[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 9 (Thursday, January 14, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2124-2125]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-534]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket Nos. IC10-538-000, IC10-539-000, IC10-577-000, IC10-606-000, 
and IC10-607-000]


Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC-538, FERC-539, 
FERC-577, FERC-606, and FERC-607); Comment Request; Extensions

January 7, 2010.
AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Notice of proposed information collections and request for 
comments.

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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 or FERC) is soliciting 
public comment on the specific aspects of the information collections 
described below.

DATES: Comments in consideration of the collections of information are 
due March 16, 2010.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be filed either electronically or in paper 
format, and should refer to Docket Nos. IC10-538-000, IC10-539-000, 
IC10-577-000, IC10-606-000, and IC10-607-000. For comments that only 
pertain to some of the collections, specify the appropriate 
collection(s) and related docket number(s). Documents must be prepared 
in an acceptable filing format and in compliance with the Federal 
Energy Regulatory Commission submission guidelines at http://www.ferc.gov/help/submission-guide.asp.
    Comments may be filed electronically via the eFiling link on the 
Commission's Web site at http://www.ferc.gov. First time users will 
have to establish a user name and password (http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/eregistration.asp) before eFiling. The Commission will send an 
automatic acknowledgement to the sender's e-mail address upon receipt 
of comments through eFiling. Commenters filing electronically should 
not make a paper filing.
    Commenters that are not able to file electronically must send their 
comments to: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Secretary of the 
Commission, 888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426.
    Users interested in receiving automatic notification of activity in 
this docket may do so through eSubscription at http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/esubscription.asp. In addition, all comments and FERC 
issuances may be viewed, printed or downloaded remotely through FERC's 
Web site using the ``eLibrary'' link and searching on Docket Numbers 
IC10-538, IC10-539, IC10-577, IC10-606, and IC10-607. For user 
assistance, contact FERC Online Support at: [email protected], 
(866) 208-3676 (toll free), or (202) 502-8659 (TTY).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ellen Brown may be reached by 
telephone at (202) 502-8663, by fax at (202) 273-0873, or by e-mail at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: For the purpose of publishing this notice 
and seeking public comment, FERC requests comments on the following 
information collections:
     FERC-538, Gas Pipeline Certificate: Section 7(a) Mandatory 
Initial Service, contained in 18 CFR Part 156; OMB Control No. 1902-
0061;
     FERC-539, Gas Pipeline Certificates: Import/Export 
Related, contained in 18 CFR Parts 153 and 157; OMB Control No. 1902-
0062;
     FERC-577, Gas Pipeline Certificates: Environmental Impact 
Statement, identifies FERC's information collections relating to 18 CFR 
Part 380 implementing NEPA and includes the environmental compliance 
conditions of 18 CFR 157.206(b); OMB Control No. 1902-0128;
     FERC-606, Notification of Request for Federal 
Authorization and Requests for Further Information, contained in 18 CFR 
Part 385; OMB Control No. 1902-0241; and
     FERC-607, Report on Decision or Action on Request for 
Federal Authorization, contained in 18 CFR Part 385; OMB Control No. 
1902-0240.
    The associated regulations, information collections, burdens, and 
OMB clearance numbers will continue to remain separate and distinct.
    FERC-538. Under the Natural Gas Act (NGA) (Public Law 75-688) (15 
U.S.C. 717-717w), upon application by a local distribution company or 
municipality, a natural gas pipeline company may be ordered by the 
Commission to extend or improve transportation facilities, to establish 
physical connections to serve, and to sell natural gas to the 
applicant. Filings pursuant to the provisions of Section 7(a) of the 
NGA are to contain all information necessary to advise the Commission 
fully concerning the service which the applicant has requested the 
Commission to direct the natural gas pipeline company to render (such 
as a request to direct a natural gas company to extend or improve its 
transportation facilities, and to sell natural gas to the municipality 
or person and, for such purpose, to extend its transportation 
facilities to communities immediately adjacent to such facilities or to 
territories served by the natural gas pipeline company).
    FERC-539. Section 3 of the Natural Gas Act (NGA) (Public Law 75-
688) (15 U.S.C. 717-717w) provides, in part, that ``* * * no person 
shall export any natural gas from the United States to a foreign 
country or import any natural gas from a foreign country without first 
having secured an order from the Commission authorizing it to do so.'' 
The 1992 amendments to Section 3 of the NGA concern importation or 
exportation from/to a nation which has a free trade agreement with the 
United States, and requires that such importation or exportation: (1) 
Shall be deemed to be a ``first sale'', i.e., not a sale for a resale, 
and (2) Shall be deemed to be consistent with the public interest, and 
applications for such importation or exportation shall be granted 
without modification or delay.
    With the ratification of the North American Free Trade Agreement 
and the Canadian Free Trade Agreement, the Federal regulatory focus on 
construction, operation, and siting of import and export facilities 
increased significantly.
    FERC-577. Section 102(2)(c) of the of the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) (Pub. L. 91-190) requires that all Federal 
agencies must include in every recommendation or report on proposals 
for legislation and other major federal actions significantly affecting 
the quality of the human environment, a detailed statement on: the 
environmental impact on the proposed actions; any adverse environmental 
effects which cannot be avoided should the proposal be implemented; 
alternatives to the proposed action; the relationship between local 
short-term uses of man's environment and the maintenance and 
enhancement of long-term productivity; and any irreversible and 
irretrievable commitment of resources which would be involved in the 
proposed action should it be implemented.
    FERC-606 and FERC-607. Section 313 of EPAct 2005 directs the 
Commission: (1) To establish a schedule for state and federal agencies 
and officers to act on

[[Page 2125]]

requests for federal authorizations required for NGA section 3 and 7 
gas projects, and (2) to maintain a complete consolidated record of all 
decisions or actions by the Commission and other agencies and officers 
with respect to federal authorizations.
    FERC-606 requires agencies and officials responsible for issuing, 
conditioning, or denying requests for federal authorizations necessary 
for a proposed natural gas project to report to FERC regarding the 
status of an authorization request. This reporting requirement is 
intended to allow agencies to assist the FERC to make better informed 
determinations in establishing due dates for agencies' decisions.
    FERC-607 requires agencies or officials to submit to FERC a copy of 
a decision or action on a request for federal authorization and an 
accompanying index to the documents and materials relied on in reaching 
a conclusion.
    If the collections of data for FERC-538, FERC-539, FERC-577, FERC-
606, and FERC-607 in general were not conducted, the Commission would 
not be able to meet its statutory responsibilities, would not be able 
to authorize and monitor certain energy projects to ensure that the 
construction of natural gas pipeline projects and LNG terminals are 
economically viable, and at the same time, protect the environment.
    Action: The Commission is requesting three-year extensions of the 
current expiration dates for the FERC-538, FERC-539, FERC-577, FERC-
606, and FERC-607, with no change to the reporting requirements.
    Burden Statement: The estimated annual public reporting burdens and 
the associated public costs follow.

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                                                             Number of      Projected average
         FERC Data collection          Projected number    responses per     burden hours per     Total annual
                                        of respondents       respondent          response       burden hours\1\
                                                    (1)             (2)                 (3)    (1) x (2) x (3)
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FERC-538.............................                 1               1                 240                240
FERC-539.............................                 6              25.3                12               1821.6
FERC-577.............................                92              16                 193            284,096
FERC-606.............................                48              35.46                4.4            7,489
FERC-607.............................                48              34.45                6.3           10,423
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\1\ These figures may not be exact, due to rounding and/or truncating.

    The total annual cost to respondents1 2 is estimated as 
follows.

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                                                                                                 Estimated total
                                                              Total annual    Estimated hourly   annual cost to
                   FERC Data collection                       burden hours      cost \2\ ($)       respondents
                                                                                                     ($)\1\
                                                                       (1)                 (2)         (2) x (1)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FERC-538.................................................              240               66.29            15,909
FERC-539.................................................             1821.6             66.29           120,753
FERC-577.................................................          284,096               66.29        18,832,723
FERC-606.................................................            7,489               66.29           496,446
FERC-607.................................................           10,423               66.29           690,941
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\1\ These figures may not be exact, due to rounding and/or truncating.
\2\ Using 2,080 hours/year, the estimated cost for 1 full-time employee is $137,874/year. The estimated hourly
  cost is $66.29 (or $137,874/2,080).

    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 collections of 
information are 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 estimates of the 
burden of the proposed collections 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 collections 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. 2010-534 Filed 1-13-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P