ORS 543.080
Project specific fees

  • summary of project specific expenditures

(1)

In addition to the annual fee set forth in ORS 543.078 (Annual fee for hydroelectric project), a holder may be required to pay project specific fees.

(2)

Project specific fees are fees that compensate a state agency for the agency’s reasonable and necessary oversight of a holder’s implementation of the protection, mitigation and enhancement measures included in a water right for the project, a certificate issued pursuant to ORS 468B.040 (Certification of hydroelectric power project) or 468B.045 (Certification of change to hydroelectric power project) or a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission license.

(3)

Project specific fees shall be considered at the time of reauthorization or relicensing of a hydroelectric project and, if needed, shall be established before the proposed final order is issued under ORS 543A.115 (Final unified state position), and shall be included in the reauthorized water right or the certificate issued pursuant to ORS 468B.040 (Certification of hydroelectric power project) or 468B.045 (Certification of change to hydroelectric power project). In the case of power claims and uncertificated claims, project specific fees shall be considered at the time of relicensing and, if needed, shall be included in an order of the Water Resources Director amending the claim pursuant to ORS 543.092 (Amendment of hydroelectric water right or claim) or in a certificate issued for the project pursuant to ORS 468B.040 (Certification of hydroelectric power project) or 468B.045 (Certification of change to hydroelectric power project).

(4)

The need for, and amount of, a project specific fee shall be based upon the following factors:

(a)

Experimental or unproven nature of the proposed mitigation;

(b)

Significance of the resource affected;

(c)

Need for ongoing agency involvement in reviewing the effectiveness of the proposed measure;

(d)

Need for agency personnel to perform field work or research efforts; and

(e)

Overall nature of the protection, mitigation or enhancement measures, including but not limited to consideration of whether the measure is simple, complex, closed-ended or adaptive and whether the measure is determined solely by the holder or by an agency or public committee.

(5)

A project specific fee may not be assessed for:

(a)

Work on projects other than the project for which the fee is established;

(b)

Work that is paid for by the annual hydroelectric fee;

(c)

Development of statewide hydroelectric policy;

(d)

Coordination of statewide activities within an agency;

(e)

Costs to the agency of Attorney General assistance associated with ongoing litigation; or

(f)

Routine monitoring of compliance with nonadaptive management provisions of the water right, an uncertificated claim, a certificate issued pursuant to ORS 468B.040 (Certification of hydroelectric power project) or 468B.045 (Certification of change to hydroelectric power project) or a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission license.

(6)

A project specific fee shall be time-limited. One year before expiration of a project specific fee, the holder and any affected agency shall review the need, if any, to modify, extend or terminate the project specific fee. After such review, the agency shall propose a fee modification, extension or termination. Any dispute regarding the proposed fee action shall be referred to an independent fact finder selected by mutual agreement, whose costs shall be borne one-half by the holder and one-half by the agency. The fact finder shall review whether the proposed fee action is appropriate under and consistent with the criteria set forth in subsections (2), (4) and (5) of this section. The fact finder shall not review the substance of the protection, mitigation and enhancement measures contained in the water right, the uncertificated claim, the certificate issued pursuant to ORS 468B.040 (Certification of hydroelectric power project) or 468B.045 (Certification of change to hydroelectric power project) or the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission license. The fact finder shall forward its determination in writing to the holder and agency. Upon receipt and consideration of the fact finder’s determination, the agency shall notify the holder whether the project specific fee is modified, extended or terminated. If the holder is dissatisfied with the fee action, the holder may request administrative or judicial review in accordance with statutes or rules applicable to a particular agency’s fee action. The written determination of the fact finder shall be admissible in any such administrative or judicial hearing. Notwithstanding any other law, a presumption shall exist in favor of the determination of the fact finder and the burden shall be on the party seeking a fee action contrary to the determination of the fact finder to demonstrate that a different fee action is justified under this section.

(7)

Subject to subsections (2) to (5) of this section, the amount of a project specific fee shall be established based on an estimate of the cost to the agency of the labor, supplies and overhead expended by the agency in providing reasonable and necessary oversight of a holder’s implementation of the protection, mitigation and enhancement measures included in the water right, the uncertificated claim, the certificate issued pursuant to ORS 468B.040 (Certification of hydroelectric power project) or 468B.045 (Certification of change to hydroelectric power project) or the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission license. The estimate used to derive a project specific fee amount shall be determined by using increments of not more than 0.25 full-time equivalents.

(8)

A project specific fee shall be payable after issuance of the final order pursuant to ORS 543A.130 (Contested case hearing), or in the case of power claimants and uncertificated claimants, after the issuance of either the director’s order or a certificate issued for the project pursuant to ORS 468B.040 (Certification of hydroelectric power project) or 468B.045 (Certification of change to hydroelectric power project). A project specific fee shall be paid in increments that are reasonably related to the work to be performed and set forth in the final order, certificate issued pursuant to ORS 468B.040 (Certification of hydroelectric power project) or 468B.045 (Certification of change to hydroelectric power project) or the director’s order.

(9)

Each agency receiving project specific fees shall, on a biennial basis, provide the holder paying the fees with a summary of project specific expenditures. [1999 c.873 §6]

Source: Section 543.080 — Project specific fees; summary of project specific expenditures, https://www.­oregonlegislature.­gov/bills_laws/ors/ors543.­html.

543.010
Definitions for ORS 543.010 to 543.610
543.012
Applicability of chapter to reauthorization of existing hydroelectric project
543.013
Applicability of chapter and ORS chapter 543A to ocean renewable energy facility
543.015
Policy
543.017
Minimum standards for development of hydroelectric power
543.050
Powers of Water Resources Commission as to permits, licenses, investigations, reports, forms and examination of records
543.055
Hearings and witnesses
543.060
Investigations
543.075
Definitions for ORS 543.075 to 543.092
543.078
Annual fee for hydroelectric project
543.080
Project specific fees
543.082
Invoice for fees
543.085
Periodic review of annual fee
543.088
Payment of costs or fee for reauthorization or relicensing of project
543.090
Payment of expenses of Hydroelectric Application Review Team for project operating under federal license and state power claim or uncertificated claim
543.092
Amendment of hydroelectric water right or claim
543.095
Challenges to certain statutes related to hydroelectric projects
543.110
Appropriation and use of water for power is governed by this chapter
543.120
Water power projects to be in conformity with this chapter
543.140
Projects or developments constructed by federal government excepted from law
543.150
Municipal corporations and utility districts
543.160
Hydroelectric facility on North Santiam River prohibited
543.165
Hydroelectric facility on part of Deschutes River prohibited
543.170
Hydroelectric facility on Isqúulktpe Creek prohibited
543.175
Hydroelectric facility on Deschutes River within City of Bend prohibited
543.210
Preliminary permits
543.220
Notice of filing of application
543.225
Hearing on application
543.230
Hearings on application
543.250
Permit
543.255
Determination of cumulative impacts of proposed hydroelectric power projects
543.260
Licenses
543.265
Testing of fish protection measures as condition for hydroelectric project permit or license
543.270
Preference in granting permit or license
543.280
Fee payments by licensee
543.290
Filing of maps, plans, estimates and other materials
543.300
Conditions governing license
543.310
Disposition of moneys collected
543.320
Effect of amendment or repeal of law
543.410
Construction of project
543.420
Noncompletion of construction within prescribed time
543.430
Proceedings after completion of project for violation of license terms
543.440
Transfer of license, rights or property
543.525
ORS 543.530 to 543.550 not applicable to regulated utilities
543.530
Issuance by licensee of stocks, bonds or other interest without authorization of Water Resources Commission prohibited
543.540
Consideration for bonds, stocks and other securities
543.550
Liens prohibited
543.560
Bond of licensee or letter of credit securing claims of suppliers
543.610
Acquisition of project by state or municipality
543.650
Policy
543.655
Definitions for ORS 543.650 to 543.685
543.660
Authority of district to enlarge or modify water system and power generating facilities
543.662
Authority of district to develop joint project with private person
543.664
Rules relating to joint projects of districts and private persons
543.665
Authority to issue revenue bonds to acquire hydroelectric facilities
543.670
Manner of issuance of revenue bonds
543.675
Power of eminent domain not to be exercised to acquire hydroelectric facilities
543.680
Compliance with water appropriation laws required
543.685
District board to require weatherization
543.705
Definitions for ORS 543.710 to 543.730
543.710
Annual fee based on horsepower
543.720
Payment of annual fee
543.730
Failure to file statement or pay fees as evidence of abandonment of claim
543.760
Definition of water right
543.765
Certificate to use water for hydroelectric purposes within artificial delivery system
543.990
Penalties
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