[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 95 (Friday, May 16, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26576-26577]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-12230]


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DELAWARE RIVER BASIN COMMISSION


Notice of Public Hearing; Proposal To Revise the Fee Schedule for 
the Review of Projects Under Section 3.8 and Article 10 of the Delaware 
River Basin Compact

AGENCY: Delaware River Basin Commission.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

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SUMMARY: The Commission will hold a public hearing and solicit comment 
on proposed changes to the fee schedule for the review of projects 
under Section 3.8 and Article 10 of the Delaware River Basin Compact. 
The Commission instituted project review fees in 1972, in order to 
allocate to applicants a portion of the cost of reviewing water 
resource projects. The fees, which are paid to the

[[Page 26577]]

Commission at the time applications are filed, were increased only 
once, in 1991, and have not been revised since.
    The substantive revisions include the following: Instituting filing 
fees for projects sponsored by political subdivisions of the basin 
states; for public projects costing less than $250,000, charging a fee 
of $250; for privately sponsored projects costing $250,000 or less, 
increasing the fee from $250 to $500; for projects costing from 
$250,001 to $10,000,000, increasing the fee from 0.1 to 0.2 percent of 
project cost; and for projects costing over $10,000,000, increasing the 
fee from 0.04 to 0.06 percent of project cost, not to exceed $50,000. 
In addition, the surcharge for any project resulting in an out-of-basin 
diversion is proposed to be increased from 50 percent to double the fee 
calculated in accordance with the foregoing. The method of calculating 
project costs is proposed to remain unchanged. New fees are proposed to 
be instituted for two types of actions: (1) A fee of $5,000 is proposed 
for a request for an emergency certificate under Section 2.3.9B of the 
Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure to waive or amend a docket 
condition; and (2) a fee of $500 is proposed for the transfer of a 
docket upon a change of ownership as defined in Resolution No. 87-15. 
In all cases, if the fixed fee or fee calculated in accordance with the 
prescribed formulas is deemed by the executive director to be 
insufficient due to exceptional costs associated with Commission 
review, it is proposed that the Commission may charge the applicant 100 
percent of all costs deemed by the executive director to be 
exceptional. The revised fee schedule is proposed to become effective 
on July 1, 2003 for all applications submitted on or after July 1, 
2003.

DATES: The public hearing will be held on June 26, 2003 during the 
Commission's regular business meeting, which will begin at 1 p.m. The 
hearing will continue until all those present who wish to testify are 
afforded an opportunity to do so. Persons wishing to testify are asked 
to register in advance with the Commission Secretary, by phoning 609-
883-9500 x203. Written comments will be accepted through the close of 
the public hearing.

ADDRESSES: The public hearing will be held at the Commission's offices 
at 25 State Police Drive in West Trenton, New Jersey. Directions are 
posted on the Commission's Web site at http://www.drbc.net. Written 
comments may be submitted electronically to [email protected], with 
a subject line reading ``FEES,'' or in hard copy to the Commission 
Secretary, DRBC, PO Box 7360, West Trenton, NJ 08628-0360. The full 
name, street or post office address, and telephone number for the 
entity or individual submitting the comment must appear on all 
submissions.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Please contact Pamela M. Bush at 609-
883-9500, ext. 203 with questions about the hearing process and comment 
period or the proposed changes in the project review fee schedule.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A draft resolution containing the proposed 
new fee schedule may be viewed on the Commission's Web site, http://www.drbc.net. The current fee schedule, set forth in Resolution No. 91-
3, also may be viewed on the web site.

    Dated: May 12, 2003.
Pamela M. Bush,
Commission Secretary.
[FR Doc. 03-12230 Filed 5-15-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6360-01-P