Regulacje i polityka gospodarcza · 28.10.1996

Administrative Appeals Process

The Minerals Management Service (MMS) proposes to amend the regulations governing its administrative appeals process. These amendments are in response to MMS's own initiatives to speed up the appeals process, and are in response to statutory requirements recently enacted which require the Department of the Interior to decide certain administrative appeals within 33 months from the commencement of the appeal. Under these proposed regulations, the MMS Director generally would be required to decide an appeal within 16 months of commencement of the appeal or the appeal would automatically be deemed denied. The appellant then could continue its appeal before the Interior Board of Land Appeals (IBLA). The IBLA then would have to complete its action on the appeal before the recently enacted 33-month deadline on deciding appeals involving Federal oil and gas leases. (The 33-month deadline for the IBLA would not apply to appeals involving Indian leases or to Federal leases for minerals other than oil or gas.) In addition, MMS's proposed regulations would impose a new $100.00 filing fee on appeals to the Director.