[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 38 (Monday, February 27, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11518-11519]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-4418]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. IC12-7-000]


Commission Information Collection Activities; Comment Request; 
Extension

AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, DOE.

ACTION: Notice of information collection and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A), the Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission (Commission or FERC) is soliciting public comment on the 
currently approved information collection, FERC-587, Land Description 
(Public Land States/Non-Public Land States [Rectangular or Non-
Rectangular Survey System Lands in Public Land States]).

DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due April 27, 
2012.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments (identified by Docket No. IC12-7-
000) by either of the following methods:
     eFiling at Commission's Web Site: http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling.asp.
     Mail/Hand Delivery/Courier: Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission, Secretary of the Commission, 888 First Street NE., 
Washington, DC 20426.
    Instructions: All submissions must be formatted and filed in 
accordance with submission guidelines at: http://www.ferc.gov/help/submission-guide.asp. For user assistance contact FERC Online Support 
by email at [email protected], or by phone at: (866) 208-3676 
(toll-free), or (202) 502-8659 for TTY.
    Docket: Users interested in receiving automatic notification of 
activity in this docket or in viewing/downloading comments and 
issuances in this docket may do so at http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/docs-filing.asp.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: FERC-587, Land Description (Public Land States/Non-Public 
Land States [Rectangular or Non-Rectangular Survey System Lands in 
Public Land States]).
    OMB Control No.: 1902-0145.
    Type of Request: Three-year extension of the FERC-587 information 
collection requirements with no changes to the current reporting 
requirements.
    Abstract: The Commission requires the FERC-587 information 
collection to satisfy the requirements of section 24 of the Federal 
Power Act (FPA). The Federal Power Act grants the Commission authority 
to issue licenses for the development and improvement of navigation and 
for the development, transmission, and utilization of power across, 
along, from or in any of the streams or other bodies of water over 
which Congress has jurisdiction.\1\ The Electric Consumers Protection 
Act (ECPA) amends the FPA to allow the Commission the responsibility of 
issuing licenses for nonfederal hydroelectric plants.\2\
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    \1\ 16 U.S.C. Section 797d (2010).
    \2\ Public Law 99-495, 100 Stat. 1243 (1996).
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    Section 24 of the FPA requires that applicants proposing hydropower

[[Page 11519]]

projects on (or changes to existing projects located within) lands 
owned by the United States to provide a description of the applicable 
U.S. land. Additionally, the FPA requires the notification of the 
Commission and Secretary of the Interior of the hydropower proposal. 
FERC-587 consolidates the information required and identifies 
hydropower project boundary maps associated with the applicable U.S. 
land.
    The information consolidated by the Form No. 587 verifies the 
accuracy of the information provided for the FERC-587 to the Bureau of 
Land Management (BLM) and the Department of the Interior (DOI). 
Moreover, this information ensures that U.S. lands can be reserved as 
hydropower sites and withdrawn from other uses.
    Type of Respondents: Applicants proposing hydropower projects on 
(or changes to existing projects located within) lands owned by the 
United States.
    Estimate of Annual Burden: \3\ The Commission estimates the total 
Public Reporting Burden for this information collection as:
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    \3\ Burden is defined as the total time, effort, or financial 
resources expended by persons to generate, maintain, retain, or 
disclose or provide information to or for a Federal agency. For 
further explanation of what is included in the information 
collection burden, reference 5 Code of Federal Regulations 1320.3.

  FERC-587 (IC12-7-000): Land Description (Public Land States/Non-Public Land States [Rectangular or Non-Rectangular Survey System Lands in Public Land
                                                                        States])
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                                                                                  Number of                           Average burden
                                                               Number of        responses per     Total number of       hours per       Estimated total
                                                              respondents         respondent         responses           response        annual burden
                                                                        (A)                (B)      (A) x (B) = (C)              (D)                  (C) x (D)
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Hydropower Project Applicants............................               250                  1                250                  1                250
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    The total estimated annual cost burden to respondents is $17,252 
[250 hours / 2,080 \4\ hours/year = 0.12019 * $143,540/year \5\ = 
$17,252].
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    \4\ 2,080 hours = 40 hours/week * 52 weeks (1 year).
    \5\ Average annual salary per employee in 2012.
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    The estimated annual cost of filing the FERC-587 per response is 
$69 [$17,252 / 250 responses = $69/response].
    Comments: Comments are invited on: (1) Whether the 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 and 
cost of the collection of information, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used; (3) ways to enhance the quality, 
utility and clarity of the information collection; and (4) ways to 
minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are 
to respond, including the use of automated collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology.

    Dated: February 17, 2012.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2012-4418 Filed 2-24-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P