Indirect Cost Rates for the Damage Assessment, Remediation, and Restoration Program for Fiscal Year 2014, 78718-78719 [2015-31728]

Download as PDF 78718 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 242 / Thursday, December 17, 2015 / Notices provided the public has been notified of the intent to take final action to address the emergency. Special Accommodations The meetings are physically accessible to people with disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids should be directed to Mr. Kris Kleinschmidt at (503) 820–2425 at least 5 days prior to the meeting date. Dated: December 14, 2015. Tracey L. Thompson, Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. 2015–31735 Filed 12–16–15; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–22–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration RIN 0648–XE350 Fisheries of the Gulf of Mexico; Southeast Data, Assessment, and Review (SEDAR); Public Meeting National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Notice of the second SEDAR 45 post-workshop webinar for Gulf of Mexico Vermilion Snapper. AGENCY: The SEDAR 45 assessment of the Gulf of Mexico Vermilion Snapper will consist of one in-person workshop and a series of webinars. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. DATES: The second SEDAR 45 postworkshop webinar will be held from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. January 12, 2016. ADDRESSES: Meeting address: The meeting will be held via webinar. The webinar is open to members of the public. Those interested in participating should contact Julie A. Neer at SEDAR (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT) to request an invitation providing webinar access information. Please request webinar invitations at least 24 hours in advance of each webinar. SEDAR address: 4055 Faber Place Drive, Suite 201, North Charleston, SC 29405. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Julie A. Neer, SEDAR Coordinator; (843) 571– 4366; email: Julie.neer@safmc.net. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Gulf of Mexico, South Atlantic, and Caribbean Fishery Management Councils, in conjunction with NOAA Fisheries and the Atlantic and Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commissions asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES SUMMARY: VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:53 Dec 16, 2015 Jkt 238001 have implemented the Southeast Data, Assessment and Review (SEDAR) process, a multi-step method for determining the status of fish stocks in the Southeast Region. SEDAR is a multistep process including: (1) Data/ Assessment Workshop, and (2) a series of webinars. The product of the Data/ Assessment Workshop is a report which compiles and evaluates potential datasets and recommends which datasets are appropriate for assessment analyses, and describes the fisheries, evaluates the status of the stock, estimates biological benchmarks, projects future population conditions, and recommends research and monitoring needs. Participants for SEDAR Workshops are appointed by the Gulf of Mexico, South Atlantic, and Caribbean Fishery Management Councils and NOAA Fisheries Southeast Regional Office, HMS Management Division, and Southeast Fisheries Science Center. Participants include data collectors and database managers; stock assessment scientists, biologists, and researchers; constituency representatives including fishermen, environmentalists, and NGO’s; International experts; and staff of Councils, Commissions, and state and federal agencies. The items of discussion in the Assessment Process webinars are as follows: 1. Using datasets and initial assessment analysis recommended from the In-person Workshop, panelists will employ assessment models to evaluate stock status, estimate population benchmarks and management criteria, and project future conditions. 2. Participants will recommend the most appropriate methods and configurations for determining stock status and estimating population parameters. Although non-emergency issues not contained in this agenda may come before this group for discussion, those issues may not be the subject of formal action during this meeting. Action will be restricted to those issues specifically identified in this notice and any issues arising after publication of this notice that require emergency action under section 305(c) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, provided the public has been notified of the intent to take final action to address the emergency. Special Accommodations These meetings are physically accessible to people with disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids should be directed to the Council office PO 00000 Frm 00011 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 (see ADDRESSES) at least 10 business days prior to each workshop. Note: The times and sequence specified in this agenda are subject to change. Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. Dated: December 14, 2015. Tracey L. Thompson, Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. 2015–31736 Filed 12–16–15; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–22–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Indirect Cost Rates for the Damage Assessment, Remediation, and Restoration Program for Fiscal Year 2014 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA’s) Damage Assessment, Remediation, and Restoration Program (DARRP) is announcing new indirect cost rates on the recovery of indirect costs for its component organizations involved in natural resource damage assessment and restoration activities for fiscal year (FY) 2014. The indirect cost rates for this fiscal year and date of implementation are provided in this notice. More information on these rates and the DARRP policy can be found at the DARRP Web site at www.darrp.noaa.gov. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information, contact LaTonya Burgess at 301–713–4248, ext. 211, by fax at 301–713–4389, or email at LaTonya.Burgess@noaa.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The mission of the DARRP is to restore natural resource injuries caused by releases of hazardous substances or oil under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) (42 U.S.C. 9601 et seq.) and the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA) (33 U.S.C. 2701 et seq.), and to support restoration of physical injuries to National Marine Sanctuary resources under the National Marine Sanctuaries Act (NMSA) (16 U.S.C. 1431 et seq.). The DARRP consists of three component organizations: the Office of Response and Restoration (ORR) within the National Ocean Service; the Restoration Center within the National Marine SUMMARY: E:\FR\FM\17DEN1.SGM 17DEN1 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 242 / Thursday, December 17, 2015 / Notices asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES Fisheries Service; and the Office of the General Counsel Natural Resources Section (GCNRS). The DARRP conducts Natural Resource Damage Assessments (NRDAs) as a basis for recovering damages from responsible parties, and uses the funds recovered to restore injured natural resources. Consistent with federal accounting requirements, the DARRP is required to account for and report the full costs of its programs and activities. Further, the DARRP is authorized by law to recover reasonable costs of damage assessment and restoration activities under CERCLA, OPA, and the NMSA. Within the constraints of these legal provisions and their regulatory applications, the DARRP has the discretion to develop indirect cost rates for its component organizations and formulate policies on the recovery of indirect cost rates subject to its requirements. The DARRP’s Indirect Cost Effort In December 1998, the DARRP hired the public accounting firm Rubino & McGeehin, Chartered (R&M) to: Evaluate the DARRP cost accounting system and allocation practices; recommend the appropriate indirect cost allocation methodology; and determine the indirect cost rates for the three organizations that comprise the DARRP. A Federal Register notice on R&M’s effort, their assessment of the DARRP’s cost accounting system and practice, and their determination regarding the most appropriate indirect cost methodology and rates for FYs 1993 through 1999 was published on December 7, 2000 (65 FR 76611). R&M continued its assessment of DARRP’s indirect cost rate system and structure for FYs 2000 and 2001. A second federal notice specifying the DARRP indirect rates for FYs 2000 and 2001 was published on December 2, 2002 (67 FR 71537). In October 2002, DARRP hired the accounting firm of Cotton and Company LLP (Cotton) to review and certify DARRP costs incurred on cases for purposes of cost recovery and to develop indirect rates for FY 2002 and subsequent years. As in the prior years, Cotton concluded that the cost accounting system and allocation practices of the DARRP component organizations are consistent with federal accounting requirements. Consistent with R&M’s previous analyses, Cotton also determined that the most appropriate indirect allocation method continues to be the Direct Labor Cost Base for all three DARRP component organizations. The Direct Labor Cost Base is computed by allocating total indirect cost over the sum of direct labor VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:53 Dec 16, 2015 Jkt 238001 dollars, plus the application of NOAA’s leave surcharge and benefits rates to direct labor. Direct labor costs for contractors from ERT, Inc. (ERT), Freestone Environmental Services, Inc. (Freestone), and Genwest Systems, Inc. (Genwest) were included in the direct labor base because Cotton determined that these costs have the same relationship to the indirect cost pool as NOAA direct labor costs. ERT, Freestone, and Genwest provided onsite support to the DARRP in the areas of injury assessment, natural resource economics, restoration planning and implementation, and policy analysis. Subsequent federal notices have been published in the Federal Register as follows: • FY 2002, published on October 6, 2003 (68 FR 57672) • FY 2003, published on May 20, 2005 (70 FR 29280) • FY 2004, published on March 16, 2006 (71 Fed Reg. 13356) • FY 2005, published on February 9, 2007 (72 FR 6221) • FY 2006, published on June 3, 2008 (73 FR 31679) • FY 2007 and FY 2008, published on November 16, 2009 (74 FR 58948) • FY 2009 and FY 2010, published on October 20, 2011 (76 FR 65182) • FY 2011, published on September 17, 2012 (77 FR 57074) • FY 2012, published on August 29, 2013 (78 FR 53425) • FY 2013, published on October 14, 2014 (79 FR 61617) Cotton’s recent reports on these indirect rates can be found on the DARRP Web site at www.darrp.noaa.gov. Cotton reaffirmed that the Direct Labor Cost Base is the most appropriate indirect allocation method for the development of the FY 2014 indirect cost rates. 78719 The FY 2014 rates will be applied to all damage assessment and restoration case costs incurred between October 1, 2013 and September 30, 2014. DARRP will use the FY 2014 indirect cost rates for future fiscal years, beginning with FY 2015, until subsequent year-specific rates can be developed. For cases that have settled and for cost claims paid prior to the effective date of the fiscal year in question, the DARRP will not re-open any resolved matters for the purpose of applying the revised rates in this policy for these fiscal years. For cases not settled and cost claims not paid prior to the effective date of the fiscal year in question, costs will be recalculated using the revised rates in this policy for these fiscal years. Where a responsible party has agreed to pay costs using previous year’s indirect rates, but has not yet made the payment because the settlement documents are not finalized, the costs will not be recalculated. David Westerholm, Director, Office of Response and Restoration. [FR Doc. 2015–31728 Filed 12–16–15; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–JE–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration RIN 0648–XE232 Endangered and Threatened Species; Recovery Plans National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Commerce. ACTION: Notice of availability; extension of public comment period. AGENCY: We, NMFS, announce the extension of the comment period for the Proposed Endangered Species Act (ESA) Recovery Plan for Snake River Fall The DARRP will apply the indirect Chinook Salmon (Proposed Plan) cost rates for FY 2014 as recommended published on November 2, 2015. The by Cotton for each of the DARRP component organizations as provided in Proposed Plan addresses the Snake River Fall Chinook Salmon the following table: (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) FY 2014 evolutionarily significant unit (ESU), which is listed as threatened under the DARRP indirect component organization rate ESA. The geographic area covered by (%) the Proposed Plan is the lower and middle mainstem Snake River and Office of Response and Restoration (ORR) ................................. 113.54 tributaries as well as the mainstem Restoration Center (RC) ............... 67.50 Columbia River below its confluence with the Snake River. As required under General Counsel Natural Resources Section (GCNRS) ........ 29.37 the ESA, the Proposed Plan contains objective, measurable delisting criteria, These rates are based on the Direct site-specific management actions Labor Cost Base allocation methodology. necessary to achieve the Proposed SUMMARY: The DARRP’s Indirect Cost Rates and Policies PO 00000 Frm 00012 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 E:\FR\FM\17DEN1.SGM 17DEN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 242 (Thursday, December 17, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 78718-78719]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-31728]


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

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Indirect Cost Rates for the Damage Assessment, Remediation, and 
Restoration Program for Fiscal Year 2014

AGENCY: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 
Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

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

SUMMARY: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA's) 
Damage Assessment, Remediation, and Restoration Program (DARRP) is 
announcing new indirect cost rates on the recovery of indirect costs 
for its component organizations involved in natural resource damage 
assessment and restoration activities for fiscal year (FY) 2014. The 
indirect cost rates for this fiscal year and date of implementation are 
provided in this notice. More information on these rates and the DARRP 
policy can be found at the DARRP Web site at www.darrp.noaa.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information, contact 
LaTonya Burgess at 301-713-4248, ext. 211, by fax at 301-713-4389, or 
email at LaTonya.Burgess@noaa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The mission of the DARRP is to restore 
natural resource injuries caused by releases of hazardous substances or 
oil under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and 
Liability Act (CERCLA) (42 U.S.C. 9601 et seq.) and the Oil Pollution 
Act of 1990 (OPA) (33 U.S.C. 2701 et seq.), and to support restoration 
of physical injuries to National Marine Sanctuary resources under the 
National Marine Sanctuaries Act (NMSA) (16 U.S.C. 1431 et seq.). The 
DARRP consists of three component organizations: the Office of Response 
and Restoration (ORR) within the National Ocean Service; the 
Restoration Center within the National Marine

[[Page 78719]]

Fisheries Service; and the Office of the General Counsel Natural 
Resources Section (GCNRS). The DARRP conducts Natural Resource Damage 
Assessments (NRDAs) as a basis for recovering damages from responsible 
parties, and uses the funds recovered to restore injured natural 
resources.
    Consistent with federal accounting requirements, the DARRP is 
required to account for and report the full costs of its programs and 
activities. Further, the DARRP is authorized by law to recover 
reasonable costs of damage assessment and restoration activities under 
CERCLA, OPA, and the NMSA. Within the constraints of these legal 
provisions and their regulatory applications, the DARRP has the 
discretion to develop indirect cost rates for its component 
organizations and formulate policies on the recovery of indirect cost 
rates subject to its requirements.

The DARRP's Indirect Cost Effort

    In December 1998, the DARRP hired the public accounting firm Rubino 
& McGeehin, Chartered (R&M) to: Evaluate the DARRP cost accounting 
system and allocation practices; recommend the appropriate indirect 
cost allocation methodology; and determine the indirect cost rates for 
the three organizations that comprise the DARRP. A Federal Register 
notice on R&M's effort, their assessment of the DARRP's cost accounting 
system and practice, and their determination regarding the most 
appropriate indirect cost methodology and rates for FYs 1993 through 
1999 was published on December 7, 2000 (65 FR 76611).
    R&M continued its assessment of DARRP's indirect cost rate system 
and structure for FYs 2000 and 2001. A second federal notice specifying 
the DARRP indirect rates for FYs 2000 and 2001 was published on 
December 2, 2002 (67 FR 71537).
    In October 2002, DARRP hired the accounting firm of Cotton and 
Company LLP (Cotton) to review and certify DARRP costs incurred on 
cases for purposes of cost recovery and to develop indirect rates for 
FY 2002 and subsequent years. As in the prior years, Cotton concluded 
that the cost accounting system and allocation practices of the DARRP 
component organizations are consistent with federal accounting 
requirements. Consistent with R&M's previous analyses, Cotton also 
determined that the most appropriate indirect allocation method 
continues to be the Direct Labor Cost Base for all three DARRP 
component organizations. The Direct Labor Cost Base is computed by 
allocating total indirect cost over the sum of direct labor dollars, 
plus the application of NOAA's leave surcharge and benefits rates to 
direct labor. Direct labor costs for contractors from ERT, Inc. (ERT), 
Freestone Environmental Services, Inc. (Freestone), and Genwest 
Systems, Inc. (Genwest) were included in the direct labor base because 
Cotton determined that these costs have the same relationship to the 
indirect cost pool as NOAA direct labor costs. ERT, Freestone, and 
Genwest provided on-site support to the DARRP in the areas of injury 
assessment, natural resource economics, restoration planning and 
implementation, and policy analysis. Subsequent federal notices have 
been published in the Federal Register as follows:

 FY 2002, published on October 6, 2003 (68 FR 57672)
 FY 2003, published on May 20, 2005 (70 FR 29280)
 FY 2004, published on March 16, 2006 (71 Fed Reg. 13356)
 FY 2005, published on February 9, 2007 (72 FR 6221)
 FY 2006, published on June 3, 2008 (73 FR 31679)
 FY 2007 and FY 2008, published on November 16, 2009 (74 FR 
58948)
 FY 2009 and FY 2010, published on October 20, 2011 (76 FR 
65182)
 FY 2011, published on September 17, 2012 (77 FR 57074)
 FY 2012, published on August 29, 2013 (78 FR 53425)
 FY 2013, published on October 14, 2014 (79 FR 61617)

Cotton's recent reports on these indirect rates can be found on the 
DARRP Web site at www.darrp.noaa.gov.
    Cotton reaffirmed that the Direct Labor Cost Base is the most 
appropriate indirect allocation method for the development of the FY 
2014 indirect cost rates.

The DARRP's Indirect Cost Rates and Policies

    The DARRP will apply the indirect cost rates for FY 2014 as 
recommended by Cotton for each of the DARRP component organizations as 
provided in the following table:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                FY 2014
                 DARRP component organization                   indirect
                                                                rate (%)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Office of Response and Restoration (ORR).....................     113.54
Restoration Center (RC)......................................      67.50
General Counsel Natural Resources Section (GCNRS)............      29.37
------------------------------------------------------------------------

These rates are based on the Direct Labor Cost Base allocation 
methodology.
    The FY 2014 rates will be applied to all damage assessment and 
restoration case costs incurred between October 1, 2013 and September 
30, 2014. DARRP will use the FY 2014 indirect cost rates for future 
fiscal years, beginning with FY 2015, until subsequent year-specific 
rates can be developed.
    For cases that have settled and for cost claims paid prior to the 
effective date of the fiscal year in question, the DARRP will not re-
open any resolved matters for the purpose of applying the revised rates 
in this policy for these fiscal years. For cases not settled and cost 
claims not paid prior to the effective date of the fiscal year in 
question, costs will be recalculated using the revised rates in this 
policy for these fiscal years. Where a responsible party has agreed to 
pay costs using previous year's indirect rates, but has not yet made 
the payment because the settlement documents are not finalized, the 
costs will not be recalculated.

David Westerholm,
Director, Office of Response and Restoration.
[FR Doc. 2015-31728 Filed 12-16-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-JE-P

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