As used in this subpart:

(a) Arbitrator means a single person appointed to arbitrate pursuant to this subpart.

(b) Arbitrator Panel means a group of three people appointed to arbitrate pursuant to this subpart. One panel member would be selected from the roster by each side to the arbitration dispute, and the parties would mutually agree to the selection of the third-lead arbitrator under the “strike” methodology described in § 1108.6(c).

(c) Arbitration program means the program established by the Surface Transportation Board in this subpart under which participating parties, including rail carriers and shippers, have agreed voluntarily in advance, or on a case-by-case basis to resolve disputes about arbitration-program-eligible matters brought before the Board using the Board's arbitration procedures.

(d) Arbitration-program-eligible matters are those disputes or components of disputes, that may be resolved using the Board's arbitration program and include disputes involving one or more of the following subjects: rates; Demurrage; accessorial charges; misrouting or mishandling of rail cars; and disputes involving a carrier's published rules and practices as applied to particular rail transportation.

(e) Counterclaim is an independent arbitration claim filed by a respondent against a complainant arising out of the same set of circumstances or is substantially related to the underlying arbitration complaint and subject to the Board's jurisdiction.

(f) Final arbitration decision is the unredacted decision served upon the parties 30 days after the close of the arbitration's evidentiary phase.

(g) Interstate Commerce Act means the Interstate Commerce Act as amended by the ICC Termination Act of 1995 and the Surface Transportation Board Reauthorization Act of 2015.

(h) Lead arbitrator or single arbitrator means the arbitrator selected by the strike methodology outlined in § 1108.6(c).

(i) Monetary award cap means a limit on awardable damages of $25,000,000 in rate disputes, including any rate prescription, and $2,000,000 in practice disputes, unless the parties mutually agree to a lower award cap. If parties bring one or more counterclaims, such counterclaims will be subject to a separate monetary award cap.

(j) Practice disputes are disputes involving demurrage; accessorial charges; misrouting or mishandling of rail cars; and disputes involving a carrier's published rules and practices as applied to particular rail transportation.

(k) Statutory jurisdiction means the jurisdiction conferred on the STB by the Interstate Commerce Act, including jurisdiction over rail transportation or services that have been exempted from regulation.

(l) STB or Board means the Surface Transportation Board.

(m) Rate disputes are disputes involving the reasonableness of a rail carrier's rates.