CURE :: Consumers United For Rail Equity

Bipartisan Senate Legislation Introduced to Reform Nation's Rail System

At a Washington, D.C., press conference, Jack Gerard, president and CEO of the American Chemistry Council; Sen. David Vitter (R-LA); Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-ND); Scott Parsley, board member of the American Coalition for Ethanol; Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN); and Jim Kerr, president of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners, urge support for legislation to fix America's broken rail system. (PRNewsFoto/Consumers United for Rail Equity, Kaye Evans-Lutterodt)

WASHINGTON, DC UNITED STATES

Sen. David Vitter (R-LA), with Jack Gerard, president and CEO of the American Chemistry Council (left) and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) (right), stresses the importance of legislation to fix America's broken rail system at a Washington D.C. press conference.

(PRNewsFoto/Consumers United for Rail Equity, Kaye Evans-Lutterodt)

WASHINGTON, DC UNITED STATES

At a Washington, D.C., press conference, Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-ND), with Jack Gerard, president and CEO of the American Chemistry Council (left), stresses the importance of legislation to fix America's broken rail system. (PRNewsFoto/Consumers United for Rail Equity, Kaye Evans-Lutterodt)

WASHINGTON, DC UNITED STATES

At a rail customer rally in Washington, D.C., Sen. Herb Kohl (D-WI), with Glenn English, former U.S. Congressman and CEO of National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (left), underscores the need for legislation to fix America's broken rail system. (PRNewsFoto/Consumers United for Rail Equity, Kaye Evans-Lutterodt)

WASHINGTON, DC UNITED STATES

At a rail customer rally in Washington, D.C., Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) underscores the need for legislation to fix America's broken rail system. (PRNewsFoto/Consumers United for Rail Equity, Kaye Evans-Lutterodt)

Over 250 Customers From Across America Urge Action on Capitol Hill Today

WASHINGTON, March 15 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- With more than 250 rail
customers from across the country pressing for freight rail reform on
Capitol Hill today, a bipartisan group of U.S. Senators introduced
legislation to fix America's broken rail system.
    (Photos: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070315/DCTH019-a
              http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070315/DCTH019-b
              http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070315/DCTH019-c
              http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070315/DCTH019-d
              http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070315/DCTH019-e )

The legislation, introduced by Sens. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), Larry
Craig (R-WY), Byron Dorgan (D-ND) and David Vitter (R-LA), would force the
Surface Transportation Board (STB), the federal agency that oversees the
railroads, to give equal consideration to both the railroads and freight
rail customers. The STB's railroad bias has contributed to a growing
crisis. Today America's monopoly freight railroads eschew competition and
accountability; the result is unreliable rail service that is not meeting
America's economic needs.

"A reliable, efficient freight rail system is critical for a strong,
competitive American economy," said Jack Gerard, president and CEO of the
American Chemistry Council and a member of the Consumers United for Rail
Equity (CURE) campaign. "The lack of competition in the nation's freight
rail system is jeopardizing the economic security of the country."

At a Capitol Hill news conference today, Sens. Dorgan, Vitter, Amy
Klobuchar (D-MN) and Jon Tester (D-MT); and Rep. Richard Baker (R-LA)
joined Gerard, Jim Kerr, president of the National Association of
Regulatory Utility Commissioners, and Scott Parsley, board member of the
American Coalition for Ethanol, to urge change to the nation's rail system.

"Unreliable coal deliveries are forcing utilities to use higher-cost
energy resources," said Kerr. "These higher costs are passed onto consumers
- - industrial, residential, and small businesses -- all are feeling the
pinch. It is time for Congress to step in and ensure that the STB works not
only for railroads but also the customer at the end of the track."

"The rail system is so unreliable that some utilities are actually
importing coal for power generation from Indonesia; if that is the case for
coal, how can we possibly rely on the railroads to deliver the ethanol
America needs to help ensure our energy security?" said Parsley.

Why Rail Customers are on Capitol Hill:

More than 250 rail customers from industries including electric;
chemical; forest and paper; ethanol; agriculture; and cement visited
Members of Congress on Capitol Hill today to press for the legislation.

What Rail Customers Want:

-- America's rail system needs competition, accountability and adequate
       infrastructure. An efficient and reliable rail system is an essential
       component of a strong, competitive American economy.
-- The railroads must be subject to the same anti-trust laws other
       industries follow and the Surface Transportation Board must be more
       responsive to the concerns of rail customers.

How Do We Get There:

There is a solution that would give America the railroad system it needs for the 21st Century

-- CURE supports the legislation that Sens. Rockefeller, Craig, Dorgan and
       Vitter introduced today to reform the Surface Transportation Board; and
       similar legislation in the House that will soon be introduced by
       Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Jim Oberstar (D-
       MN) and Rep. Richard Baker (R-LA).

-- CURE supports legislation in the House and the Senate repealing the
       outdated antitrust exemption for railroads. The Railroad Antitrust
       Enforcement Act of 2007 (S. 772) was introduced March 6 by Sens. Herb
       Kohl (D-WI), Norm Coleman (R-MN), Russ Feingold (D-WI), Vitter and
       Rockefeller. In the House, Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-MN) is expected to
       introduce legislation identical to S.772

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ABOUT CURE:

CURE is a coalition of America's rail customers seeking changes in
federal law to improve the reliability, effectiveness and affordability of
the nation's rail system. The group represents public utilities; rural
electric co-ops; investor-owned utilities; farmers; chemical, ethanol,
agriculture, cement and other manufacturers; forest and paper companies;
and all their customers. For more information visit http://www.railcure.org