(a) Protests. Any protest pursuant to section 15(7) of the Interstate Commerce Act must be filed not later than 15 days after the filing of a tariff publication. If the carrier submits a separate letter with the filing, providing a telefax number and contact person, and requesting all protests to be telefaxed to the carrier by a protestant, any protest must be so telefaxed to the pipeline at the time the protest is filed with the Commission. Only persons with a substantial economic interest in the tariff filing may file a protest to a tariff filing pursuant to the Interstate Commerce Act. Along with the protest, the protestant must file a verified statement which must contain a reasonably detailed description of the nature and substance of the protestant's substantial economic interest in the tariff filing.

(b) Responses. The carrier may file a response to a protest no later than 5 days from the filing of the protest.

(c) Commission action. Commission action, including any hearings or other proceedings, on a protest will be limited to the issues raised in such protest. If a filing is protested, before the effective date of the tariff publication or within 30 days of the tariff filing, whichever is later, the Commission will determine whether to suspend the tariff and initiate a formal investigation.

(d) Termination of investigation. Withdrawal of the protest, or protests, that caused the initiation of an investigation automatically terminates the investigation.

[Order 561, 58 FR 58780, Nov. 4, 1993, as amended by Order 561-A, 59 FR 40256, Aug. 8, 1994]