Federal Register: June 8, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 108)
DOCID: fr08jn09-32 FR Doc E9-13236
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
Docket ID: [Docket No. IC09-576-001]
NOTICE: NOTICES
DOCID: fr08jn09-32
DOCUMENT ACTION: Notice.
SUBJECT CATEGORY:
Commission Information Collection Activities (Ferc-576); Comment Request; Submitted for OMB Review
DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due by July 8, 2009.
DOCUMENT SUMMARY:
In compliance with the requirements of section 3507 of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 3507, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission or FERC) has submitted the information collection described below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review of the information collection requirements. Any interested person may file comments directly with OMB and should address a copy of those comments to the Commission as explained below. The Commission received no comments in response to the Federal Register notice (74 FR 6273, 2/6/09) and has made this notation in its submission to OMB.
SUMMARY:
Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposals, Submissions, and Approvals
DOCUMENT BODY 2:
June 1, 2009.
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION
The FERC is requesting comments on the FERC- 576 (Report of Service Interruptions; OMB Clearance No. 19020004). Under the Natural Gas Act (NGA) (Pub. L. 75 688) (15 U.S.C. 717717w), a natural gas company must obtain Commission authorization to engage in the transportation, sale or exchange of natural gas in interstate commerce. The Commission is also empowered to oversee continuity of service in the transportation of natural gas in interstate commerce. The information collected under FERC576 notifies the Commission of: (1) Serious interruptions to service, and (2) damage to jurisdictional natural gas facilities due to natural disaster or terrorist activity, that creates the potential for serious delivery problems on the pipeline's own system or the pipeline grid.
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Filings in accordance with the provisions of section 4(d) of the Natural Gas Act (NGA) (15 U.S.C. 717c) are to contain information necessary to advise the Commission when a change in service has occurred. Under section 7(d) of the NGA (15 U.S.C. 717f), the Commission may issue a temporary certificate in cases of emergency to assure maintenance of adequate service or to serve particular customers, without notice or hearing.
The FERC576 initial reports are submitted by email to pipelineoutage@ferc.gov or by facsimile transmission. Title 18 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) section 260.9(b) requires that a report of service interruption or damage to natural gas facilities state the: (1) Location of the service interruption or damage to natural gas pipeline or storage facilities; (2) nature of any damage to pipeline or storage facilities; (3) specific identification of the facilities damaged; (4) time the service interruption or damage to the facilities occurred; (5) customers affected by the service interruption or damage to the facilities; (6) emergency actions taken to maintain service; and (7) company contact and telephone number. (In response to these reports, the Commission may contact the pipeline to determine the estimated duration of the outage, and if necessary, authorize emergency transportation or reconstruction of facilities to alleviate the problem.) The company also reports to the Commission when pipeline throughput or storage deliverability has been restored.
Failure by the Commission to collect this information would mean that it is unable to monitor and evaluate our regulated energy infrastructure, and remain apprised of the critical status of operations and reliability of interstate pipelines.
In coordination with the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), FERC has reviewed the pipeline damage reporting requirements. FERC and DOT have concluded that there is minimal duplication between the data collected here and that collected by DOT under 49 CFR 191. The intent, timing, and the information collected serve different needs, and a common reporting form is not appropriate.
Action: The Commission is requesting a threeyear extension of the current expiration date, with no change to the existing requirements.
Burden Statement: Annual reporting burden for this collection is estimated as:
Number of Number of Average burden Total annual
FERC Data CollectionFERCt576 respondents responses per hours per burden
annually respondent response hours\1\
(1) (2) (3) (1) x (2) x
(3)
Submittal to FERC of the original email and 40 \2\ 2 1 \2\ 80 followup email \2\...........................
Submittal of damage report to state commissions. 40 1 0.25 10
Submittal to FERC of copy of DOT incident report 40 1 0.25 10
The estimated cost burden to respondents \3\ is $6,307 (100 hours x $63.07 per hour = $6,307).
\1\ The burden and cost figures may not be exact, due to
rounding. For these calculations, the number of hours an employee works each year is 2,080.
\2\ This includes the original email, plus the followup email
(sent when throughput or storage deliverability has been restored).
\3\ Based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics' figures for wage
estimates within `NAICS 486200, Pipeline Transportation of Natural
Gas' (posted at http://www.bls.gov/oes/2008/may/naics4_486200.htm,
for May 2008), the average hourly cost being used for these
calculations is $63.07. The total estimated cost burden provided
here ($6,307) updates and replaces the estimate (of $6,076.15) provided in the 60day Notice issued on 1/29/09.
The reporting burden includes the total time, effort, or financial resources expended to generate, maintain, retain, disclose, or provide the information including: (1) Reviewing instructions; (2) developing, acquiring, installing, and utilizing technology and systems for the purposes of collecting, validating, verifying, processing, maintaining, disclosing and providing information; (3) adjusting the existing ways to comply with any previously applicable instructions and requirements; (4) training personnel to respond to a collection of information; (5) searching data sources; (6) completing and reviewing the collection of information; and (7) transmitting, or otherwise disclosing the information.
The estimate of cost for respondents is based upon salaries for professional and clerical support, as well as direct and indirect overhead costs. Direct costs include all costs directly attributable to providing this information, such as administrative costs and the cost for information technology. Indirect or overhead costs are costs incurred by an organization in support of its mission. These costs apply to activities which benefit the whole organization, rather than any one particular function or activity.
Comments are invited on: (1) Whether the proposed collection of
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of
the Commission, including whether the information will have practical
utility; (2) the accuracy of the agency's estimates of the burden of
the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the
methodology and assumptions used; (3) ways to enhance the quality,
utility and clarity of the information to be collected; and (4) ways to
minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are
to respond, including the use of appropriate automated, electronic,
mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms
of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic submission of responses.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E913236 Filed 6509; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 671701P
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
Ellen Brown may be reached by telephone at (202) 5028663, by fax at (202) 2730873, and by email at ellen.brown@ferc.gov.