[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 204 (Tuesday, October 22, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64875-64876]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-26805]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. IC02-600-001, FERC-600]


Commission Information Collection Activities, Proposed 
Collection; Comment Request; Submitted for OMB Review 2002

AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Notice.

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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) has submitted the information 
collection described below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
for review and extension of the current expiration date. 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 an earlier Federal Register notice 
of July 1, 2002 (67 FR 44186-87) and has made this notation in its 
submission to OMB.

DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due by November 
18, 2002.

ADDRESSES: Address comments on the collection of information to the 
Office of Management and Budget, Office of Information and Regulatory 
Affairs, Attention: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Desk Officer, 
725 17th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20503. The Desk Officer may be 
reached by telephone at (202) 395-7856. A copy of the comments should 
also be sent to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Office of the 
Chief Information Officer, CI-1, Attention: Michael Miller, 888 First 
Street NE., Washington, DC 20426. Comments may be filed either in paper 
format or electronically. Those persons filing electronically do not 
need to make a paper filing. For paper filings, such comments should be 
submitted to the Office of the Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission, 888 First Street, NE. Washington, DC 20426 and should refer 
to Docket No. IC02-510-001.
    Documents filed electronically via the Internet must be prepared in 
WordPerfect, MS Word, Portable Document Format, or ASCII format. To 
file the document, access the Commission's Web site at www.ferc.gov and 
click on ``Make an E-filing,'' and then follow the instructions for 
each

[[Page 64876]]

screen. First time users will have to establish a user name and 
password. The Commission will send an automatic acknowledgment to the 
sender's E-mail address upon receipt of comments. User assistance for 
electronic filings is available at (202) 208-0258 or by e-mail to 
[email protected]. Comments should not be submitted to the e-mail 
address.
    All comments may be viewed, printed or downloaded remotely via the 
Internet through FERC's Home page using the FERRIS link. User 
assistance for FERRIS is available at (202) 502-8222, or by e-mail to 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael Miller may be reached by 
telephone at (202)502-8415, by fax at (202)208-2425, and by e-mail at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Description

    The information collected submitted for OMB review contains:1. 
Collection of Information: FERC-600 ``Rules of Practice and Procedure: 
Complaint Procedures''.2. Sponsor: Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission.3. Control No.: 1902-0180.
    The Commission is now requesting that OMB approve a three-year 
extension of the current expiration date, with no changes to the 
existing collection. There is an adjustment only to the reporting 
burden. The information filed with the Commission is voluntary but 
submitted with prescribed information. Requests for confidential 
treatment of the information are provided for under Section 388.112 of 
the Commission's regulations.4. Necessity of the Collection of 
Information: Submission of the information is necessary to enable the 
Commission to carry out its responsibilities in implementing the 
statutory provisions of the Federal Power Act (FPA.), 16 U.S.C. 791a-
825r; the Natural Gas Act (NGA), 15 U.S.C. 717-717w; the Natural Gas 
Policy Act(NGPA); 15 U.S.C. 3301-3432; the Public Utility Regulatory 
Policies Act of 1978 (PURPA), 16 U.S.C. 2601-2645; the Interstate 
Commerce Act, 49 U.S.C. App. Sec.  1 et seq. and the Outer Continental 
Shelf Lands Act, 43 U.S.C. 1301-1356.9.
    In Order No. 602, 64 FR 17087 (April 8, 1999), the Commission 
revised its regulations governing complaints filed with the Commission 
under the above statutes. Order No. 602 was designed to encourage and 
support consensual resolution of complaints, and to organize the 
complaint procedures so that all complaints are handled in a timely and 
fair manner. In order to achieve the latter, the Commission revised 
Rule 206 of its Rules of Practice and Procedure (18 CFR 385.206) to 
require that a complaint satisfy certain informational requirements, 
that answers be filed in a shorter, 20-day time frame, and that parties 
may employ various types of alternative dispute resolution procedures 
to resolve complaints.
    With respect to public utilities, Section 205(e) of the FPA 
provides: Whenever any such new schedule is filed, the Commission shall 
have the authority, either upon complaint or upon its own initiative 
without complaint at once, and, if it so orders, without answer or 
formal pleading by the public utility, but upon reasonable notice to 
enter upon hearing concerning the lawfulness of such rate, charge, 
classification, or service; and pending such hearing and the decision 
of the Commission * * *
    For the natural gas industry, Section 14(a) of the NGA provides: 
The Commission may permit any person to file with it a statement in 
writing, under oath or otherwise, as it shall determine, as to any or 
all facts and circumstances concerning a matter which may be the 
subject of an investigation.
    Concerning hydroelectric projects, Section 19 of the FPA provides: 
* * * it is agreed as a condition of such license that jurisdiction is 
hereby conferred upon the Commission, upon complaint of any person 
aggrieved or upon its own initiative, to exercise such regulation and 
control until such time as the State shall have provided a commission 
or other authority for such regulation and control * * *
    For qualifying facilities, Section 210(h)(2)(B) of PURPA provides: 
Any electric utility, qualifying cogenerator, or qualifying small power 
producer may petition the Commission to enforce the requirements of 
subsection (f) as provided in subparagraph (A) of this paragraph.
    Likewise for oil pipelines, Part 1 of the Interstate Commerce Act 
(ICA), Sections 1, 6 and 15 (recodified by P.L. 95-473 and found as an 
appendix to Title 49 U.S.C.) authorize the Commission to investigate 
the rates charged by oil pipeline companies subject to its 
jurisdiction. If a proposed oil rate has been filed and allowed by the 
Commission to go into effect without suspension and hearing, the 
Commission can investigate the effective rate on its own motion or by 
complaint filed with the Commission. Section 13 of the ICA provides 
that: Any person, firm, corporation, company or association, or any 
mercantile, agricultural, or manufacturing society or other 
organization, or any common carrier complaining of anything done or 
omitted to be done by any common carrier subject to the provisions of 
this chapter in contravention of the provisions thereof, may apply to 
the Commission by petition, which shall briefly state the facts; 
whereupon a statement of the complaint thus made shall be forwarded by 
the Commission to such common carrier, who shall be called upon to 
satisfy the complaint, or to answer the same in writing, within a 
reasonable time, to be specified by the Commission * * *
    The Commission implements these filing requirements in the Code of 
Federal Regulations (CFR) under 18 CFR Sections 385.206 and 385.213.5. 
Respondent Description: The respondent universe currently comprises 8 
companies (on average) subject to the Commission's jurisdiction.6. 
Estimated Burden: 1,064 total hours, 76 respondents(average), 1 
response per respondent, 14 hours per response (average).7. Estimated 
Cost Burden to respondents: 1,064 hours / 2080 hours per years x 
$117,041 per year = $59,870. The cost per respondent is equal to 
$787.00.
    Statutory Authority: Sections 19 and 205(e) of the Federal Power 
Act, 16 U.S.C. 797(e), 799; Section 14(a) of the Natural Gas Act; 
Section 210(h)(2)(B) of the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act; 
Part 1 of the Interstate Commerce Act (recodified by Pub. L. 95-473 and 
found as an appendix to Title 49 U.S.C. and 43 U.S.C. 1301-1356.9.

Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 02-26805 Filed 10-21-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P