Inspection fee for intrastate operators--Recovery of unreasonable fees--Pipeline safety account established

From each pipeline operator subject to the intrastate pipeline inspection authority under this chapter, the commission shall assess and collect an inspection fee in an amount calculated according to § 49-34B-10 . To the extent it has jurisdiction, the commission shall allow the operator full rate recovery of inspection fees. The inspection fee shall be assessed annually. The operator may, within thirty days after the assessment is mailed, file written objections with the commission stating the grounds upon which it claims that the assessment is not reasonable. The commission shall within thirty days of receiving such objections hold a hearing and issue an order in accordance with its findings as to the proper amount to be assessed to the operator. The order may be appealed pursuant to chapter 1-26 . If an operator does not pay, or object to, the fee within thirty days after the assessment was mailed, the commission may impose a delinquency fee of ten percent of the inspection fee and interest at the rate of fifteen percent per year on the portion of the fee not paid. Fees collected under this section shall be credited to the pipeline safety account which is hereby established in the state treasury. Any interest earned on money in the fund shall be deposited in the fund. The money is continuously appropriated to the use of the commission to implement and administer the provisions of this chapter.

Source: SL 1994, ch 357, § 8; SL 2007, ch 273, § 5.