[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 241 (Friday, December 15, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 75522-75523]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-21384]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. IC07-6-000; FERC Form 6]


Commission Information Collection Activities, Proposed 
Collection; Comment Request; Extension

December 8, 2006.
AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, DOE.

ACTION: Notice.

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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. 104-13), the Federal 
Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) is soliciting public comment 
on the specific aspects of the information collection described below.

DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due February 16, 
2007.

ADDRESSES: Copies of sample filings of the proposed collection of 
information can be obtained from the Commission's Web site (http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filings/elibrary.asp) or from the Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission, Attn: Michael Miller, Office of the Executive 
Director, ED-34, 888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426. Comments 
may be filed either in paper format or electronically. Those parties 
filing electronically do not need to make a paper filing. For paper 
filing, the original and 14 copies of such comments should be submitted 
to the Secretary of the Commission, Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission, 888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426 and refer to 
Docket No. IC07-6-000.
    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 http://www.ferc.gov and click on ``Make an E-filing'', and then follow the 
instructions for each screen. First time users will have to establish a 
user name and password. The Commission will send an automatic 
acknowledgement to the sender's e-mail address upon receipt of 
comments.
    All comments may be viewed, printed or downloaded remotely via the 
Internet through FERC's homepage using the eLibrary link. For user 
assistance, contact [email protected] or toll-free at (866) 
208-3676. or for TTY, contact (202) 502-8659.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael Miller may be reached by 
telephone at (202) 502-8415, by fax at (202) 273-0873, and by e-mail at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The information collected under the 
requirements of FERC Form 6 ``Annual Report of Oil Pipeline Companies'' 
(OMB No. 1902-0022) is used by the Commission to carry out its 
responsibilities in implementing the statutory provisions of the 
Interstate Commerce Act (ICA), (49 U.S.C.). The ICA authorizes the 
Commission to make investigations and to collect and record data and to 
prescribe rules and regulations concerning accounts, records and 
memoranda as necessary or appropriate for purposes of administering the 
ICA. The Commission may prescribe a system of accounts for 
jurisdictional companies and, after notice and opportunity for hearing 
may determine the accounts in which particular outlays and receipts 
will be entered, charged or credited. Every pipeline carrier subject to 
the provisions of Section 20 of the ICA must electronically file with 
the Commission through Commission-provided software.
    The Commission's Office of Enforcement uses the FERC Form 6 data 
collected to assist in the implementation of its financial audits and 
investigation programs, in the continuous review of the financial 
condition of regulated companies and in the assessment of energy 
markets. The Office of Energy Markets and Reliability (OEMR) uses the 
data collected for its various rate proceedings and economic analyses. 
The Office of Administrative Litigation (OAL) uses the data collected 
for background research for use in litigation. The Office of General 
Counsel uses the data in its programs relating to the administration of 
the ICA. Additionally, the Office of the Executive Director (OED) uses 
the data contained on certain schedules of the FERC Form 6 to compute 
annual charges which are then assessed against oil pipeline companies 
to recover the Commission's annual costs. These annual charges are 
required by Section 3401 of the Budget Act.
    Most notably, the ICA mandates the collection of information needed 
by the Commission to perform it regulatory responsibilities in the 
setting of the just and reasonable rates. The Commission could be held 
in violation of the ICA if the information was not collected.
    The Commission implements these filing requirements in the Code of 
Federal Regulations (CFR) under 18 CFR Section 357.1 and 357.2.
    Action: The Commission is requesting a three-year extension of the 
current

[[Page 75523]]

expiration date, with no changes to the existing collection of data.
    Burden Statement: Public reporting burden for this collection is 
estimated as:

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                                                                                Average  burden
                                                                  Number of        hours per       Total annual
             Number of respondents annually  (1)                responses per    response  (3)     burden hours
                                                               respondent  (2)                   (1) x (2) x (3)
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156..........................................................               1              186           29,016
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    Estimated cost burden to respondents is $1,703,811. (29,016 hours/
2080 hours per year times $122,137 per year average per employee = 
$1,703,811). The cost per respondent is $10,922).
    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 or other technological collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology.

Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E6-21384 Filed 12-14-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P