[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 184 (Friday, September 21, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47915-47917]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-20622]
[[Page 47915]]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. IC18-15-000]
Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC Form No. 587);
Comment Request; Extension
AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Department of Energy.
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, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission or
FERC) is soliciting public comment on the currently approved
information collection, FERC Form No. 587 (Land Description (Public
Land States/Non-Public Land States [Rectangular or Non-Rectangular
Survey System Lands in Public Land States])) and submitting the
information collection to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for
review. Any interested person may file comments directly with OMB and
should address a copy of those comments to the Commission as explained
below. On July 3, 2018, the Commission published a Notice in the
Federal Register in Docket No. IC18-15-000 requesting public comments.
The Commission did not receive any comments.
DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due October 22,
2018.
ADDRESSES: Comments filed with OMB, identified by OMB Control No. 1902-
0145, should be sent via email to the Office of Information and
Regulatory Affairs: [email protected]. Attention: Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission Desk Officer.
A copy of the comments should also be sent to the Commission, in
Docket No. IC18-15-000, by either of the following methods:
eFiling at Commission's website: 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 Form No. 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 Form No. 587
information collection reporting requirements.
Abstract: The Commission requires the FERC Form No. 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 steams 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. 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
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 Form No. 587 consolidates the information required and identifies
hydropower project boundary maps associated with the applicable U.S.
land.
The information on FERC Form No. 587 is used to identify those
project boundary maps associated with federal lands. There are two
versions of the form to account for the two different ways land is
surveyed in the United States. Completed forms must be included in
applications for preliminary permits with a copy sent 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.
The Commission is also making the following changes to the FERC
Form No. 587 instructions.\3\ FERC is not changing the reporting
requirements of the information collection:
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\3\ Any references to ``microfilm'' and ``aperture cards''
within 18 CFR part 4.39 were removed by the Final Rule in RM14-20-
000 (issued 7/17/2014, published in the Federal Register at 79 FR
42973 on 7/24/2014).
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Paragraph 3
--Revise Paragraph 3 as follows:
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From To
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Microfilm copies of the project Electronic file format copies
boundary maps must be submitted with of the project boundary
the land description forms as directed map(s), also referred to as
by FERC. Each map must be reproduced Exhibit G drawing(s), must be
on silver or gelatin 35 mm microfilm submitted with the land
mounted on type D (3\1/4\ x description form(s) as
7\3/8\) aperture cards. The directed by FERC.
project number followed by a hyphen
and sheet number or letter must be
typed on the front of each card in the
upper right corner.
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Paragraph 4
--Revise Paragraph 4 as follows:
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From To
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Mail a copy of the completed land Mail a copy of the completed
description forms and aperture cards land description form(s) and
to: the electronic file format
drawing(s) to:
Secretary, Routing Code PJ-12, Secretary, Federal Energy
Federal Energy Regulatory Regulatory Commission, ATTN:
Commission, 888 First Street NE, OEP/DHAC, 888 First Street NE,
Washington, DC 20426. Washington, DC 20426.
Another copy of the form FERC-587 Another copy of the form FERC-
must be filed with the Bureau of 587 and electronic file format
Land Management state office(s) drawings must be filed with
involved using the format below. the Bureau of Land Management
Go to the following internet state office(s) involved using
address to get mailing address for the format below. Go to the
a particular State Office (http:// following internet address to
www.blm.gov/nhp/directory/ get mailing address for a
index.htm). particular State Office
(https://www.blm.gov/programs/lands-and-realty/land-tenure).
State Director, Bureau of Land State Director, Bureau of Land
Management City, State Zip, ATTN: Management, City, State Zip,
FERC Withdrawal Recordation. ATTN: FERC Withdrawal
Recordation.
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Paragraph 5
--Revise Paragraph 5 as follows:
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From To
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Keep the land description forms and Keep the land description forms
project boundary drawings up-to-date. and project boundary drawings
If the project boundary changes, up-to-date. If the project
revised land description forms and boundary changes, revised land
drawings must be provided to the description forms and drawings
Commission immediately. The revised must be provided to the
land description forms must be fully Commission immediately. The
completed so as to supersede (not revised land description forms
supplement) earlier forms. Mail must be fully completed so as
updates in accordance with instruction to supersede (not supplement)
4. earlier forms. Mail updates in
accordance with instruction 4.
If there are any questions, please If there are any questions,
contact the FERC at (202) 502-8872. please contact the FERC at 844-
434-0053 or
[email protected].
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Access to the Revised Materials: There is one attachment
(Attachment A) that contains a version of FERC Form No. 587 that
incorporates all of the aforementioned changes within this Notice.
Attachment A will be attached to this Notice within Docket No. IC18-15-
000, but will not be published in the Federal Register. Interested
parties can see this attachment electronically as part of this Notice
in FERC's eLibrary (http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/elibrary.asp) by
searching for Docket No. IC18-15-000.
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: \4\ The Commission estimates the annual
public reporting burden and cost \5\ for the information collection as
follows.
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\4\ ``Burden'' is 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, refer to Title 5 CFR 1320.3.
\5\ The estimates for cost per response are derived using the
following formula: Average Burden Hours per Response * $79 per Hour
= Average Cost per Response. The hourly cost figure of $79 is the
Fiscal Year 2018 average FERC hourly cost for wages plus benefits.
The staff assumes for FERC-587 that respondents earn at a similar
rate to the Commission.
FERC Form No. 587: Land Description
[Public land states/non-public land states [rectangular or non-rectangular survey system lands in public land states]
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Annual number Average
Number of of responses Total number of burden hours Total annual Annual cost
respondents per responses and cost ($) burden hours per
respondent per response and cost ($) respondent ($)
(1) (2) (1) * (2) = (3) (4) (3) * (4) = (5) (5) / (1)
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Hydropower Project Applicants....................... 137 1 137 1 hr.; $79 137 hrs.; $79
$10,823
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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: September 18, 2018.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
Attachment
The attachment (proposed revision to the instructions on FERC Form
No. 587) will not be published in the Federal Register. The attachment
is labeled as ``FERC Form No. 587--Attachment A.''
[[Page 47917]]
The attachment will be available in the Commission's eLibrary
[FR Doc. 2018-20622 Filed 9-20-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P