---
kind: "section"
citation: "15 C.F.R. § 990.27"
title: "15"
number: "990.27"
heading: "Use of assessment procedures."
url: "https://uscodex.org/cfr/15/990.27"
---

# §990.27. Use of assessment procedures.

- (a) **Standards for assessment procedures.** Any procedures used pursuant to this part must comply with all of the following standards if they are to be in accordance with this part:
  - (1) The procedure must be capable of providing assessment information of use in determining the type and scale of restoration appropriate for a particular injury;
  - (2) The additional cost of a more complex procedure must be reasonably related to the expected increase in the quantity and/or quality of relevant information provided by the more complex procedure; and
  - (3) The procedure must be reliable and valid for the particular incident.
- (b) **Assessment procedures available.**
  - (1) **The range of assessment procedures available to trustees includes, but is not limited to—**
    - (i) Procedures conducted in the field;
    - (ii) Procedures conducted in the laboratory;
    - (iii) Model-based procedures, including type A procedures identified in [43 CFR part 11](/cfr/43/part11.md), [subpart D](/cfr/15/subpartD.md), and compensation formulas/schedules; and
    - (iv) **Literature-based procedures.**
  - (2) Trustees may use the assessment procedures in [paragraph (b)(1)](#b-1) of this section alone, or in any combination, provided that the standards in [paragraph (a)](#a) of this section are met, and there is no double recovery.
- (c) **Selecting assessment procedures.**
  - (1) When selecting assessment procedures, trustees must consider, at a minimum:
    - (i) The range of procedures available under [paragraph (b)](#b) of this section;
    - (ii) The time and cost necessary to implement the procedures;
    - (iii) The potential nature, degree, and spatial and temporal extent of the injury;
    - (iv) The potential restoration actions for the injury; and
    - (v) The relevance and adequacy of information generated by the procedures to meet information requirements of restoration planning.
  - (2) If a range of assessment procedures providing the same type and quality of information is available, the most cost-effective procedure must be used.

## Notes

### Authority

Authority: 33 U.S.C. 2701 et seq.

### Source

Source: 61 FR 500, Jan. 5, 1996, unless otherwise noted.