The Environmental Contact List is intended to assist applicants and their representatives in complying with the reporting requirements of the Surface Transportation Board's environmental rules at 49 C.F.R. Part 1105. The contact list includes links to directories of various federal agencies, as well as the names, mailing addresses, and website addresses of state agencies that should be consulted under the STB's environmental rules.

Effective consultation means contacting the correct office inside an agency or organization, making sure that the materials that you sent have been received by that correct office, and keeping records of who you spoke to and what they said. Effective consultation results in benefits for all stakeholders, from subject matter agencies, tribes, and applicants to organizations and members of the public.

Here are the three keys to effective consultation:

- Start local. Often state or federal agencies will refer environmental reports to staff at field offices who then review them for official comment. By starting with these local offices, applicants may be able to receive a response sooner than they would by contacting a regional office or headquarters.

- Call ahead. Agency contacts and mailing addresses change frequently. Confirming which individual or division will review your report prior to mailing it may save time and confusion later in the process.

- Follow up. After mailing an environmental report, contact the individual or division to confirm that it was received. Better to find that an agency did not receive an environmental report early in the process than later, especially if it may have substantive comments that affect the Board’s decision.

In order to ensure that the contact information is as accurate and up to date as possible, please report any changes or corrections to Mr. Adam Assenza at assenzaa@stb.dot.gov, (202) 245-0301, Office of Environmental Analysis, Surface Transportation Board, 395 E Street, S.W., Washington, DC 20423.