[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 251 (Friday, December 30, 2016)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 96339-96342]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-31350]



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  Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 251 / Friday, December 30, 2016 / 
Rules and Regulations  

[[Page 96339]]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration

7 CFR Part 800


Fees for Official Inspection and Official Weighing Services Under 
the United States Grain Standards Act (USGSA)

AGENCY: Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration, USDA.

ACTION: Final rule.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Department of Agriculture (USDA) Grain Inspection, Packers 
and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) is announcing the fee schedule 
for official inspection and weighing services performed under the 
United States Grain Standards Act (USGSA), as amended, in order to 
comply with amendments to the USGSA made by the Agriculture 
Reauthorizations Act of 2015. The USGSA provides GIPSA with the 
authority to charge and collect reasonable fees to cover the costs of 
performing official services and the costs associated with managing the 
program. This action publishes the annual review of fees in Schedule A 
and the resulting fees that will be effective January 1, 2017.

DATES: Effective January 1, 2017.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Denise Ruggles, USDA-GIPSA-FGIS-ODA; 
Telephone: (816) 659-8406; Email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: USGSA authorizes the Secretary of 
Agriculture to provide official grain inspection and weighing services 
and to charge and collect reasonable fees for performing these 
services. The fees collected are to cover, as nearly as practicable, 
GIPSA's costs for performing these services, including associated 
administrative and supervisory costs. The fees are in the regulations 
at 7 CFR 800.71.
    On July 29, 2016, GIPSA published in the Federal Register (81 FR 
49855) a final rule amending 7 CFR 800.71 in accordance with the 
Reauthorizations Act of 2015, which required GIPSA to calculate fees 
assessed on tonnage based on the 5-year rolling average of export 
tonnage volume (Sec.  800.71) and adjust all Schedule A fees annually 
to maintain a 3 to 6 month operating reserve for inspection and 
supervision services (Sec.  800.71).
    GIPSA has conducted the annual review of the fees and operating 
reserve for the purposes of the annual adjustment of the fees. 
Accordingly, GIPSA is setting new tonnage fees which will take effect 
on January 1, 2017, for all field offices. GIPSA has determined that a 
5 percent reduction in all Schedule A fees, including the 
aforementioned tonnage fees, is necessary to attain the goal of 4\1/2\ 
months of operating reserve.

Fee Calculations

    The regulations require GIPSA annually review the national tonnage 
fees, local tonnage fees, and fees for service. After calculating the 
tonnage fees according to the regulatory formula in section 
800.71(b)(1), GIPSA then reviews the amount of funds in the operating 
reserve at the end of the fiscal year (FY2016 in this case) to ensure 
that it has 4\1/2\ months of operating expenses as required by section 
800.71(b)(2) of the regulations. If the operating reserve has more, or 
less than 4\1/2\ months of operating expenses, then GIPSA must adjust 
all Schedule A fees. For each $1,000,000, rounded down, that the 
operating reserve varies from the target of 4\1/2\ months, GIPSA will 
adjust all Schedule A fees by 2 percent. If the operating reserve 
exceeds the target, all Schedule A fees will be reduced. If the 
operating reserve does not meet target, all Schedule A fees will be 
increased. The maximum annual increase or decrease in fees is 5 percent 
(Sec.  800.71(b)(2)(i)-(ii)).
    (a) Tonnage fees for the 5-year rolling average tonnage were 
calculated on the previous 5 fiscal years 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, and 
2016. Tonnage fees consist of the national tonnage fee and local 
tonnage fee and are calculated and rounded to the nearest $0.001 per 
metric ton. The tonnage fees are calculated as following:
    (1) National tonnage fee. The national tonnage fee is the national 
program administrative costs for the previous fiscal year divided by 
the average yearly tons of export grain officially inspected and/or 
weighed by delegated States and designated agencies, excluding land 
carrier shipments to Canada and Mexico, and outbound grain officially 
inspected and/or weighed by FGIS during the previous 5 fiscal years.
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TR30DE16.038


------------------------------------------------------------------------
                  Fiscal year                          Metric tons
------------------------------------------------------------------------
2012 *.........................................               95,290,621
2013 *.........................................               81,207,695
2014...........................................              117,560,767
2015...........................................              118,758,937
2016...........................................              122,330,979
5-year Rolling Average.........................              107,029,800
------------------------------------------------------------------------
* To provide uniformity in the 5-year Rolling Average calculation,
  fiscal years 2012 and 2013 include tons of export grain officially
  inspected and/or weighed by delegated States and designated agencies
  prior to the implementation of the fee assessment in the Federal
  Register (78 FR 22151), effective May 1, 2013.

    The national program administrative costs for fiscal year 2016 were 
$7,214,466. The fiscal year 2017 national tonnage fee, prior to the 
operating reserve review, is calculated to be at $0.067 per metric ton.
    (2) Local tonnage fee. The local tonnage fee is the field office 
administrative costs for the previous fiscal year divided by the 
average yearly tons of outbound grain officially

[[Page 96340]]

inspected and/or weighed by the field office during the previous 5 
fiscal years.
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TR30DE16.039

    The field offices fiscal year tons for the previous 5 fiscal years 
and calculated 5-year rolling average are as follows:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                                                          5-year rolling
                      Field office                            FY 2012         FY 2013         FY 2014         FY 2015         FY 2016         average
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
New Orleans.............................................      49,507,254      42,399,760      62,862,914      65,244,517      66,077,535      57,218,396
League City.............................................       7,638,261      10,418,686      12,623,510      12,474,343      12,581,236      11,147,207
Portland................................................       5,739,021       3,953,500       6,065,934       4,111,533       4,645,754       4,903,148
Toledo..................................................       1,276,334       1,329,718       1,802,339       2,484,604       2,030,506       1,784,700
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The local field office administrative costs for fiscal year 2016 
and the fiscal year 2017 calculated local field office tonnage fee, 
prior to the operating reserve review, are as follows:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                     FY 2016 local          Calculated FY 2017
                         Field office                             administrative costs      local tonnage fee
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
New Orleans...................................................               $2,179,027                   $0.038
League City...................................................                1,380,064                    0.124
Portland......................................................                  417,349                    0.085
Toledo........................................................                  426,863                    0.239
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    (3) Operating reserve. In order to maintain an operating reserve 
not less than 3 and not more than 6 months, GIPSA reviewed the value of 
the operating reserve at the end of FY2016 to ensure that an operating 
reserve of 4\1/2\ months is maintained.
    The program operating reserve at the end of fiscal year 2016 was 
$18,863,026 with a monthly operating expense of $3,295,937. The target 
of 4.5 months of operating reserve is $14,831,717 therefore the 
operating reserve is greater than 4.5 times the monthly operating 
expenses by $4,031,311. For each $1,000,000, rounded down, above the 
target level, all Schedule A fees must be reduced by 2 percent. The 
operating reserve is $4 million above the target level resulting in a 
calculated 8 percent reduction. As required by 800.71(b)(2)(ii), the 
reduction is limited to 5 percent. Therefore, GIPSA is reducing all 
Schedule A fees for service in Schedule A in paragraph (a)(1) by the 
maximum 5 percent. All Schedule A fees for service are rounded to the 
nearest $0.10, except for fees based on tonnage or hundredweight.

List of Subjects in 7 CFR Part 800

    Administrative practice and procedure, Exports, Grains, Reporting 
and recordkeeping requirements.

    For the reasons set out in the preamble, GIPSA amends 7 CFR part 
800 as follows:

PART 800--GENERAL REGULATIONS

0
1. The authority citation for part 800 continues to read as follows:

    Authority: 7 U.S.C. 71-87k.


0
2. Section 800.71(a)(1) is amended by revising Tables 1, 2, and 3 of 
Schedule A to read as follows:


Sec.  800.71   Fees assessed by the Service.

    (a) * * *
    (1) * * *

    Table 1 of Schedule A--Fees for Official Services Performed at an Applicant's Facility in an Onsite FGIS
                                                 Laboratory \1\
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                     Monday to       Monday to
                                                    Friday  (6      Friday  (6       Saturday,
                                                     a.m. to 6       p.m. to 6      Sunday, and      Holidays
                                                       p.m.)           a.m.)       overtime \2\
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(i) Inspection and Weighing Services Hourly
 Rates (per service representative):
    1-year contract ($ per hour)................          $38.20          $40.00          $45.80          $67.80
 
    Noncontract ($ per hour)....................           67.80           67.80           67.80           67.80
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
(ii) Additional Tests (cost per test, assessed in addition to the hourly rate): \3\
    (A) Aflatoxin (rapid test kit method).......................................................           10.80
    (B) Aflatoxin (rapid test kit method-applicant provides kit) \4\............................            8.90
    (C) All other Mycotoxins (rapid test kit method)............................................           19.80
    (D) All other Mycotoxins (rapid test kit method-applicant provides kit) \4\.................           17.90

[[Page 96341]]

 
    (E) NIR or NMR Analysis (protein, oil, starch, etc.)........................................            2.60
    (F) Waxy corn (per test)....................................................................            2.60
    (G) Fees for other tests not listed above will be based on the lowest noncontract hourly
     rate
    (H) Other services..........................................................................
        (1) Class Y Weighing (per carrier):
            (i) Truck/container.................................................................            0.70
            (ii) Railcar........................................................................            1.60
            (iii) Barge.........................................................................            2.90
(iii) Tonnage Fee (assessed in addition to all other applicable fees, only one tonnage fee will
 be assessed when inspection and weighing services are performed on the same carrier):
    (A) All outbound carriers serviced by the specific Field Office (per-metric ton):
        (1) League City.........................................................................           0.182
        (2) New Orleans.........................................................................           0.100
        (3) Portland............................................................................           0.145
        (4) Toledo..............................................................................           0.291
        (5) Delegated States \5\................................................................           0.064
        (6) Designated Agencies \5\.............................................................           0.064
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Fees apply to original inspection and weighing, re-inspection, and appeal inspection service and include,
  but are not limited to, sampling, grading, weighing, prior to loading stowage examinations, and certifying
  results performed within 25 miles of an employee's assigned duty station. Travel and related expenses will be
  charged for service outside 25 miles as found in Sec.   800.72(a).
\2\ Overtime rates will be assessed for all hours in excess of 8 consecutive hours that result from an applicant
  scheduling or requesting service beyond 8 hours, or if requests for additional shifts exceed existing
  staffing.
\3\ Appeal and re-inspection services will be assessed the same fee as the original inspection service.
\4\ Applicant must provide the test kit, instrument hardware, calibration control, and all supplies required by
  the test kit manufacturer.
\5\ Tonnage fee is assessed on export grain inspected and/or weighed, excluding land carrier shipments to Canada
  and Mexico.


 Table 2 of Schedule A--Services Performed at Other Than an Applicant's
                   Facility in an FGIS Laboratory 1 2
------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
(i) Original Inspection and Weighing (Class X) Services:
    (A) Sampling only (use hourly rates from Table 1 of
     this section):
    (B) Stationary lots (sampling, grade/factor, & check
     loading):
        (1) Truck/trailer/container (per carrier).......          $21.40
        (2) Railcar (per carrier).......................           31.60
        (3) Barge (per carrier).........................          198.60
        (4) Sacked grain (per hour per service                      0.08
         representative plus an administrative fee per
         hundredweight) (CWT)...........................
    (C) Lots sampled online during loading (sampling
     charge under (1)(i) of this table, plus):
        (1) Truck/trailer container (per carrier).......           12.80
        (2) Railcar (per carrier).......................           26.70
        (3) Barge (per carrier).........................          135.90
        (4) Sacked grain (per hour per service                      0.08
         representative plus an administrative fee per
         hundredweight) (CWT)...........................
    (D) Other services:
        (1) Submitted sample (per sample--grade and                12.80
         factor)........................................
        (2) Warehouseman inspection (per sample)........           22.40
        (3) Factor only (per factor--maximum 2 factors).            6.30
        (4) Check loading/condition examination (use                0.08
         hourly rates from Table 1 of this section, plus
         an administrative fee per hundredweight if not
         previously assessed) (CWT).....................
        (5) Re-inspection (grade and factor only.                  13.90
         Sampling service additional, item (1)(i) of
         this table)....................................
        (6) Class X Weighing (per hour per service                 67.80
         representative)................................
    (E) Additional tests (excludes sampling):
        (1) Aflatoxin (rapid test kit method)...........           31.90
        (2) Aflatoxin (rapid test kit method--applicant            30.00
         provides kit) \3\..............................
        (3) All other Mycotoxins (rapid test kit method)           41.00
        (4) All other Mycotoxins (rapid test kit method--          39.10
         applicant provides kit) \3\....................
        (5) NIR or NMR Analysis (protein, oil, starch,             10.80
         etc.)..........................................
        (6) Waxy corn (per test)........................           10.80
        (7) Canola (per test-00 dip test)...............           10.80
        (8) Pesticide Residue Testing: \4\
            (i) Routine Compounds (per sample)..........          228.90
            (ii) Special Compounds (Subject to                    122.00
             availability)..............................
        (9) Fees for other tests not listed above will
         be based on the lowest noncontract hourly rate
         from Table 1 of this section...................
(ii) Appeal inspection and review of weighing
 service:\5\
    (A) Board Appeals and Appeals (grade and factor)....           86.90
        (1) Factor only (per factor--max 2 factors).....           45.80
        (2) Sampling service for Appeals additional
         (hourly rates from Table 1 of this section)....
    (B) Additional tests (assessed in addition to all
     other applicable tests):...........................
        (1) Aflatoxin (rapid test kit method)...........           31.90
        (2) Aflatoxin (rapid test kit method--applicant            29.80
         provides kit) \3\..............................

[[Page 96342]]

 
        (3) All other Mycotoxins (rapid test kit method)           50.00
        (4) All other Mycotoxins (rapid test kit method--          48.10
         applicant provides kit) \3\....................
        (5) NIR or NMR Analysis (protein, oil, starch,             18.80
         etc.)..........................................
        (6) Sunflower oil (per test)....................           18.80
        (7) Mycotoxin (per test-HPLC)...................          149.40
        (8) Pesticide Residue Testing: \4\..............
            (i) Routine Compounds (per sample)..........          228.90
            (ii) Special Compounds (Subject to                    122.00
             availability)..............................
        (9) Fees for other tests not listed above will
         be based on the lowest noncontract hourly rate
         from Table 1 of this section...................
    (C) Review of weighing (per hour per service                   87.70
     representative)....................................
(iii) Stowage examination (service-on-request): \4\
    (A) Ship (per stowage space) (minimum $271.00 per              54.20
     ship)..............................................
    (B) Subsequent ship examinations (same as original)            54.20
     (minimum $162.60 per ship).........................
    (C) Barge (per examination).........................           43.50
    (D) All other carriers (per examination)............           17.10
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Fees apply to original inspection and weighing, re-inspection, and
  appeal inspection service and include, but are not limited to,
  sampling, grading, weighing, prior to loading stowage examinations,
  and certifying results performed within 25 miles of an employee's
  assigned duty station. Travel and related expenses will be charged for
  service outside 25 miles as found in Sec.   800.72(a).
\2\ An additional charge will be assessed when the revenue from the
  services in Schedule A, Table 2, does not cover what would have been
  collected at the applicable hourly rate as provided in Sec.
  800.72(b).
\3\ Applicant must provide the test kit, instrument hardware,
  calibration control, and all supplies required by the test kit
  manufacturer.
\4\ If performed outside of normal business, 1[frac12] times the
  applicable unit fee will be charged.
\5\ If, at the request of the Service, a file sample is located and
  forwarded by the Agency, the Agency may, upon request, be reimbursed
  at the rate of $3.50 per sample by the Service.


            Table 3 of Schedule A--Miscellaneous Services \1\
------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
(i) Grain grading seminars (per hour per service                 $67.80.
 representative) \2\....................................
(ii) Certification of diverter-type mechanical samplers           67.80.
 (per hour per service representative) \2\..............
(iii) Special weighing services (per hour per service
 representative): \2\
    (A) Scale testing and certification.................          88.30.
    (B) Scale testing and certification of railroad               88.30.
     track scales.......................................
    (C) Evaluation of weighing and material handling              88.30.
     systems............................................
    (D) NTEP Prototype evaluation (other than Railroad            88.30.
     Track Scales)......................................
    (E) NTEP Prototype evaluation of Railroad Track               88.30.
     Scale..............................................
    (F) Use of GIPSA railroad track scale test equipment         529.40.
     per facility for each requested service. (Track
     scales tested under the Association of American
     Railroads agreement are exempt.)...................
    (G) Mass standards calibration and re-verification..          88.30.
    (H) Special projects................................          88.30.
(iv) Foreign travel (hourly fee) \3\....................          88.30.
(v) Online customized data service:
    (A) One data file per week for 1 year...............         529.40.
    (B) One data file per month for 1 year..............         317.70.
(v) Samples provided to interested parties (per sample).           3.30.
(vi) Divided-lot certificates (per certificate).........           2.10.
(vii) Extra copies of certificates (per certificate)....           2.10.
(viii) Faxing (per page)................................           2.10.
(ix) Special mailing....................................     Actual Cost
(x) Preparing certificates onsite or during other than
 normal business hours (use hourly rates from Table 1)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\Any requested service that is not listed will be performed at $67.80
  per hour.
\2\ Regular business hours--Monday through Friday--service provided at
  other than regular business hours will be charged at 11/2 times the
  applicable hourly rate. (See the definition of ``business day'' in
  Sec.   800.0(b))
\3\ Foreign travel charged hourly fee of $88.30 plus travel, per diem,
  and related expenditures.

* * * * *

Susan B. Keith,
Acting Administrator, Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards.
[FR Doc. 2016-31350 Filed 12-29-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-KD-P