[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 161 (Friday, August 19, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51960-51961]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-21207]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. IC11-512-001]


Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC-512); Comment 
Request; Submitted for OMB Review

AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, DOE.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the requirements of section 3507 of the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 3507, the Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission (Commission or FERC) has submitted the 
information collection described below to the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) for review of the information collection requirements. Any 
interested person may file comments directly with OMB and should 
address a copy of those comments to the Commission as explained below. 
The Commission issued a Notice in the Federal Register (76 FR 30930, 
05/27/2011) requesting public comments. FERC received no comments on 
the FERC-512 and has made this notation in its submission to OMB.

DATES: Comments in consideration of the collection of information are 
due September 19, 2011.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be filed either electronically (eFiled) or in 
paper format, and should refer to Docket No. IC11-512-000. Documents 
must be prepared in an acceptable filing format and in compliance with 
Commission submission guidelines at: http://www.ferc.gov/help/submission-guide.asp. eFiling instructions are available at: http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling.asp. First time users must follow 
eRegister instructions at: http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/eregistration.asp, to establish a username and password before eFiling. 
The Commission will send an automatic acknowledgement to the sender's 
e-mail address upon receipt of eFiled comments. Commenters making an 
eFiling should not make a paper filing. Commenters that are not able to 
file electronically must send an original of 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 
eLibrary at http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/elibrary.asp, by searching 
on Docket No. IC11-512. For user assistance, contact FERC Online 
Support by e-mail at [email protected], or by phone at: (866) 
208-3676 (toll-free), or (202) 502-8659 for TTY.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The information collected under the 
requirements of FERC-512, ``Application for Preliminary Permit'' (OMB 
No. 1902-0073), is used by the Commission to implement the statutory 
provisions of Sections 4(f), 5 and 7 of the Federal Power Act (FPA), 16 
U.S.C. sections 797, 798 & 800. The purpose of obtaining a preliminary 
permit is to maintain priority of the application for a license for a 
hydropower facility while the applicant conducts surveys to prepare 
maps, plans, specifications and estimates; conducts engineering, 
economic and environmental feasibility studies; and making financial 
arrangements. The conditions under which the priority will be 
maintained are set forth in each permit. During the term of the permit, 
no other application for a preliminary permit or application for a 
license submitted by another party can be accepted. The term of the 
permit is three years. The information collected under the designation 
FERC-512 is in the form of a written application for a preliminary 
permit which is used by Commission staff to determine an applicant's 
qualifications to hold a preliminary permit, review the proposed hydro 
development for feasibility and to issue a notice of the application in 
order to solicit public and agency comments. The Commission implements 
these mandatory filing requirements in the Code of Federal

[[Page 51961]]

Regulations (CFR) under 18 CFR 4.31-4.33, 4.81-4.83.
    Action: The Commission is requesting a three-year extension of the 
current 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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                                                                Number of      Average burden
               Number of respondents annually                 responses per       hours per       Total annual
                                                                respondent        response        burden hours
(1)                                                                     (2)               (3)       (1)x(2)x(3)
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200........................................................               1                37             7,400
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    Estimated cost burden to respondents is $508,000; [i.e., (7 hours 
@$200 an hour (legal) x 200 respondents) + (30 hours @$38 an hour 
(technical) x 200 respondents)] per year equals $508,000)]. The average 
annual cost burden per respondent is $2,540 ($508,000/200 = $2,540).
    The reporting burden includes the total time, effort, or financial 
resources expended to generate, maintain, retain, or 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 
anyone 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.

    Dated: August 15, 2011.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2011-21207 Filed 8-18-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P