[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 50 (Wednesday, March 16, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12950-12951]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-5193]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration

[Docket: RSPA-98-4957]


Request for Public Comments and Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) Approval of an Existing Information Collection

AGENCY: Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), 
Department of Transportation.

ACTION: Notice

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SUMMARY: This notice seeks public comment on the need for PHMSA to 
collect paperwork information from state agencies that maintain 
programs to regulate pipelines. The purpose of the paperwork is to 
ensure that these states are properly monitoring the operations of 
pipeline operators in their states, and to determine Federal grant 
amounts for these states. This notice is published (pursuant to the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995) to measure the need for the paperwork 
collection from these state agencies, to find ways to minimize the 
burden on states that must respond, to find ways to enhance the quality 
of information collected, and to verify the accuracy of the PHMSA's 
estimate of the burden (measured in work hours) on the states. This 
notice also seeks approval from the Office of Management and Budget to 
renew the existing approval of this paperwork collection.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by May 16, 2005 to 
assure consideration.

ADDRESSES: You may submit written comments to the docket by any of the 
following methods:
     Mail: Dockets Facility, U.S. Department of Transportation, 
Room PL-401, 400 Seventh Street, SW., 20590-0001. Anyone wanting 
confirmation of mailed comments must include a self-addressed stamped 
postcard.
     Hand delivery or courier: Room PL-401, 400 Seventh Street, 
SW., Washington, DC. The Dockets Facility is open from 10 am to 5 pm, 
Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
     Web site: Go to http://dms.dot.gov, click on ``Comments/
Submissions'' and follow instructions at the site.
    All written comments should identify the docket number and notice 
number stated in the heading of this notice.
    Docket access. For copies of this notice or other material in the 
docket, you may contact the Dockets Facility by phone (202-366-9329) or 
visit the

[[Page 12951]]

facility at the above street address. For Web access to the dockets to 
read and download filed material, go to http://dms.dot.gov/search. Then 
type in the last four digits of the docket number shown in the heading 
of this notice, and click on ``Search.''
    Anyone can search the electronic form of all comments filed in any 
of our dockets by the name of the individual submitting the comment (or 
signing the comment, if submitted for an association, business, labor 
union, etc.). You may review DOT's complete Privacy Act Statement in 
the April 11, 2000 issue of the Federal Register (65 FR 19477) or go to 
<http://dms.dot.gov.
    Interested persons are invited to send comments regarding the 
burden estimated or any other aspect of this collection of information, 
including any of the following subjects: (1) The necessity and utility 
of the proposed information collection for the proper performance of 
the agency's functions; (2) the accuracy of the estimated burden; (3) 
ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to 
be collected; and (4) the use of automated collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology to minimize the information 
collection burden.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Florence Hamn, Office of Pipeline 
Safety, PHMSA, DOT, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590 (202) 
366-3105 or by e-mail at [email protected]

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Chapter 601, Title 49, United States Code 
(49 U.S.C. 60101 et. seq.) authorizes DOT to regulate pipeline 
transportation. While DOT is primarily responsible for developing, 
issuing, and enforcing minimum pipeline safety regulations, 49 U.S.C. 
60101 et. seq., provides for state assumption of all or part of the 
regulatory and enforcement responsibility for intrastate pipelines.
    Section 60105 of 49 U.S.C. sets forth specific requirements a state 
must meet to qualify for certification status to assume regulatory and 
enforcement responsibility for intrastate pipelines, (i.e., state 
adoption of minimum federal safety standards, state inspection of 
pipeline operators to determine compliance with the standards, and 
state provision for enforcement sanctions substantially the same as 
those authorized by 49 U.S.C. 60101 et. seq.) A participating state 
must annually submit a section 60105(a) Gas Pipeline Safety Program 
Certification and/or a Hazardous Liquid Pipeline Safety Program 
Certification to the Office of Pipeline Safety signifying compliance 
with the terms of the certification.
    As used in this notice, ``information collection'' and ``paperwork 
collection'' are synonymous, and include all work related to preparing 
and disseminating information related to this recordkeeping requirement 
including completing paperwork, gathering information and conducting 
telephone calls.
    Type of Information Collection Request: Renewal of Existing 
Collection.
    Title of Information Collection: Certification and Agreement Forms 
for the Gas and Hazardous Liquid Pipeline Safety Program.
    OMB Approval Number: 2137-0584.
    Frequency: Annually.
    Use: This collection is used by PHMSA to ensure that State agencies 
attesting they have regulatory jurisdiction over pipeline safety have 
adopted and are complying with minimum Federal safety standards. This 
information is used to calculate grants to States.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 67.
    Respondents: State Agencies.
    Total Annual Hours Requested: 3,820.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on March 7, 2005.
Theodore L. Willke,
Deputy Associate Administrator for Pipeline Safety.
[FR Doc. 05-5193 Filed 3-15-05; 8:45 am]
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