Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 25 / Thursday, February 6, 1997 / Notices 5739

FEDERAL EMERGENCY

MANAGEMENT AGENCY

Fee Schedule for Processing Requests

for Map Changes and for Flood

Insurance Study Backup Data for

Fiscal Year 1997

AGENCY: Federal Emergency

Management Agency (FEMA).

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: This notice contains the

revised fee schedules for processing

certain requests for changes to National

Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) maps

and for processing requests for Flood

Insurance Study (FIS) backup data. The

changes in the fee schedules will allow

FEMA to reduce further the expenses to

the NFIP by recovering more fully the

costs associated with (1) processing

conditional and final map change

requests and (2) retrieving, reproducing,

and distributing technical and

administrative support data related to

FIS analyses and mapping.

DATES: The revised fee schedules are

effective for all requests dated October

1, 1996 or later.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Frederick H. Sharrocks, Jr., Chief,

Hazard Identification Branch, 500 C

Street SW., Washington, DC 20472,

(202) 646–2756 or by facsimile at (202)

646–4596 (not toll-free calls).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This

notice contains the revised fee

schedules for processing certain

requests for changes to NFIP maps and

for processing requests for FIS backup

data. The revised schedule for map

changes is effective for all requests

dated October 1, 1996, or later, in

accordance with the final rule for

changes to 44 CFR parts 65, 70, and 72

published elsewhere in this edition of

the Federal Register, and supersedes the

current fee schedule established on June

30, 1992.

The revised fee schedule for requests

for FIS backup data also is effective for

all requests dated October 1, 1996 or

later, and supersedes the current fee

schedule published in the Federal

Register on June 30, 1992.

The basis for the fee schedule for

requests for Conditional Letters of Map

Amendment (CLOMAs), Conditional

Letters of Map Revision Based on Fill

(CLOMR–Fs), Conditional Letters of

Map Revision (CLOMRs), Letters of Map

Revision Based on Fill (LOMR–Fs),

Letters of Map Revision (LOMRs), and

Physical Map Revisions (PMRs) and for

the fee schedule for requests for FIS

backup data is provided in the

separately published final rule.

A primary component of the fees is

the prevailing private-sector rates

charged to FEMA for labor and

materials. Because these rates and the

actual review and processing costs may

vary from year to year, FEMA will

evaluate the fees at the end of each

fiscal year and publish revised fee

schedules, when needed, as notices in

the Federal Register.

Simplification of Fee Schedule for

Conditional and Final Map Changes

The existing fee collection process is

complex and its administration requires

time-intensive efforts on the part of

FEMA. It also increases the time

required to provide the requesters with

the product they require. The current

system requires requesters to submit an

initial fee that is not intended to cover

the full review and processing costs or

the cartographic production costs.

Requesters subsequently receive

invoices for the balances. The current

system is complicated further by the

pre-authorized spending limits placed

on each product. When FEMA

determines these limits will be

exceeded, written authorization to

proceed must be obtained before FEMA

can proceed with its review. Processing

of the request is delayed until the

written authorization is received.

FEMA has streamlined the process by

(1) charging flat user fees for most map

change products and services; (2)

requiring full payment of fees before

work is begun on most map change

requests; (3) consolidating similar

products or services into a limited

number of user fee categories; and (4)

limiting the number of products for

which requesters may receive

exemptions from payment of fees. As a

result, requesters know the cost of most

products before FEMA begins work.

The initial fee for requests for LOMRs

and CLOMRs based on structural

measures on alluvial fans has been

maintained because (1) such requests

are rare, (2) the FEMA review for these

requests is usually very complex, and

(3) the costs involved in processing the

requests can fluctuate significantly.

Fees for Conditional and Final Map

Revisions Based on Structural

Measures on Alluvial Fans

Based on a review of actual cost data

for Fiscal Year 1995, FEMA established

$5,000 as the initial fee for requests for

LOMRs and CLOMRs based on

structural measures on alluvial fans.

FEMA will recover the remainder of the

review and processing costs by

invoicing the requester before issuing a

determination letter, consistent with

current practice. The prevailing privatesector labor rate charged to FEMA ($50

per hour) will be used to calculate the

total reimbursable fees.

Fee Schedule for Requests for

Conditional Letters of Map Amendment

and Conditional and Final Letters of

Map Revision Based on Fill

Based on a review of actual cost data

for Fiscal Year 1995, FEMA established

the following flat user fees, which are to

be submitted by requesters with all

requests dated October 1, 1996 or later:

Request for single-lot/single-structure

CLOMA, CLOMR–F, and LOMR–F,

$400

Request for multiple-lot/multiplestructure CLOMA, $700

Request for multiple-lot/multiplestructure CLOMR–F and LOMR–F,

$800

Request for single-lot/single-structure

LOMR–F based on as-built

information (CLOMR–F previously

issued by FEMA), $300

Request for multiple-lot/multiplestructure LOMR–F based on as-built

information (CLOMR–F previously

issued by FEMA), $700

Fee Schedule for Requests for Map

Revisions

Unless the request is otherwise

exempted under 44 CFR 72.5, requesters

must submit the flat user fees shown

below with requests for LOMRs and

PMRs dated October 1, 1996 or later that

are not based on structural measures on

alluvial fans. These fees are based on a

review of actual cost data for Fiscal Year

1995.

Request based on bridge, culvert,

channel, or combination thereof,

$3,700

Request based on levee, berm, or other

structural measure, $4,300

Request based on as-built information

submitted as followup to CLOMR,

$2,300

Request based solely on submission of

more detailed data, $2,300

Fee Schedule for Requests for

Conditional Map Revisions

Unless the request is otherwise

exempted under 44 CFR 72.5, requesters

must submit the flat user fees shown

below with requests for CLOMRs dated

October 1, 1996 or later that are not

based on structural measures on alluvial

fans. These fees are based on a review

of actual cost data for Fiscal Year 1995.

Request based on new hydrology,

bridge, culvert, channel, or

combination thereof, $3,100

Request based on levee, berm, or other

structural measure, $3,300
5740 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 25 / Thursday, February 6, 1997 / Notices

Fee Schedule for Requests for Flood

Insurance Study Backup Data

Requesters must submit the user fees

shown below with requests for FIS

backup data dated October 1, 1996 or

later. These fees are based on a review

of actual cost data for Fiscal Year 1995.

They are based on the complete

recovery of FEMA’s costs for retrieving,

reproducing, and distributing the data,

as well as a pro rata share of the costs

for maintaining the data and operating

the fee reimbursement system.

As under the previous fee schedule,

all entities except FEMA’s Study

Contractors, FEMA’s Technical

Evaluation Contractors, and the Federal

agencies involved in performing FISs

(i.e., U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S.

Geological Survey, Natural Resources

Conservation Service, and Tennessee

Valley Authority) will be charged for

requests for FIS backup data. The only

other exception is that one copy of the

FIS backup data will be provided to a

community free of charge if the data are

requested during the statutory 90-day

appeal period for an initial or revised

FIS for that community.

FEMA has established seven

categories into which requests for FIS

backup data are separated. These

categories are:

(1) Category 1—Paper copies,

microfiche, or diskettes of hydrologic

and hydraulic backup data for current or

previously effective FIS

(2) Category 2—Paper or mylar copies

of topographic mapping developed

during FIS process

(3) Category 3—Paper copies or

microfiche of survey notes developed

during FIS process

(4) Category 4—Paper copies of

individual Letters of Map Change

(5) Category 5—Paper copies of

preliminary map panels

(6) Category 6—Computer tapes of

Digital Line Graph files

(7) Category 7—Computer diskettes

and user’s manuals for FEMA programs

(e.g., Wave Height, Wave Runup,

Alluvial Fan)

A non-refundable fee of $90, to cover

the preliminary costs of research and

retrieval, must be submitted to initiate

requests for data under Categories 1, 2,

and 3. The total costs of processing

requests in Categories 1, 2, and 3 above

will vary based on the complexity of the

research involved in retrieving the data

and the volume and medium of data to

be reproduced and distributed. The

initial fee will be applied against the

total costs to process the request, and

FEMA will invoice the requester for the

balance before the data are provided. No

data will be provided to a requester

until all required fees have been paid.

No initial fee is required to initiate a

request for data under Categories 4

through 7. Requesters will be notified by

telephone about the availability of

materials and the fees associated with

requested data. As with requests for data

under Categories 1, 2, and 3, no data

will be provided to requesters until all

required fees are paid.

The costs for processing requests

under Categories 4 through 7 will not

vary. Therefore, FEMA established flat

user fees for these categories of requests.

The flat user fees are shown below.

Request Under Category 4

First letter, $ 40

Each additional letter, $10

Request Under Category 5

First panel, $35

Each additional panel, $2

Request Under Category 6 (per county),

$150

Request Under Category 7 (per copy),

$25

Payment Submission Requirements

Fee payments must be made in

advance of services being rendered.

These payments shall be made in the

form of a check or money order or by

credit card payment. Checks and money

orders must be made payable, in U.S.

funds, to the National Flood Insurance

Program. FEMA will provide receipts to

requesters for their records or billing

purposes.

The fees collected will be deposited to

the National Flood Insurance Fund,

which is the source of funding for

providing these services.

Dated: January 28, 1997.

Richard W. Krimm,

Executive Associate Director, Mitigation

Directorate.

[FR Doc. 97–2964 Filed 2–5–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6718–04–P