§ 996.31 Termination of the Quality Assurance Program.

(a) NOAA reserves the right to terminate the Quality Assurance Program for a particular hydrographic product or class at any time before certification is awarded if it is deemed to be in the public interest to do so. NOAA shall give written notification to the sponsor and other interested parties should it decide to exercise this option, and shall state the reasons for its action. Reasons for termination may include, but are not limited to: (1) The inability of the standards-drafting group to reach a consensus on the content of the standard; (2) Valid objections to the existence of NOAA-certification of a particular hydrographic product or class; (3) A negative impact on public safety should the hydrographic product receive certification; (4) Other relevant reasons as they become apparent. (b) The sponsor or other interested parties shall have 30 days to request a reconsideration of the termination action. Said request shall be in writing to the Quality Assurance Program address, and shall include written material supporting the appeal. NOAA shall have, if its other obligations permit, 60 calendar days from the receipt of a request for reconsideration to either deny the request, or to reconsider and announce its decision. (c) NOAA's decision, either the original decision if unappealed within 30 days, or the decision after the request for reconsideration, shall be considered final.