[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 142 (Thursday, July 24, 2014)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 42973-42974]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-17268]



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 Rules and Regulations
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  Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 142 / Thursday, July 24, 2014 / Rules 
and Regulations  

[[Page 42973]]



DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

18 CFR Part 4

[Docket No. RM14-20-000; Order No. 798]


Format and Dimensions of Maps and Drawings Required by the 
Commission's Hydropower Program

AGENCY:  Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

ACTION:  Final rule.

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SUMMARY:  The Commission is issuing this Final Rule to make minor 
changes to its regulations. This Final Rule amends requirements 
pertaining to the format and dimensions of maps and drawings submitted 
to the Commission by applicants and licensees in the Commission's 
hydropower program. Specifically, the amendments: remove the 
requirement that applicants and licensees submit copies of certain 
project maps and drawings in microfilm format on aperture cards; and 
change the minimum and maximum dimensions applicable to submitted maps 
and drawings. These amendments modernize the regulations to reflect 
technological advances and relieve burdens placed on applicants and 
licensees.

DATES:  This rule will become effective September 8, 2014.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Charles K. Cover, Office of Energy 
Projects, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE., 
Washington, DC 20426, 202-502-8832.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Before Commissioners: Cheryl A. LaFleur, Acting Chairman; Philip D. 
Moeller, John R. Norris, and Tony Clark.

    In the matter of: RM14-20-000 Format and Dimensions of Maps and 
Drawings Required by the Commission's Hydropower Program.
Order No. 798
Final Rule
(Issued July 17, 2014)

I. Discussion

    1. The Commission is issuing this Final Rule to remove from its 
regulations the requirement in 18 CFR 4.39(a) that hydropower 
applicants and licensees submit copies of project maps and drawings in 
microfilm format on aperture cards.\1\ This Final Rule removes the 
requirement that microfilm copies of maps and drawings must be 
submitted to the Commission on aperture cards and deletes other 
references in the regulations to microfilm and aperture cards. The 
regulations will continue to require copies of maps and drawings to be 
submitted in paper format or electronic format in accordance with 
filing procedures posted on the Commission's Web site at http://www.ferc.gov.
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    \1\ An aperture card is a punch card with a cutout window in 
which microfilm is mounted. Currently, the Commission requires 
license and exemption applicants to submit microfilm copies of maps 
and drawings on aperture cards with their applications, after their 
applications have been accepted for filing (see 18 CFR 4.32(d) 
(2013)), or after they receive their license or exemption.
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    2. This change modernizes the Commission's regulations and relieves 
applicants, licensees, and exemptees from burdens associated with 
producing microfilm on aperture cards. Aperture cards continue to grow 
more expensive and difficult to obtain as the industry and entities 
move to more modern formats. The Commission originally chose to utilize 
aperture cards because of their durability and uniformity. However, 
technological advances have made electronic versions of documents more 
timeless, secure, and convenient. Consequently, the Commission has 
decided to discontinue its use of aperture cards and instead rely on 
print and digital formats.
    3. This final rule also amends 18 CFR 4.39(a) to change the minimum 
and maximum dimensions applicable to submitted maps and drawings. The 
rule changes the minimum dimensions from 24 by 36 inches to 22 by 34 
inches. It changes the maximum dimensions from 28 by 40 inches to 24 by 
36 inches. The Commission makes this change in order to reflect the 
dimensions commonly used by architects and engineers. The new limits 
also will allow maps and drawings to be more easily reduced to half 
size without loss of quality (e.g. a 22 by 34 inch drawing can be 
reduced to a convenient 11 by 17 inch half size).

II. Information Collection Statement

    4. The changes are subject to review by the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) under section 3507(d) of the Paperwork Reduction Act 
of 1995 (PRA).\2\ Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations 
require OMB to approve certain information collection requirements 
imposed by agency rule.\3\ This Final Rule makes only minor 
modifications to the medium, formatting and dimensional requirements 
applicable to existing information collections \4\ and does not require 
any new information to be collected.
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    \2\ 44 U.S.C. 3507 (2012).
    \3\ See 5 CFR 1320 (2013).
    \4\ FERC-500, Application for License/Relicense for Water 
Projects with Greater than 5MW Capacity (OMB Control No. 1902-0058); 
FERC-505, Application for License/Relicense for Water Projects with 
5 MW or Less Capacity (OMB Control No. 1902-0115) including conduit 
exemption applications; and FERC-512, Application for Preliminary 
Permit (OMB Control No. 1902-0073).
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    5. The revisions reflect and adapt to the medium and technology 
already in use by filers and industry. Therefore, this Final Rule is 
being submitted to OMB for review as a non-substantive change to the 
FERC-500, FERC-505, and FERC-512. Please send any comments on the 
changes to the Commission in this docket, and to the Office of 
Management and Budget by email to: [email protected]. 
Comments submitted to OMB should include Docket Number RM14-20-000 and 
OMB Control Numbers 1902-0058, 1902-0115, and 1902-0073.

III. Environmental Analysis

    6. The Commission is required to prepare an Environmental 
Assessment or an Environmental Impact Statement for any action that may 
have a significant adverse effect on the human environment.\5\ Rules 
that are clarifying, corrective, or procedural or that do not 
substantially change the effect of the regulations being amended are 
excluded from this requirement.\6\ Because this Final Rule makes only 
minor changes to the regulations, it will not substantially

[[Page 42974]]

change that effect. Consequently, this Final Rule is not an action that 
has a significant adverse effect on the human environment under the 
Commission's regulations implementing the National Environmental Policy 
Act of 1969.
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    \5\ See Regulations Implementing the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969, Order No. 486, 52 FR 47,897 (Dec. 17, 1987), 
FERC Stats. & Regs., Regulations Preambles 1986-1990 ] 30,783 
(1987).
    \6\ See 18 CFR 380.4(a)(2) (2013).
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IV. Regulatory Flexibility Act Certification

    7. The Regulatory Flexibility Act of 1980 \7\ generally requires a 
description and analysis of rules that will have significant economic 
impact on a substantial number of small entities. This Final Rule makes 
only minor modifications to existing information collection processes. 
Annually, the Commission receives aperture card filings and drawings 
from approximately 160 licensees/exemptees (out of 1,660 hydroelectric 
licensees/exemptees). This Final Rule reduces the economic burden of 
submitting microfilm copies of maps and drawings in aperture card 
format to the Commission. Therefore, the Commission certifies that this 
Final Rule will not have significant economic impact on a substantial 
number of small entities.
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    \7\ 5 U.S.C. 601-12 (2012).
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V. Document Availability

    8. In addition to publishing the full text of this document in the 
Federal Register, the Commission provides all interested persons an 
opportunity to view and/or print the contents of this document via the 
Internet through the Commission's Web site (http://www.ferc.gov) and in 
the Commission's Public Reference Room during normal business hours 
(8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time) at 888 First Street NE., 
Room 2A, Washington, DC 20426.
    9. From the Commission's homepage on the Internet, this information 
is available in the Commission's document management system, eLibrary. 
The full text of this document is available on eLibrary in PDF and 
Microsoft Word format for viewing, printing, and/or downloading. To 
access this document in eLibrary, type the docket number excluding the 
last three digits of this document in the docket number field.
    10. User assistance is available for eLibrary and the Commission's 
Web site during normal business hours from FERC Online Support at 1-
866-208-3676 (toll free) or (202) 502-6652 (email at 
[email protected]), or the Public Reference Room at (202) 502-
8371, TTY (202) 502-8659 (email at [email protected]).

VI. Effective Date and Congressional Notification

    11. This Final Rule is effective September 8, 2014. The Commission 
has determined, with the concurrence of the Administrator of the Office 
of Information and Regulatory Affairs of OMB, that this rule is not a 
``major rule'' as defined in section 351 of the Small Business 
Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996.\8\ The Commission will 
submit the Final Rule to both houses of Congress and to the General 
Accountability Office.
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    \8\ See 5 U.S.C. 804(2) (2012).
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List of Subjects in 18 CFR Part 4

    Administrative practice and procedure, Dams, Electric power, 
Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.

    By the Commission.

    Issued: July 17, 2014.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.

    In consideration of the foregoing, the Commission is amending Part 
4, Chapter I, Title 18, Code of Federal Regulations, as follows.

PART 4--LICENSES, PERMITS, EXEMPTIONS, AND DETERMINATION OF PROJECT 
COSTS

0
1. The authority citation for Part 4 continues to read as follows:


    Authority:  16 U.S.C. 791a-825v, 2601-2645; 42 U.S.C. 7101-7352.


Sec.  4.32  [Amended]

0
2. In Sec.  4.32:
0
a. Remove the next to last sentence of paragraph (b)(1).
0
b. Remove the last sentence of paragraph (b)(2).


Sec.  4.39  [Amended]

0
3. In Sec.  4.39(a):
0
a. Remove the first sentence.
0
b. Remove ``24 by 36'' and add in its place ``22 by 34''.
0
c. Remove ``28 by 40'' and add in its place ``24 by 36''.

[FR Doc. 2014-17268 Filed 7-23-14; 8:45 am]
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