30 CFR § 550.1409 - What are my appeal rights?

(a) When you receive the Reviewing Officer's final decision, you have 60 days to either pay the penalty or file an appeal in accordance with 30 CFR part 590, subpart A.

(b) If you file an appeal, you must either:

(1) Submit a surety bond in the amount of the penalty to the appropriate Leasing Office in the Region where the penalty was assessed, following instructions that the Reviewing Officer will include in the final decision; or

(2) Notify the appropriate Leasing Office, in the Region where the penalty was assessed, that you want your lease-specific/area-wide bond on file to be used as the bond for the penalty amount.

(c) If you choose the alternative in paragraph (b)(2) of this section, the BOEM Regional Director may require additional security (i.e., security in excess of your existing bond) to ensure sufficient coverage during an appeal. In that event, the Regional Director will require you to post the supplemental bond with the regional office in the same manner as under § 556.53(d) through (f) of this chapter. If the Regional Director determines the appeal should be covered by a lease-specific abandonment account then you must establish an account that meets the requirements of § 556.56.

(d) If you do not either pay the penalty or file a timely appeal, BOEM will take one or more of the following actions:

(1) We will collect the amount you were assessed, plus interest, late payment charges, and other fees as provided by law, from the date you received the Reviewing Officer's final decision until the date we receive payment;

(2) We may initiate additional enforcement, including, if appropriate, cancellation of the lease, right-of-way, license, permit, or approval, or the forfeiture of a bond under this part; or

(3) We may bar you from doing further business with the Federal Government according to Executive Orders 12549 and 12689, and section 2455 of the Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act of 1994, 31 U.S.C. 6101. The Department of the Interior's regulations implementing these authorities are found at 43 CFR part 12, subpart D.