Source: United States Senator for North Dakota John Hoeven
BISMARCK, N.D. – Senator John Hoeven joined Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) in calling on the Surface Transportation Board (STB) to fill the three vacant seats on the STB’s Rail Energy Transportation Advisory Committee (RETAC) with coal industry representatives. Under its charter, the committee is to have a balanced representation of the nation’s energy industries, with no fewer than three members from the coal industry, to help ensure the STB is properly informed and can address issues impacting the transportation of energy resources. However, coal producers are currently unrepresented on the committee, and the three available seats have been vacant for more than two years.
“Coal remains the largest volume commodity on our nation’s railways,” wrote the senators. “Missed trains and large delays caused by a lack of crews and irregular schedules have forced some coal mines to limit the production of coal, which ultimately results in lost jobs, despite the high demand and abundantly available resource… As part of your continued oversight of the rail industry to ensure the railroads meet their obligations and commitments for all types of commodities, we ask that you fill the vacant coal production seats on the committee without delay.”
Hoeven and Lummis were joined in this effort by Senators John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.). The full text of the letter can be read here.
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