Notice2021-15409
Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC-567, FERC-576); Consolidated Comment Request; Extension
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
July 20, 2021
Issuing agencies
Energy DepartmentFederal Energy Regulatory Commission
Abstract
In compliance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission or FERC) is soliciting public comment on the currently approved information collections, FERC-567 (Gas Pipeline Certificates: Annual Reports of System Flow Diagrams) and FERC-576 (Report of Service Interruptions or Damage to Facilities) which will be submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for a review of the information collection requirements.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 86 Issue 136 (Tuesday, July 20, 2021)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 136 (Tuesday, July 20, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38335-38337]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2021-15409]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. IC21-20-000]
Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC-567, FERC-
576); Consolidated Comment Request; Extension
AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Department of Energy.
ACTION: Notice of information collection and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: In compliance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction
Act of 1995, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission or
FERC) is soliciting public comment on the currently approved
information collections, FERC-567 (Gas Pipeline Certificates: Annual
Reports of System Flow Diagrams) and FERC-576 (Report of Service
Interruptions or Damage to Facilities) which will be submitted to the
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for a review of the information
collection requirements.
DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due August 19,
2021.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments on FERC-567 and/or FERC-576 to OMB
through <a href="http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain">www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain</a>, Attention: Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission Desk Officer. Please identify the OMB control
number (1902-0005 and/or 1902-0004) in the subject line. Your comments
should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice in the
Federal Register.
Please submit copies of your comments (identified by Docket No.
IC21-20-000) to the Commission as noted below. Electronic filing
through <a href="http://www.ferc.gov">http://www.ferc.gov</a>, is preferred.
<bullet> Electronic Filing: Documents must be filed in acceptable
native applications and print-to-PDF, but not in scanned or picture
format.
<bullet> For those unable to file electronically, comments may be
filed by USPS mail or by hand (including courier) delivery.
[cir] Mail via U.S. Postal Service Only: Addressed to: Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission, Secretary of the Commission, 888 First
Street NE, Washington, DC 20426.
[cir] Hand (including courier) delivery: Deliver to: Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission, 12225 Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, MD 20852.
Instructions:
OMB submissions must be formatted and filed in accordance with
submission
[[Page 38336]]
guidelines at <a href="http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain">www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain</a>; Using the search
function under the ``Currently Under Review field,'' select Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission; click ``submit'' and select ``comment''
to the right of the subject collection.
FERC submissions must be formatted and filed in accordance with
submission guidelines at: <a href="http://www.ferc.gov">http://www.ferc.gov</a>. For user assistance,
contact FERC Online Support by email at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#472122352428292b2e292234323737283533072122352469202831"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="7a1c1f081915141613141f090f0a0a15080e3a1c1f0819541d150c">[email protected]</span></a>, or
by phone at: (866) 208-3676 (toll-free).
Docket: Users interested in receiving automatic notification of
activity in this docket or in viewing/downloading comments and
issuances in this docket may do so at <a href="http://www.ferc.gov">http://www.ferc.gov</a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ellen Brown may be reached by email at
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#6327021702200f060211020d000623252631204d040c15"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="1155706570527d747063707f727451575443523f767e67">[email protected]</span></a> and telephone at (202) 502-8663.
Comments: Comments are invited on: (1) Whether the collections 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 estimate of the burden and
cost of the collections of information, including the validity of the
methodology and assumptions used; (3) ways to enhance the quality,
utility and clarity of the information collections; and (4) ways to
minimize the burden of the collections of information on those who are
to respond, including the use of automated collection techniques or
other forms of information technology.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Commission published a 60-day Paperwork
Reduction Act Notice \1\ in the Federal Register on May 11, 2021 and no
comments were received on the renewal of FERC-567 and FERC-576
information collections. Inadvetently, the cost caluations for FERC-576
indicated that it used the 2020 Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) costs
estimates when in fact it used the 2021 costs figures. The correct cost
estimated are reflected below. This does not effect any information
related to the collection of FERC-567.
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\1\ 86 FR 25852.
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The following information pertains to FERC-567 only.
Title: FERC-567, Gas Pipeline Certificates: Annual Reports of
System Flow Diagrams.
OMB Control No.: 1902-0005.
Type of Request: Three-year extension of the FERC-567 information
collection requirements with no changes to the current reporting
requirements.
Abstract: Per 18 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 260.8(a), each
major interstate natural gas pipeline with a system delivery capacity
exceeding 100,000 Mcf \2\ per day is required to submit, by June 1 of
each year, diagrams reflecting operating conditions on the pipeline's
main transmission system during the previous 12 months ending on
December 31. The submitted information must include (i) configuration
and location of installed pipeline facilities; (ii) receipt and
delivery points between shippers, and pipeline companies; (iii)
location of compressor stations on a pipeline system; (iv) pipeline
diameters; (v) maximum allowable operating pressures; (vi) suction and
discharge pressures at compressor stations; (vii) installed horsepower
and volumes compressed at each compressor station; (viii) existing
shippers currently nominating service under firm contracts on each
pipeline company; and (ix) peak capacity on the system. The data is
collected so that it's available in the event the Commission needs to
confirm pipeline facility data.
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\2\ Mcf is a unit of measurement for natural gas that equals
1,000 cubic feet.
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Type of Respondents: Natural gas pipeline companies with a system
delivery capacity in excess of 100,000 Mcf per day.
Estimate of Annual Burden: The Commission estimates the annual
public reporting burden for the information collection as:
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\3\ The number of respondents in the currently approved OMB
inventory for FERC-567 is 197. Changes to the estimate were based on
average number of respondents over the past three years.
\4\ The Commission staff estimates that the average respondent
for FERC-567 is similarly situated to the Commission, in terms of
salary plus benefits. Based on FERC's 2020 annual average of
$172,329 (for salary plus benefits), the average hourly cost is $83/
hour.
FERC-567--Gas Pipeline Certificates: Annual Reports of System Flow Diagrams
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Average
Number of Annual number Average annual annual cost
Respondents respondents of responses Total number burden & cost per Total annual burden hours & per
\3\ per respondent of responses response \4\ total annual cost respondent
($)
(1) (2) (1) * (2) = (4).................. (3) * (4) = (5)................. (5) / (1)
(3)
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Natural Gas Pipelines.......... 124 1 124 4 hrs.; $332......... 496 hrs.; $41,168............... $332
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The following information pertains to FERC-576 only.
Title: FERC-576, Report of Service Interruptions or Damage to
Facilities.
OMB Control No.: 1902-0004.
Type of Request: Three-year extension of the FERC-576 information
collection requirements with no changes to the current reporting
requirements.
Abstract: Per 18 CFR 260.9, natural gas pipeline companies must
report (i) damage to any jurisdictional natural gas facilities other
than liquefied natural gas facilities caused by a hurricane, earthquake
or other natural disaster or terrorist activity that results in a loss
of or reduction in pipeline throughput or storage deliverability; and
(ii) serious interruptions of service to any shipper involving
jurisdictional natural gas facilities other than liquefied natural gas
facilities.
The notifications, made to the Director, Division of Pipeline
Certificates via email or fax as soon as feasibly possible, must state:
(1) The location of the service interruption or damage to natural gas
pipeline or storage facilities; (2) The nature of any damage to
pipeline or storage facilities; (3) Specific identification of the
facilities damaged; (4) The time the service interruption or damage to
the facilities occurred; (5) The 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. The
information provided by these notifications are kept by the Commission
and are not made part of the public record.
In addition, if an incident requires reporting of the incident to
the Department of Transportation under the Natural Gas Pipeline Safety
Act of 1968, a copy of such report shall be submitted to the Director
of the Commission's
[[Page 38337]]
Division of Pipeline Certificates, within 30 days of the reportable
incident. Natural gas companies must also send a copy of submitted
reports to each state commission for the state(s) in which the reported
service interruption occurred. If the Commission did not collect this
information, it would lose a data point that assists in the monitoring
of transactions, operations, and reliability of interstate pipelines.
Type of Respondents: Natural gas companies experiencing service
interruptions or damage to facilities.
Estimate of Annual Burden: The Commission estimates the average
annual burden and cost \5\ for this information collection as follows.
Please note that the cost figures in the Table for FERC-576 has been
rounded (columns 4) for display purposes only. The calculations for the
`cost per response' are based on the number of hours multiplied by the
total weight hourly cost.
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\5\ Costs (for wages and benefits) are based on wage figures
from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) at <a href="http://bls.gov/oes/current/naics3_221000.htm">http://bls.gov/oes/current/naics3_221000.htm</a>, as of June 2021. In the 60-day notice,
the costs incorrectly reflected 2020 figures rather than the actual
2021 cost estimates. The corrected costs are listed above and does
not impact the renewal notice for FERC-567. Commission staff
estimates that 20% of the work is performed by a manager, and 80% is
performed by legal staff. The hourly costs for wages plus benefits
are:
<bullet> Management (Occupational Code: 11-0000) is $97.89.
<bullet> Legal (Occupational Code: 23-0000) is $142.25.
Therefore, the weighted hourly cost (for wages plus benefits) is
$133.38 [(0.20 * $97.89) + (0.80 * $142.25)].
FERC-576--Report of Service Interruptions or Damage to Facilities
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Average
Number of Annual number annual cost
respondents of responses Total number Average annual burden hrs. & cost ($) Total annual burden hrs. & total annual per
\6\ per of responses per response cost respondent
respondent ($)
(1) (2) (1) * (2) = (4)....................................... (3) * (4) = (5)........................... (5) / (1)
(3)
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Notification of Incident--Service 50 1 50 1 hr.; $133.38............................ 50 hrs.; $6,669........................... $133.38
Interruption.
Notification of Incident--Damage........ 22 1 22 0.25 hrs.; $33.35......................... 5.5 hrs.; $733.59......................... 33.35
Submittal of DOT Incident Report........ 10 1 10 0.25 hrs.; $33.35......................... 2.5 hrs.; $333.45......................... 33.35
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Total............................... 82 .............. .............. .......................................... 58 hrs.; $7,736.04........................ ..............
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Dated: July 13, 2021.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
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\6\ The total number of respondents in the currently approved
OMB inventory for FERC-576 is 147. Changes to the estimate were
based on average number of respondents over the past three years.
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[FR Doc. 2021-15409 Filed 7-19-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
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