§ 80.1471 Requirements for QAP auditors.
(a) QAP audits conducted pursuant to § 80.1472 must be conducted by an independent third-party auditor.
(b) To be considered an independent third-party auditor under paragraph (a) of this section, all the following conditions must be met:
(1) The independent third-party auditor and its contractors and subcontractors must not be owned or operated by the audited party or any subsidiary or employee of the audited party.
(2) The independent third-party auditor and its contractors and subcontractors shall not be owned or operated by an obligated party or any subsidiary or employee of an obligated party.
(3) The independent third-party auditor shall not own, buy, sell, or otherwise trade RINs unless required to maintain a financial assurance mechanism for a QAP implemented under QAP Option A pursuant to § 80.1469(a) during the interim period or to replace an invalid RIN pursuant to § 80.1474.
(4) The independent third-party auditor and its contractors and subcontractors must be free from any interest or the appearance of any interest in the audited party's business.
(5) The audited party must be free from any interest or the appearance of any interest in the third-party auditor's business and the businesses of third-party auditor's contractors and subcontractors.
(6) The independent third-party auditor and its contractors and subcontractors must not have performed an attest engagement under § 80.1464(b) for the audited party for the same compliance period as a QAP audit conducted pursuant to § 80.1472.
(7) The independent third-party auditor and its contractors and subcontractors must not be debarred, suspended, or proposed for debarment pursuant to the Government-wide Debarment and Suspension regulations, 40 CFR part 32, or the Debarment, Suspension and Ineligibility provisions of the Federal Acquisition Regulations, 48 CFR part 9, subpart 9.4.