16 U.S.C. § 825q-1 : US Code - Section 825Q-1: Office of Public Participation

Search 16 U.S.C. § 825q-1 : US Code - Section 825Q-1: Office of Public Participation

(a)(1) There shall be an office in the Commission to be known as
the Office of Public Participation (hereinafter in this section
referred to as the "Office").
(2)(A) The Office shall be administered by a Director. The
Director shall be appointed by the Chairman with the approval of
the Commission. The Director may be removed during his term of
office by the Chairman, with the approval of the Commission, only
for inefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance in office.
(B) The term of office of the Director shall be 4 years. The
Director shall be responsible for the discharge of the functions
and duties of the Office. He shall be appointed and compensated at
a rate not in excess of the maximum rate prescribed for GS-18 of
the General Schedule under section 5332 of title 5.
(3) The Director may appoint, and assign the duties of, employees
of such Office, and with the concurrence of the Commission he may
fix the compensation of such employees and procure temporary and
intermittent services to the same extent as is authorized under
section 3109 of title 5.
(b)(1) The Director shall coordinate assistance to the public
with respect to authorities exercised by the Commission. The
Director shall also coordinate assistance available to persons
intervening or participating or proposing to intervene or
participate in proceedings before the Commission.
(2) The Commission may, under rules promulgated by it, provide
compensation for reasonable attorney's fees, expert witness fees,
and other costs of intervening or participating in any proceeding
before the Commission to any person whose intervention or
participation substantially contributed to the approval, in whole
or in part, of a position advocated by such person. Such
compensation may be paid only if the Commission has determined that
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(A) the proceeding is significant, and
(B) such person's intervention or participation in such
proceeding without receipt of compensation constitutes a
significant financial hardship to him.
(3) Nothing in this subsection affects or restricts any rights of
any intervenor or participant under any other applicable law or
rule of law.
(4) There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of
Energy to be used by the Office for purposes of compensation of
persons under the provisions of this subsection not to exceed
$500,000 for the fiscal year 1978, not to exceed $2,000,000 for the
fiscal year 1979, not to exceed $2,200,000 for the fiscal year
1980, and not to exceed $2,400,000 for the fiscal year 1981.