the $27B+ chemical distribution industry, ACD member companies commit to the highest standards in quality, safety, sustainability, and performance through ACD Responsible DistributionTM. For more information, visit www.acd-chem.com.