STB: CP must submit weekly fertilizer data

   The Surface Transportation Board has denied Canadian Pacific’s request to abstain from submitting weekly fertilizer delivery status reports as required by the board’s April 15 ruling.
   The board had told CP and BNSF to detail their plans for fertilizer delivery and to then provide weekly status reports over the next six weeks. BNSF told the board it is adding 110 jumbo hopper cars to its existing fleet and detailed additional steps the railroad would take to ensure the timely delivery of fertilizer. In CP’s response, officials said fertilizer isn’t a huge part of the railroad’s business and that it will not be adding any capacity. It also asked to not be required to provide the weekly updates.
   “Although CP may transport smaller volumes of fertilizer in the referenced areas than BNSF, timely delivery of fertilizer is critical to spring planting and crop production for 2014,” the STB wrote. “If the board does not receive sufficient data indicating that fertilizer is being timely delivered, the board may need to consider more direct measures to facilitate delivery of these time-sensitive products.”