[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 102 (Wednesday, May 28, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Page 28843]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-13883]



[[Page 28843]]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[FERC-505]


Proposed Information Collection and Request for Comments

May 22, 1997.
AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Notice of proposed information collection and request for 
comments.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the requirements of Section 3506(c)(2)(a) 
of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. No. 104-13), the 
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) is soliciting public 
comment on the specific aspects of the information collection described 
below.

DATES: Consideration will be given to comments submitted within 60 days 
of the publication of this notice.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the proposed collection of information can be 
obtained from and written comments may be submitted to the Federal 
Energy Regulatory Commission, Attn: Michael Miller, Information 
Services Division, ED-12.4, 888 First Street N.E., Washington, D.C. 
20426.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael Miller may be reached by 
telephone at (202) 208-1415, by fax at (202) 273-0873, and by e-mail at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The information collected under the 
requirements of FERC-505 ``Application for License for Water Projects 
with less than 5MW capacity'' (OMB No. 1902-0058) is used by the 
Commission to implement the statutory provisions of Part I of the 
Federal Power Act (FPA), 16 U.S.C. Sections 791a et seq. & 3301-3432, 
as amended by the Electric Consumers Protection Act (ECPA) (Pub. L. 99-
495, 100 Stat. 1243 (1986). The FPA as amended by ECPA provides the 
Commission with the responsibility of issuing licenses for nonfederal 
hydroelectric power plants, plus requiring the Commission in its 
licensing activities to give equal consideration to preserving 
environmental quality. ECPA also amended sections 10(a) and 10(j) of 
the FPA which stipulates the conditions on which hydropower licenses 
are issued, to direct that the project be adopted in accordance with a 
comprehensive plan that improves waterways for interstate/foreign 
commerce and for the protection, enhancement and mitigation of damages 
to fish and wildlife. Submission of the information is necessary to 
fulfill the requirements of Sections 9 and 10(a) of the Act in order 
for the Commission to make the required finding that the proposal is 
economically, technically, and environmentally sound, and is best 
adapted to the comprehensive plan of development of the water resources 
of the region. Under Section 405(c) of the Public Utilities Regulatory 
Policies Act of 1978, the Commission may in its discretion (by rule or 
order) grant an exemption in whole or in part from the requirements of 
Part I of the FPA to small hydroelectric power projects having a 
proposed installed capacity of 5,000 kilowatts or less. The information 
collected under designation FERC-505 is in the form of a written 
application for a license and is used by Commission staff to determine 
the broad impact of the license application. Commission staff conducts 
a systematic review of the prepared application with supplemental 
documentation provided by the solicitation of comments from other 
agencies and the public. The Commission implements these filing 
requirements in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) under 18 CFR 
4.61; 4.71; 4.93; 4.107; 4.108; 4.201; 4.202, 292.203 and 292.208.
    Action: The Commission is requesting a three-year extension of the 
current expiration date.
    Burden Statement: Public reporting burden for this collection is 
estimated as:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Number of         Number of      Average burden      Total annual   
   respondents      responses per       hours per      burden hours  (1)
  annually  (1)    respondent  (2)    response  (3)       x (2) x (3)   
------------------------------------------------------------------------
19..............             19               169              3,211    
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Estimated cost burdens to respondents: 3,211 hours divided by 2,087 
hours per year times $104,350 per year equals $160,550. The cost per 
respondent is equal to $8,450.
    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 for 
information technology. Indirect 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 estimate 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.
Lois D. Cashell,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 97-13883 Filed 5-27-97; 8:45 am]
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