§ 2920.6 Payment of cost recovery fees. ( a ) When two or more applications are submitted for a land use authorization, each applicant shall be liable for the identifiable costs of processing his (or her) application. Where the costs of processing two or more applications cannot be readily identified with particular applications, all applicants shall be liable for such costs, to be divided equally among them.
( b ) The selected land use applicant shall pay cost recovery fees to the United States for reasonable administrative and other costs incurred by the United States in processing a land use authorization application and in monitoring construction, operation, maintenance, and rehabilitation of facilities authorized under this part, including preparation of reports and statements required by the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (43 U.S.C. 4321 *et seq.*). The payment of cost recovery fees shall be in accordance with the provisions of §§ 2804.14 and 2805.16 of this chapter.
( c ) The authorized officer may, before beginning any processing of a land use authorization application, require payment, as may be needed, to cover the estimated costs of processing the application. Before granting a land use authorization, the authorized officer shall assess and collect the actual costs of processing after furnishing the applicant with a statement of costs. This payment shall be determined in accordance with the provisions of §§ 2804.14 and 2805.16 of this chapter.
( d ) A selected applicant who withdraws, in writing, a land use application before a final decision is reached on the authorization is responsible for all reasonable costs incurred by the United States in processing the application up to the day that the authorized officer receives notice of the withdrawal and for costs subsequently incurred by the United States in terminating the proposed land use authorization process. Payment of cost recovery fees shall be made within 30 days of receipt of notice from the authorized officer of the amount due.
( e ) Advance payments based on a schedule of rates developed by the authorized officer, are required for monitoring of operations and maintenance during the term of the land use authorization, which amount shall be paid simultaneously with the rental payment required by § 2920.8(a) of this title.
( f ) The selected applicant shall, before a land use authorization is issued, submit a payment based on a schedule of rates developed by the Director, Bureau of Land Management, for monitoring rehabilitation or restoration of the lands upon expiration of the land use authorization.
( g ) If payment, as required by paragraphs (b), (d) and (e) of this section, exceeds actual costs to the United States, refund may be made by the authorized officer from applicable funds under authority of 43 U.S.C. 1734, or the authorized officer may adjust the next billing to reflect the overpayment. Neither an applicant nor a holder of land use authorization shall set off or otherwise deduct any debt due to or any sum claimed to be owed them by the United States without the prior written approval of the authorized officer.
( h ) The authorized officer shall, on request, give a selected applicant an estimate, based on the best available cost information, of the reasonable costs that may be incurred by the United States in processing the proposed land use authorization. However, payment of cost recovery fees shall not be limited to the estimate of the authorized officer if actual costs exceed the projected estimate.
( i ) When through partnership, joint venture or other business arrangement, more than one person, partnership, corporation, association or other entity jointly make application for a land use authorization, each such party shall be jointly and severally liable for the costs under this section.
( j ) Requests for modification of or addition to the land use authorization or reconstruction or relocation of any authorized facilities shall be treated as a new application for cost recovery purposes and are subject to the cost requirements of this section.
[46 FR 5777, Jan. 19, 1981, as amended at 70 FR 21090, Apr. 22, 2005; 73 FR 65075, Oct. 31, 2008; 89 FR 25976, Apr. 12, 2024]