[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 247 (Wednesday, December 24, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67411-67413]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-33584]
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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Mine Safety and Health Administration
Fee Adjustments for Testing, Evaluation, and Approval of Mining
Products
AGENCY: Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), Labor.
ACTION: Notice of fee adjustments.
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SUMMARY: This notice revises MSHA's user fees for testing, evaluation,
and approval of certain products manufactured for use in underground
mines. These fees are based on fiscal
[[Page 67412]]
year 1997 data and reflect changes in approval processing operations as
well as costs incurred to process approval actions.
DATES: These fee schedules are effective from January 1, 1998 through
December 31, 1998. Approval applications postmarked before January 1,
1998 will be chargeable under the fee schedules as published on
December 27, 1996.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Steven J. Luzik, Chief, Approval and
Certification Center, R.R. 1, Box 251, Triadelphia, West Virginia
26059, (304) 547-2029 or (304) 547-0400.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In general, MSHA has computed the revised
fees based on the cost to the government to provide testing,
evaluation, and approval of products manufactured for use in
underground mines. On May 8, 1987 (52 FR 17506), MSHA published a final
rule, 30 CFR Part 5--Fees for Testing, Evaluation, and Approval of
Mining Products, which established the specific procedures for fee
calculation, administration, and revisions. This revised fee schedule
is established in accordance with the procedures of that rule.
For a majority of the services provided by A&CC, fees are charged
on an hourly basis. The hourly rates are recalculated each year and
published in the Federal Register. This calculation involves an
assessment of the direct and indirect costs associated with the
services performed. Direct costs are based on current compensation and
benefit costs for technical and support personnel directly involved in
providing the services. Indirect costs are based on a proportionate
share of the cost of activities which support the approval service,
including management and administration of the A&CC, facility operating
costs and amortization and depreciation of facilities and equipment.
Indirect costs have been applied uniformly in computing the hourly
rates for the various services provided.
Direct costs, however, have been separately computed for each
product approval program. This has resulted in the inclusion of over
100 different fee categories being published in the annual Federal
Register notice. The intent of this breakdown has been to establish
hourly rates which reflect as accurately as possible the actual cost of
performing services by product type.
Experience has shown that since 1987, the year in which 30 CFR Part
5 was promulgated, there has been a relatively small range of
difference in the separately computed direct costs for each product
approval program. The result has been the annual publication of an
unnecessarily complicated listing of separate hourly rates with
relatively little variation. This has undoubtedly created confusion and
frustration for those mining product manufacturers who submit requests
for A&CC services under more than one product category.
A&CC is simplifying the computation of direct costs for 1998 so as
to produce a uniform hourly rate across all of the product approval
categories. This has been accomplished by simply calculating a weighted
average direct cost for all the services provided by A&CC in the
processing of requests for testing, evaluation and approval of mining
products. The result is a single hourly rate which is now uniformly
applied regardless of product type.
Programs that were previously administered using a flat rate
billing convention will remain in the schedule as such. See the
schedule for the appropriate flat/hourly rates.
Dated: December 18, 1997.
J. Davitt McAteer,
Assistant Secretary for Mine Safety and Health.
Fee Schedule Effective January 1, 1998
[(Based on FY 1997 data]
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Action Title Hourly Rate Flat Rate
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Testing, Evaluation, and Approval of all
products..................................... $59 ...........
30 CFR PART 15--EXPLOSIVES
12 Approval Evaluation \1\............... 59 ...........
Permissibility Tests for Explosives:
Weigh-in.......................... ........... 462
Physical Exam: First size......... ........... 325
Chemical Analysis................. ........... 1,977
Air Gap--Minimum Product Firing
Temperature...................... ........... 460
Air Gap--Room Temperature......... ........... 352
Pendulum Friction Test............ ........... 163
Detonation Rate................... ........... 352
Gallery Test 7.................... ........... 7,436
Gallery Test 8.................... ........... 5,533
Toxic Gases (Large Chamber)....... ........... 805
Permissibility Tests for Sheathed
Explosives:
Physical Examination.............. ........... 128
Chemical Analysis................. ........... 1,044
Gallery Test 9.................... ........... 1,944
Gallery Test 10................... ........... 1,944
Gallery Test 11................... ........... 1,944
Gallery Test 12................... ........... 1,944
Drop Test......................... ........... 648
Temperature Effects/Detonation.... ........... 672
Toxic Gases....................... ........... 580
14 Approval Extension.................... 59 ...........
15 Statement of Test and Evaluation
(ST&E)................................... ........... 54
17 Statement of Test and Evaluation
(ST&E) Extension......................... ........... 54
20 Stamped Revision Acceptance (SRA)\2\.. ........... 403
23 Field Approval........................ ........... 103
29 Dust Collector Approval with Cert. of
Performance.............................. ........... 297
40 Stamped Notification Acceptance
Program (SNAP)........................... ........... 443
40 Stamped Notification Acceptance
Program (SNAP) ST&E...................... ........... 33
47 Permit--Extension of Time............. ........... 276
52 Mine Wide Monitoring System (MWMS)
Barrier Classification................... ........... 87
[[Page 67413]]
00 Retesting for Approval as a Result of
Post-Approval Product Audit \3\.......... ........... ...........
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\1\ Full approval fee consists of evaluation cost plus applicable test
costs.
\2\ Fee covers SRA application accompanied by up to five documents.
\3\ Fee based upon the approval schedule in effect at the time of
retest.
Note: When testing and evaluation are required at locations other than
MSHA's premises, the applicant shall reimburse MSHA for traveling,
subsistence, and incidental expenses of MSHA's representation in
accordance with standardized government travel regulations. This
reimbursement is in addition to the fees charged for evaluation and
testing.
[FR Doc. 97-33584 Filed 12-23-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-43-P