ISRI Advocacy Efforts Result in Victory for Industry
(Washington, DC) – Following years of advocating on behalf of the recycling industry in a hard-fought battle over excessive demurrage charges and inconsistent rail service, the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) today celebrates the Surface Transportation Board’s (STB) Adoption of the Final Rule Establishing Minimum Information Requirements for Class I Demurrage Invoices.
“This Supplemental Rule from the STB includes information necessary for accurate and effective communication between shippers and our rail carrier partners,” said ReMA President Robin Wiener. “Rail invoices will now include accurate and accessible information so both rail carriers and rail shippers are on the same page. The STB’s rule recognizes that the communication of correct information can help prevent many misunderstandings between rail shippers and carriers.”
Over the last two years, ReMA met and filed formal comments with the STB describing what types of information was needed from the railroads with any demurrage invoices. ReMA strongly advocated for specific data that would allow recyclers to better anticipate the arrival of the requested railcars and to challenge any demurrage charges imposed by a railroad. More specifically, it argued for machine-readable access of invoices that included unique identifying information such as the railcar number, the date the waybill was created, the status of the car, and the dates and times of the actual placement of each railcar.
“During our meetings we found the STB members to be very interested in the opinions and suggestions of ReMA and our members, and as a result they opened up a supplemental rule-making to address our complaints, which resulted in the final rule issued this week,” continued Wiener. “We are very grateful for the attention each STB member took in listening to and addressing our complaints.”
Full text of the STB rule can be found here.
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The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, Inc. (ISRI) is the "Voice of the Recycling Industry™." ReMA represents 1,300 companies in 20 chapters in the U.S. and more than 40 countries that process, broker, and consume scrap commodities, including metals, paper, plastics, glass, rubber, electronics, and textiles. With headquarters in Washington, DC, the Institute provides education, advocacy, safety and compliance training, and promotes public awareness of the vital role recycling plays in the U.S. economy, global trade, the environment and sustainable development. Generating nearly $110 billion annually in U.S. economic activity, the scrap recycling industry provides more than 500,000 Americans with good jobs.