71-6303. Administration of act; rules and regulations; fees; department; powers and duties.

(1) The department shall administer the Asbestos Control Act.

(2) The department shall adopt and promulgate rules and regulations necessary to carry out the act. The department shall adopt state standards governing asbestos projects and may adopt or incorporate part or all of any federal standards in the state standards so long as state standards are no less stringent than federal standards.

(3)(a) The department shall prescribe fees based upon the following schedule:

(i) For a business entity license or license renewal, not less than two thousand dollars or more than five thousand dollars;

(ii) For waiver on an emergency basis of a business entity license, not less than two thousand dollars or more than five thousand dollars;

(iii) For waiver of a license for a business entity not primarily engaged in asbestos projects, not less than two thousand dollars or more than five thousand dollars;

(iv) For approval of an initial training course, not less than one thousand dollars or more than two thousand five hundred dollars, which fee shall include one onsite inspection if the inspection is required by the department;

(v) For approval of a review course or a four-hour course on Nebraska law, rules, and regulations, not less than five hundred dollars or more than one thousand dollars, which fee shall include one onsite inspection if the inspection is required by the department;

(vi) For an onsite inspection of an asbestos project other than an initial inspection, not less than one hundred fifty dollars or more than two hundred fifty dollars. Such fees shall not be assessed for more than three onsite inspections per year during the period an actual asbestos project is in progress; and

(vii) For a project review of each asbestos project of a licensed business entity which is equal to or greater than two hundred sixty linear feet or any combination which is equal to or greater than one hundred sixty square feet and linear feet, including any initial onsite inspection, not less than two hundred dollars or more than five hundred dollars.

(b) Any business applicant whose application is rejected shall be allowed the return of the application fee, except that an administrative charge of three hundred dollars for a license and one hundred dollars for approval of a training course shall be retained by the department.

(c) All fees shall be based on the costs of administering the Asbestos Control Act. In addition to the fees prescribed in this section, the department may charge and receive the actual costs for board, room, and travel by employees in excess of three hundred dollars, which costs shall not exceed the amounts allowable in sections 81-1174 to 81-1177. All such fees collected by the department shall be remitted to the State Treasurer for credit to the Health and Human Services Cash Fund. Money credited to the fund pursuant to this section shall be used by the department for the purpose of administering the act.

(4) At least once a year during the continuation of an asbestos project, the department shall conduct an onsite inspection of each licensed business entity's procedures for performing asbestos projects.

(5) The department may enter into agreements or contracts with public agencies to conduct any inspections required under the act.

(6) The department shall adopt and promulgate rules and regulations defining work practices for asbestos projects. The department may provide for alternatives to specific work practices when the health, safety, and welfare of all classes of asbestos occupations and the general public are adequately protected.

(7) The department may apply for and receive funds from the federal government and any other public or private entity for the purposes of administering the act.

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