[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 249 (Wednesday, December 29, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 78046-78047]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-28452]


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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 our [MSHA Approval and Certification 
Center (A&CC)] user fees. Fees compensate us for the costs that we 
incur for testing, evaluating, and approving certain products for use 
in underground mines. We based the 2005 fees on our actual expenses for 
fiscal year 2004. The fees reflect changes both in our approval 
processing operations and in our costs to process approval actions.

DATES: This fee schedule is effective from January 1, 2005, through 
December 31, 2005.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Steven J. Luzik, Chief, Approval and 
Certification Center (A&CC), 304-547-2029 or 304-547-0400.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    On May 8, 1987 (52 FR 17506), we published a final rule, 30 CFR 
part 5--Fees for Testing, Evaluation, and Approval of Mining Products. 
The rule established specific procedures for calculating, 
administering, and revising user fees. We have revised our fee schedule 
for 2004 in accordance with the procedures of that rule and include 
this new fee schedule below. For approval applications postmarked 
before January 1, 2005, we will continue to calculate fees under the 
previous (2004) fee schedule, published on December 30, 2003.

[[Page 78047]]

Fee Computation

    In general, we computed the 2005 fees based on fiscal year 2004 
data. We calculated a weighted-average, direct cost for all the 
services that we provided during fiscal year 2004 in the processing of 
requests for testing, evaluation, and approval of certain products for 
use in underground mines. From this cost, we calculated a single hourly 
rate to apply uniformly across all of the product approval categories 
during 2005.

    Dated: December 22, 2004.
David G. Dye,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Mine Safety and Health.

                 FEE SCHEDULE EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2005
                         (Based on FY 2004 data)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                             HOURLY RATE
                        ACTION TITLE                             ($)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fees for Testing, Evaluation, and Approval of all Mining              66
 Products \1\..............................................
Retesting for Approval as a Result of Post-Approval Product
 Audit \2\.................................................
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                   30 CFR PART 15--EXPLOSIVES TESTING
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Full approval fee consists of evaluation cost plus applicable test
  costs.
\2\ Fee based upon the approval schedule in effect at the time of
  retest.


    Note: When the nature of the product requires that we test and 
evaluate it at a location other than our premises, you must 
reimburse us for the traveling, subsistence, and incidental expenses 
of our representative in accordance with standardized government 
travel regulations. This reimbursement is in addition to the fees 
charged for evaluation and testing.

[FR Doc. 04-28452 Filed 12-28-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-43-P