[Federal Register: November 21, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 223)]
[Notices]               
[Page 70078-70079]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr21no05-44]                         

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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

 
Fees for Sanitation Inspections of Cruise Ships

AGENCY: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Department of 
Health and Human Services (HHS).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces an increase in the fees for vessel 
sanitation inspections for the remainder of fiscal year 2006 (January 
1, 2006, through September 30, 2006).

DATES: Effective January 1, 2006.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David L. Forney, Chief, Vessel 
Sanitation Program, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers 
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 4770 Buford Highway, NE., 
Mailstop F-23, Atlanta, Georgia 30341-3724, telephone (770) 488-7333, 
E-mail: Dforney@cdc.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Purpose and Background

    The fee schedule for sanitation inspections of passenger cruise 
ships inspected under the Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP) was first 
published in the Federal Register on November 24, 1987, (52 FR 45019), 
and CDC began collecting fees on March 1, 1988. Since 1987, CDC has 
published the fee schedule annually. The fees schedule for FY 2006 was 
initially announced in the Federal Register on September 7, 2005, with 
fees effective October 1, 2005. Because of a significant increase in 
travel expenses and personnel costs, VSP will be increasing inspection 
fees effective January 1, 2006. This will be the first increase in fees 
since FY 2002.
    The formula used to determine the fees is as follows:

    [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN21NO05.079
    
    The average cost per inspection is multiplied by a size/cost factor 
to determine the fee for vessels in each size category. The size/cost 
factor was established in the proposed fee schedule published in the 
Federal Register on July 17, 1987, (52 FR 27060) and revised in a 
schedule published in the Federal Register on November 28, 1989, (54 FR 
48942). The revised size/cost factor is presented in Appendix A.

Fee

    The fee schedule (Appendix A) will be effective January 1, 2006, 
through September 30, 2006. If travel expenses continue to increase, 
the fees may need adjustment before September 30, 2006, because travel 
constitutes a sizable portion of VSP's costs. If an adjustment is 
necessary, a notice will be published in the Federal Register 30 days 
before the effective date.

Applicability

    The fees will apply to all passenger cruise vessels for which 
inspections are conducted as part of CDC's VSP.

    Dated: November 7, 2005.
Carlton Duncan,
Deputy Chief Operating Officer, Office of the Director, Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Appendix A

                            Size/Cost Factor
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                                                          Average cost
            Vessel size                   GRT 1         ($U.S.) per GRT
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Extra Small.......................             < 3,001               0.25
Small.............................       3,001-15,000               0.50
Medium............................      15,001-30,000               1.00
Large.............................      30,001-60,000               1.50
Extra Large.......................            >60,000              2.00
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1 Gross register tonnage in cubic feet, as shown in Lloyd's Register of
  Shipping.


[[Page 70079]]


             Fee Schedule January 1, 2006-September 30, 2006
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            Vessel size                   GRT 1               Fee
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Extra Small.......................             < 3,001              1,300
Small.............................       3,001-15,000              2,600
Medium............................      15,001-30,000              5,200
Large.............................      30,001-60,000              7,800
Extra Large.......................            >60,000            10,400
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1 Gross register tonnage in cubic feet, as shown in Lloyd's Register of
  Shipping.

    Inspections and reinspections involve the same procedure, 
require the same amount of time, and are therefore charged at the 
same rate.
[FR Doc. 05-22967 Filed 11-18-05; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4163-18-P