06-096 C.M.R. ch. 342, § 4 - Fee

A. When payment is due. The permittee shall pay the full annual fee due for the period January to December by the following April 1. The base fee is prorated if the significant groundwater well is permitted by the department during this period.

B. Base fee plus sliding-scale fee. The annual fee includes a base fee plus a sliding-scale fee for each department permit. The base fee is a flat amount applicable to all significant groundwater wells authorized under a single permit. The sliding-scale fee relates to the total gallons of water pumped by a significant groundwater well or wells authorized under a single permit during the previous period (January through December).

(1) The base fee is $250. The sliding-scale fee is $50/million gallons pumped or fraction thereof.

Example: A development permitted pursuant to the Site Law includes 5 significant groundwater wells that pumped a total of 2.7 million gallons from January through December. The annual fee: $250 base fee plus $150 sliding-scale fee = $400.

(2) The permittee shall submit to the department a certified statement on a form provided by the department indicating total gallons pumped from January 1 through December 31 by a significant groundwater well or wells for each department permit, together with the annual fee, by the following April 1. The department may require a permittee to submit pumping records or other relevant documentation to verify total and per-well amounts.

(3) In the absence of the receipt of timely, acceptable documentation, the department may determine the total annual gallons pumped and require an annual fee based upon evidence available to the department concerning pumping during the applicable period, such as the following:

(a) Volumes reported to the Water Withdrawal Reporting Program;

(b) Monitoring information submitted to the department;

(c) Pumping limits established by the department; and

(d) Any other information available to the department.

(4) When a well is permanently put out of production and the permit has been modified accordingly as provided in Section 5(B), the annual fee is pro-rated for the period the well was open.

Notes

06-096 C.M.R. ch. 342, § 4