[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 176 (Monday, September 13, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49473-49474]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-23752]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. IC99-567-000, (FERC-567)]


Proposed Information Collection and Request for Comments

September 7, 1999.
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 on or before 
November 12, 1999.

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, Office of the Chief 
Information Officer, CI-1, 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) 208-2425, and by e-mail at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Abstract: The information collected under the requirements of FERC-
567 ``Gas Pipeline Certificates: Annual Reports of System Flow Diagrams 
and System Capacity'' (OMB Control No. 1902-0005) is used by the 
Commission to implement the statutory provisions of Section 4, 5, 6, 7, 
9, 10(a) and 16 of the Natural Gas Act (NGA) (Pub. L. 75-688), and 
Title III, Sections 301(a)(1), 303(a), 304(d), Title IV, Sections 401 
and 402, Title V, Section 508 of the Natural Gas Policy Act (Pub. L. 
95-621). The information collected under the requirements of FERC-567 
is used by the Commission to obtain accurate data on pipeline 
facilities and the peak day capacity of these facilities. Specifically, 
the FERC-567 data is used in determining the configuration and location 
of installed pipeline facilities; evaluating the need for proposed 
facilities to serve market expansions; determining pipeline 
interconnections and receipt and delivery points; and developing and 
evaluating alternatives to proposed facilities as a means to mitigate 
environmental impact of new pipeline construction.
    FERC-567 also contains valuable information that can be used to 
assist federal officials in maintaining adequate natural gas service in 
times of national emergency. The Commission implements these filing 
requirements in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) under 18 CFR Part 
260.8 and 284.12.
    Action: The Commission is requesting a three-year extension of the 
current expiration date, with no changes to the existing collection of 
data.
    Burden Statement: Public reporting burden for this collection is 
estimated as follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Number of          Number of       Average burden
    responses        responses per        hours per       Total annual
     annually          respondent         response        burden hours
(1)                            (2)                (3)   (1) x (2) x (3)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
             91             1.714*              81.58            12,724
------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Derived by dividing the total number of responses expected annually
  (156) by the number of respondents (91) and rounding to three places.

    The estimated reporting cost to respondents is $672,225 (12,724 
hours divided by 2,080 hours per full-time employee-year multiplied 
times $109,889 per year (the estimated average salary per employee 
(including overhead expenses)) = $672,225).
    There is a net increase of 977 hours in the total burden hours over 
the last Office of Management and Budget (OMB) clearance of the FERC-
567 data collection, from 11,747 hours to 12,724 hours. This increase 
is an adjustment resulting from an increase in the number of 
respondents from 89 to 91 with a simultaneous increase in the number of 
responses per respondent from 1.62 to 1.71 (rounded). The number of 
responses per respondent is greater than one because some respondents 
are required to file both of the FERC-567 filing requirements while 
others are required to submit only one of the two.
    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 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

[[Page 49474]]

technological collection techniques or other forms of information 
technology e.g. permitting electronic submission of responses.
David P. Boergers,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 99-23752 Filed 9-10-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M