[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 9 (Monday, January 14, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2232-2233]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-402]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. IC08-73-000; FERC Form 73]


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

January 4, 2008.
AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

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. No. 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 by March 10, 
2008.

ADDRESSES: Copies of sample filings can be obtained from the 
Commission's Web site: (http://elibrary.ferc.gov/idmws/search/fercgensearch.asp) by entering, in the Docket Number block, the prefix 
``DO'' together with the fiscal year of the filing, followed by an 
asterisk (for example: DO07*), 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 filings, 
the original and 14 copies of such comments should be submitted to the 
Office of the Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 
First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426 and refer to Docket No. IC08-
73-000.
    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 choose the Documents and Filings tab, click on E-filing, then 
follow the instructions given. First time users will need 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 202-502-6652 (toll 
free at 1-866-208-3676). E-mail the Public Reference Room at 
[email protected].

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 73 ``Oil Pipelines Service Life Data'' (OMB 
No. 1902-0019) is used by the Commission to establish oil pipeline 
property depreciation rates based on the physical properties of a 
pipeline's equipment. Congress gave the Commission jurisdiction over 
oil pipeline rates, charges and valuations in Pub. L. 103-272, sec. 
60502 (1994).\1\ The Commission's regulations governing FERC Form No. 
73 can be found in 18 CFR Sec.  357.3. The filing instructions are 
available online at http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/hard-fil.asp, under 
the Oil tab.
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    \1\ To Revise, Codify and Enact Without Substantive Change 
Certain General and Permanent Laws, Related to Transportation, as 
Subtitles II, III, and V-X of Title 49, U.S.C., ``Transportation'', 
and to Make Other Technical Improvements in the Code, 49 U.S.C. 
60502 (July 5, 1994). This Act repealed the Department of Energy Act 
sections 306 and 402 under which the Interstate Commerce Commission 
transferred to, and vested, in the Commission all functions and 
authority over rates or charges for the transportation of oil by 
pipeline including the establishment of valuations of any such 
pipeline, Pub. L. 95-91 (August 4, 1977).
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    Depreciation rates are a factor in a pipeline's transportation cost 
of service. As such, companies are required to submit Form No. 73 when 
requesting Commission approval of: (1) The establishment of 
depreciation rates for new pipeline equipment or (2) revision of 
previously approved depreciation rates, when the depreciation is based 
on the physical properties of the pipeline company's equipment. The 
Commission may also request an oil pipeline to submit a Form No. 73 
during a rate investigation.
    On May 27, 2005, in Order No. 656, the Commission amended the Form 
No. 73 instructions to allow for filing on a diskette in a spreadsheet 
file format, eliminated the filing requirement for utility codes, which 
were no longer used by the Commission, and updated the filing 
instructions to delete references to outdated filing formats.\2\
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    \2\ Revision of FERC Form No. 73, Oil Pipeline Data Filing 
Instructions, Order No. 656, 70 FR 34343 (June 14, 2005), FERC 
Statutes and Regulations, Regulations Preambles 2001-2005 ] 
31,183(2005).
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    Action: The Commission is requesting approval and three-year 
extension of the current expiration date. There are no changes to the 
information that is collected on Form 73. This is a mandatory 
information collection requirement.

[[Page 2233]]

    Burden Statement: Public reporting burden for this collection is 
estimated as follows:

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    Number of          Number of       Average burden
   respondents       responses per        hours per       Total annual
     annually          respondent         response        burden hours
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(1)                            (2)                (3)   (1) x (2) x (3)
              2                  1                 40                80
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    The estimated total cost to respondents is $4,861 (80 hours divided 
by 2,080 hours per employee \3\ per year times $126,384 \4\ per year 
average salary per employee equals $4,861 (rounded)). The estimated 
cost of filing Form 73 per respondent is $2,431.
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    \3\ Number of hours an employee works per year.
    \4\ Average annual salary per employee.
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    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 technological collection techniques or other forms 
of information technology e.g. permitting electronic submission of 
responses.

Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
 [FR Doc. E8-402 Filed 1-11-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P