Sandy specializes in strategic planning for the transportation of bulk commodities particularly designed at establishing or enhancing competitive transportation alternatives.  Sandy represents electric utilities or other users of transportation that move bulk commodities such as coal, aggregates, chemicals or plastics.  Her practice embraces a variety of matters that often involves buying, selling or moving coal domestically or internationally, including counsel on rail construction and environmental review, transportation and coal supply contract drafting and negotiating, counsel on federal preemption in transportation matters and representation at proceedings before the Surface Transportation (“STB,” formerly the Interstate Commerce Commission, “ICC”).

Representative Experience 

Counsel and implement construction and operation of rail line projects for clients to transport coal and other bulk commodities, including securing necessary regulatory and environmental authorization from the Surface Transportation Board (“STB,” formerly the Interstate Commerce Commission, “ICC”), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and other agencies

Provide counsel to a Midwest energy company in developing and implementing a transportation and coal supply strategy designed to establish or enhance competitive coal transportation alternatives with one such strategy alone resulting in $15 million a year savings for the company

Provide strategic counsel to several leading power companies in North America. Representation includes: review, assessment, and negotiation of transportation, fuel and related agreements, along with counsel on all related fuel strategies including regulatory issues, rail competition issues, rate and fuel surcharge issues, derailments, coal dust, embargoes, force majeure implications and service and reliability issues

Counsel to aggregates and other bulk commodity shippers on issues such as commodity exemptions, federal preemption and the common carrier obligation as it relates to rail transportation

Prepare testimony, provide legal analysis and lead discovery process for various clients in numerous major rail merger proceedings and other dispute proceedings against Class I and short line railroads at the STB

Litigation and advocacy counsel to railroads, citizen groups, utility companies and state and local governments on appellate review of agency decisions in federal courts

Provide legislative and policy counsel for railroads, state and local governments, and other entities on transportation issues, including the successful obtainment of Federal appropriations for transportation projects

Publications
"Section 11102: Is It The Answer To Competitive Access?-- Examining The Varying Standards Applied By The Surface Transportation Board When It Is Determining Whether To Grant Terminal Trackage Rights Access," with William A. Mullins, Journal of Transportation Law, Logistics and Policy, pp. 333-334, Spring 1999, Volume 66, Number 3.

Presentations and Speaking Engagements
Testimony at Surface Transportation Board’s Hearing: Renewed Petition, Western Coal Traffic League, Regarding Railroad Sale or Lease Agreements and "Paper Barriers," STB Ex Parte No. 575, July 2006 

“Something’s Gotta Give – Where do Shippers and Railroads Go from Here?” National Coal Transportation Association, April 2006  

“Fuel Procurement Management:  Supply, Stockpile & Transportation Administration,” American Coal Council, October 2004    

“Rail Transportation Rates,” Virginia Conference on World Trade, October 2003