Subpart 1.Definition."Support costs" means the expenses, including indirect costs, incurred by the office for operating the office that are not recovered as per meter assessments under part 7530.5030, or as direct charges under part 7530.5040.
Subp. 2.Reductions.Support costs must be reduced by the amounts listed in items A and B. This reduction must be done before the distribution under subpart 3 is made.
A. Support costs must be reduced by the amount of federal reimbursements received by the office.B. Support costs must be reduced by the amount of civil penalties collected under Minnesota Statutes, section 216D.08.Subp. 3.Support cost split.Support costs not distributed or reduced by the operation of subparts 1 and 2 must be proportionately distributed among six categories: intrastate gas distribution and intrastate liquefied petroleum gas distribution operators, liquefied natural gas operators, intrastate hazardous liquid operators, intrastate gas transmission operators, interstate hazardous liquid operators, and interstate natural gas operators. The proportion must be based on inspector hours spent that quarter on each category of operator by the office.
Subp. 4.Method of assessment.Support costs for a quarter must be assessed against pipeline operators in a category according to items A to G.
A. An intrastate gas distribution operator or an intrastate liquefied petroleum gas distribution operator must be assessed a pro rata share of the support costs for this category based on the number of meters in service by that operator on the preceding December 31. An operator is considered to have one meter in service for each unmetered individual service line on the preceding December 31.B. The support costs for this category must be divided into equal shares so there is one share for each liquefied natural gas pipeline operator. A liquefied natural gas pipeline operator must be assessed one share.C. An intrastate hazardous liquid pipeline operator must be assessed a portion of the support costs for this category equal to the percentage of the total miles of intrastate hazardous liquid pipeline operated by the pipeline operator.D. An intrastate gas transmission operator must be assessed a portion of the support costs for this category equal to the percentage of the total miles of intrastate gas transmission pipeline operated by the pipeline operator.E. An interstate hazardous liquid pipeline operator must be assessed a portion of the support costs for this category equal to the percentage of the total miles of interstate hazardous liquid pipeline operated by the pipeline operator.F. An interstate natural gas pipeline operator must be assessed a portion of the support costs for this category equal to the percentage of the total miles of interstate natural gas pipeline operated by the pipeline operator.G. A pipeline measurement used for calculating an assessment under this subpart must be the measurement on the preceding December 31. The pipeline measurement must include only miles of pipeline in Minnesota and must be rounded up to the next whole mile.Minn. R. agency 174, ch. 7530, pt. 7530.5050
Statutory Authority: MS s 299F.631; 299J.04