[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 149 (Thursday, August 2, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46086-46087]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-18859]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. IC12-12-000]


Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC-576); Comment 
Request

AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, DOE.

ACTION: Comment request.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 3507(a)(1)(D), the Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission (Commission or FERC) is submitting the information 
collection FERC-576 (Report of Service Interruptions) 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 
(77 FR 28369, May 14, 2012) requesting public comments. FERC received 
no comments on the FERC-576 and is making this notation in its 
submittal to OMB.

DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due by September 
4, 2012.

ADDRESSES: Comments filed with OMB, identified by the OMB Control No. 
1902-0004, should be sent via email to the Office of Information and 
Regulatory Affairs: [email protected], Attention: Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission Desk Officer. The Desk Officer may also be 
reached via telephone at 202-395-4718.
    A copy of the comments should also be sent to the Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission, identified by the Docket No. IC12-12-000, 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], by telephone at (202) 502-8663, and by fax at 
(202) 273-0873.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: FERC Form 576, Report of Service Interruptions.
    OMB Control No.: 1902-0004.
    Type of Request: Three-year extension of the FERC-576 information 
collection requirements with no changes to the reporting requirements.
    Abstract: A natural gas company must obtain Commission 
authorization to engage in the transportation, sale, or exchange of 
natural gas in interstate commerce under the Natural Gas Act (NGA).\1\ 
The NGA also empowers the Commission to oversee continuity of service 
in the transportation of natural gas in interstate commerce. The 
information collected under FERC-576 notifies the Commission of: (1) 
Damage to jurisdictional natural gas facilities as a result of a 
hurricane, earthquake, or other natural disaster, or terrorist 
activity, (2) serious interruptions to service, and (3) damage to 
jurisdictional natural gas facilities due to natural disaster or 
terrorist activity that creates the potential for serious delivery 
problems on the pipeline's own system or the pipeline grid.
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    \1\ Public Law 75-688; 15 U.S.C. 717 & 15 U.S.C. 717(w).
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    In cases of emergency and pending the determination of any 
application on file with the Commission for a certificate of public 
convenience and necessity pursuant to section 7 of the Natural Gas Act, 
an application may be made for a temporary certificate authorizing the 
construction and operation of extensions of existing facilities, 
interconnections of pipeline systems, sales of natural gas that may be 
required to assure maintenance of adequate service or to service 
particular customers.
    Filings (in accordance with the provisions of section 4(d) of the 
NGA) \2\ must contain information necessary to advise the Commission 
when a change in service has occurred. 18 CFR 157.17 authorizes the 
Commission to issue an application for a temporary certificate 
authorizing the construction and operation of extensions of existing 
facilities, interconnections of pipeline systems, or sales of natural 
gas that may be required to assure maintenance of adequate service, or 
to service particular customers. Respondents to the FERC-576 may submit 
the initial reports by email to [email protected]. 18 CFR 
260.9(b) requires that a report of service interruption or damage to 
natural gas facilities state: (1) The location of the service 
interruption or damage to natural gas pipeline or storage facilities; 
(2) The nature of any damage to pipeline or storage facilities; (3) 
Specific identification of the facilities damaged; (4) The time the 
service interruption or damage to the facilities occurred; (5) The 
customers affected by the service interruption or damage to the 
facilities; (6) Emergency actions taken to maintain service; and (7) 
Company contact and telephone number. The Commission may contact other 
pipelines to determine available supply, and if necessary, authorize 
transportation or construction of

[[Page 46087]]

facilities to alleviate the problem in response to these reports.
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    \2\ 15 U.S.C. 717f(c).
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    Additionally, a report required by 18 CFR 260.9(a)(1)(i) of damage 
to natural gas facilities resulting in loss of pipeline throughput of 
storage deliverability shall be provided to the Director of the 
Commission's Division of Pipeline Certificates at the earliest feasible 
time and again when pipeline throughput or storage deliverability has 
been restored.
    In any instance in which an incident or damage report involving 
jurisdictional natural gas facilities is required by Department of 
Transportation (DOT) reporting requirements under the Natural Gas 
Pipeline Safety Act of 1968, a copy of such report shall be submitted 
to the Director of the Commission's Division of Pipeline Certificates, 
within 30 days of the reportable incident.\3\
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    \3\ 18 CFR 260.9(d).
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    Type of Respondents: Pipeline and storage company operators.
    Estimate of Annual Burden: \4\ The Commission estimates the total 
Public Reporting Burden for this information collection as:
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    \4\ 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-576 (IC12-12-000)--Report of Service Interruptions
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                                                 Number of                        Average burden     Estimated
                                 Number of     responses per   Total number  of      hours per     total annual
                                respondents     respondent         responses         response         burden
                                         (A)             (B)     (A) x (B) = (C)          (D)          (C) x (D)
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Submittal of original email.              40               2                  80            1                 80
Submittal of damage reports.              40               1                  40             .25              10
Submittal of DOT incident                 40               1                  40             .25              10
 report.....................
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    Total...................  ..............  ..............  ..................  ..............             100
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    The total estimated annual cost burden to respondents is $6,901 
[100 hours / 2,080 \5\ hours/year = 0.04808 * $143,540/year \6\ = 
$6,900.96].
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    \5\ 2080 hours = 40 hours/week * 52 weeks (1 year).
    \6\ Average annual salary plus benefits per employee in 2012.
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    The estimated annual cost of filing the FERC-576 per response is 
$43.13 [$6,901 / 160 responses = $43.13/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: July 27, 2012.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2012-18859 Filed 8-1-12; 8:45 am]
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