Federal Board Probes Railway Exemption Abuses

The federal Surface Transportation Board is giving U.S. Rail Corp., Toledo, Ohio, until Oct. 16 to file a detailed explanation of its plans to build a truck-rail facility in Yaphank, Ohio, without seeking permits.

According to a Newsday report, the board’s point of contention is that railroads and businesses might be improperly seeking to use a federal exemption to avoid oversight from local and state governments on waste transfer stations. Potential abuses alleged in the report include demolishing trees and excavating sand on the 28-acre site without permits.