§ 1504.318 - Fees; payment; waiver.

(a) Fee schedule. Fees will be charged requestors for searching for and reproducing requested records, in accordance with the following schedule: Record search time (OFI employees), $5.00 per half hour; computer programming time (OFI employees), $16.00 per half hour; reproduction of documents (paper copy of original), $0.20 per page; and other costs of searching for or duplicating records (including such items as: computer system time; contractor computer programming time; reproduction of photographs, microforms, or magnetic tape; computer printouts; and transportation of records), actual direct cost to the OFI.

(b) Method of payment. All fee payments shall be in the form of a check or money order payable to the order of the “U.S. Treasury” and shall be addressed to: Office of the Federal Inspector, Alaska Natural Gas Transportation System, Division of Financial Management, Room 1409, Post Office Building, 12th & Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, D.C. 20044.

(c) Prepayment or assurance of payment. If the OFI determines or estimates that the unpaid fees attributable to one or more requests by the same requestor exceed or will exceed $25.00, OFI need not search for, duplicate, or disclose records in response to any request by that requestor until the requestor pays, or makes acceptable arrangements to pay, the total amount of fees due (or estimated to become due) under this section. (See § 1504.309(d)). In such a case, the OFI office shall promptly inform the requestor (by telephone, if practicable) of the need to make payment or arrangements to pay.

(d) Reduction or waiver of fee. The fee chargeable under this section may be reduced or waived by the OFI, if the public interest would be served. A request for reduction or waiver of fees should be addressed to the OFI Freedom of Information Officer.

(e) The OFI Freedom of Information Officer shall maintain a record of all fees charged requestors for searching for and reproducing requested records under this section. If, after the end of 60 calendar days from the date on which request for payment was made, the requestor has not submitted payment to the OFI Freedom of Information Officer, the Freedom of Information Officer shall place the requestor's name on a delinquent list. If a requestor whose name appears on the delinquent list makes another request under this part, the OFI Freedom of Information Officer shall inform the requestor that the OFI will not process the request until the requestor submits payment of the overdue fee from the earlier request and prepayment of the fee for the current request may be required.