(1) The costs collected under this section are only for support provided during the start-up and the first twelve months of operation for the board.

(2) The board must reimburse all costs to ecology within twenty-four months of beginning operation.

(3) Ecology will calculate reimbursements based on actual costs:

Reimbursement Amount = Direct Costs + Indirect Costs

Where:

(a) Direct costs include ecology staff time and other costs related to accomplishing the activities identified in subsection (1) of this section. Direct staff costs are the costs of hours worked, including salaries and benefits required by law to be paid to, or on behalf of, employees. Other direct costs are costs incurred as a direct result of ecology staff working with the board including, for example, costs of: Travel, printing and publishing of documents, and other work, contracted or otherwise, associated with the board.

(b) Indirect costs are those general management and support costs of ecology. Ecology applies them using the agency's approved federal indirect cost rate.

(4) Cost reimbursement invoicing and payment. Invoices are generally sent about the last week of the month, for the previous month's activity. Payment is expected within thirty days after the date that ecology has issued the invoice. If the board uses ecology support staff, the authority must reimburse ecology from the authority's financial resources within the first twenty-four months of operation.