[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 173 (Friday, September 7, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51489-51490]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 07-4362]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration

[Docket No. PHMSA-2003-15864]


Request for Public Comment and Office of Management and Budget 
Approval for a New Information Collection

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

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), 
this notice announces that PHMSA has forwarded an Information 
Collection Request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for a 
new information collection. This information collection is a survey of 
hazardous liquid operators to obtain information on unregulated low-
stress hazardous liquid pipeline characteristics. The purpose of this 
notice is to invite the public to submit comments on the request to 
OMB.

DATES: Submit comments on or before October 9, 2007.

ADDRESSES: Send comments directly to the Office of Management and 
Budget, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Attn: Desk 
Officer for the Department of Transportation, 725 17th Street, NW., 
Washington, DC 20503.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lane Miller at (405) 954-4969, or by 
e-mail at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Pipeline Inspection, Protection, 
Enforcement, and Safety Act of 2006 (PIPES Act) enacted into law on 
December 29, 2006, reauthorizes PHMSA-administered pipeline safety 
programs for fiscal years 2007 through 2010. Section 4 of the PIPES Act 
requires that PHMSA issue regulations by December 31, 2007, subjecting 
all low-stress hazardous liquid pipelines to the same standards and 
regulations as other hazardous liquid pipelines. PHMSA currently 
exempts low stress pipelines from regulations except for those in 
populated areas and crossing navigable waterways. On May 18, 2007, 
PHMSA published a supplementary notice of proposed rulemaking proposing 
to apply all Federal Hazardous liquid pipeline safety regulations to a 
specific set of these remaining low rural low-stress lines (72 FR 
28008).

[[Page 51490]]

    Low-stress pipelines are pipelines operating at 20 percent or less 
of the specified minimum yield strength of the line pipe. PHMSA does 
not have data on the total extent of currently unregulated hazardous 
liquid low-stress pipelines in the United States. To address this gap 
in the data and to obtain a more accurate understanding of the 
unregulated hazardous liquid low-stress pipelines, PHMSA is requesting 
OMB approval to conduct a one-time information collection survey. To 
the extent possible, all operators of hazardous liquid pipelines will 
be surveyed about low stress mileage (including interplant pipeline 
mileage), diameter, pipeline material, products transported, and 
location.
    In order to reach as many operators as possible, the survey will be 
delivered electronically to each of the companies currently operating 
regulated hazardous liquid pipelines. PHMSA will also attempt to reach 
companies that own and/or operate currently unregulated pipelines 
exclusively by working with industry associations to announce and 
distribute the survey via e-mail newsletters to members. Respondents 
will be able to print an electronic version of the survey and mail a 
hard copy, or complete the survey on-line and e-mail it. Participation 
in the survey is optional.
    Pursuant to 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA, PHMSA is required 
to obtain OMB approval for information collections. The term 
``information collection'' includes all work related to preparing and 
disseminating information related to this proposed information 
collection including: Completing paperwork, gathering information, and 
conducting telephone calls. PHMSA published a notice providing a 60-day 
period for comments on the proposed information collection in the 
Federal Register on June 14, 2007 (72 FR 32941), and received no 
comments. PHMSA is now providing an additional 30-day comment period 
and inviting comments on whether the proposed information collection is 
necessary for DOT's proper performance. The comments may include (1) 
whether the information will have practical utility; (2) the accuracy 
of DOT's estimate of the burden of the proposed information collection; 
(3) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information collection; and (4) ways to minimize the burden of the 
information collection on respondents, including the use of automated 
collection techniques or other forms of information technology.
    Type of Information Collection Request: New Collection.
    Respondents: 158.
    Frequency: This is a one-time survey.
    Estimated Average Burden per Response: 16 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 2,528 hours.

    Dated: August 31, 2007.
Florence L. Hamn,
Director of Regulations.
[FR Doc. 07-4362 Filed 9-6-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-60-M