[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 69 (Thursday, April 10, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19891-19892]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-08055]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. IC14-4-000]


Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC-73); 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, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission or 
FERC) is submitting the information FERC-73, Oil Pipeline Service Life 
Data, 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. In response to the notice issued 
in the Federal Register (79 FR 3362, January 21, 2014) FERC received 
one comment. FERC responds to the comment below as well as in its 
submittal to OMB.

DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due by May 12, 
2014.

ADDRESSES: Comments filed with OMB, identified by the OMB Control No. 
1902-0019, 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. IC14-4-000, 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-73, Oil Pipeline Service Life Data
    OMB Control No.: 1902-0019
    Type of Request: Three-year extension of the FERC-73 information 
collection requirements with no changes to the current reporting 
requirements.
    Abstract: The Commission has authority over interstate oil 
pipelines as stated in the Interstate Commerce Act, 49 U.S.C. 6501, et. 
al. As part of the information necessary for the subsequent 
investigation and review of an oil pipeline company's proposed 
depreciation rates, the pipeline companies are required to provide 
service life data as part of their data submissions if the proposed 
depreciation rates are based on the remaining physical life 
calculations. This service life data is submitted on FERC Form No. 73, 
``Oil Pipeline Service Life Data.'' The information collected under the 
requirements of FERC Form No. 73 is used by the Commission to implement 
the statutory provisions of Sections 306 and 402 of the Department of 
Energy Organization Act, 42 U.S.C. 7155 and 7172, and Executive Order 
No. 12009, 42 FR 46277 (September 13, 1977).\1\
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    \1\ For FERC Form No. 73 filing instructions and materials, 
please see http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/forms.asp#form73.
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    The submitted data are used by the Commission to assist in the 
selection of appropriate service lives and book depreciation rates. 
Book depreciation rates are used by oil pipeline companies to compute 
the depreciation portion of their operating expense which is a 
component of their cost of service which in turn is used to determine 
the transportation rate to assess customers. FERC staff's recommended 
book depreciation rates become legally binding when issued by 
Commission order. These rates remain in effect until a subsequent 
review is requested and the outcome indicates that a modification is 
justified. The Commission implements these filings in 18 CFR parts 347 
and 357.
    Type of Respondents: Oil pipeline companies.
    Estimate of Annual Burden: \2\ The Commission estimates the total 
Public Reporting Burden for this information collection as:
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    \2\ The Commission defines burden 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.

[[Page 19892]]



                                                    FERC Form No. 73, Oil Pipeline Service Life Data
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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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Oil Pipelines Undergoing Investigation or Review...................               3                1                3               40              120
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    The total estimated annual cost burden to respondents is $8,400 
[120 hours * $70/hour = $8,400].\3\
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    \3\ $70/hour is the average FERC employee salary plus benefits. 
We assume that respondents to this collection are similarly situated 
in terms of salary and benefits.
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    Comment received in response to initial notice: The Commission 
received one comment from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA). In 
that comment, BEA strongly supported the continued collection of data 
through the FERC Form No. 73. Their support stems from reliance on this 
data collection for key components of their economic statistics. 
Specifically, BEA uses the information on the service lives for 
petroleum pipeline companies to validate the lives in BEA's 
depreciation rates for petroleum pipelines. Moreover, these rates help 
BEA derive economic depreciation or consumption of fixed capital as 
part of the National Income and Product Accounts work BEA does. In 
response, the FERC intends to work with BEA should there be a need to 
make any changes to this data collection.
    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: April 4, 2014.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2014-08055 Filed 4-9-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P