PITTSBURGH, Jan. 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Pittsburgh-based L.B. Foster Company ("L.B. Foster") announced today that the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit has upheld the Surface Transportation Board's grant of final approval, subject to certain environmental mitigation conditions, for the Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad's ("DM&E") rail expansion project.
Surface Transportation Board Chairman Charles D. Nottingham previously stated, "We are pleased with the court's ruling, which is a significant step in allowing this important project to go forward. DM&E now has the opportunity to introduce additional competition and capacity into the Powder River Basin and to rehabilitate its existing line to help meet our nation's growing freight rail needs."
The project involves the construction of approximately 280 miles of new rail line to reach the coal mines of Wyoming's Powder River Basin and the upgrade of nearly 600 miles of existing track in Minnesota and South Dakota.
The court rejected challenges made by several outside parties concerning the STB's environmental review. A complete text of the Eighth Circuit Court's decision can be accessed at http://www.ca8.uscourts.gov/ and searching under One Stop Search for Case Number 06-2031.
L.B. Foster owns approximately 13.4% of the DM&E's diluted common shares.
L.B. Foster is a leading manufacturer, fabricator and distributor of products for rail, construction, utility and energy markets.
The company can be reached via telephone at 412-928-3400 and through its website, http://www.lbfoster.com/.
Contact: Jake Fuellhart of L.B. Foster Company, +1-412-928-5645
