[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 43 (Monday, March 4, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15569-15570]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-04412]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. IC24-11-000]
Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC-576); Comment
Request; Extension
AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Notice of information collection and request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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-576 (Report of Service Interruptions or
Damage to Facilities) (OMB Control Number 1902-0004).
DATES: Comments on the collections of information are due May 3, 2024.
ADDRESSES: You may submit copies of your comments (identified by Docket
No. IC24-11-000 and the specific FERC collection number (FERC-576)) by
one of the following methods:
Electronic filing through https://www.ferc.gov, is preferred.
Electronic Filing: Documents must be filed in acceptable
native applications and print-to-PDF, but not in scanned or picture
format.
For those unable to file electronically, comments may be
filed by USPS mail or by other delivery services:
[cir] Mail via U.S. Postal Service Only: Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission, Secretary of the Commission, 888 First Street NE,
Washington, DC 20426.
[cir] All other delivery services: Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission, Secretary of the Commission, 12225 Wilkins Avenue,
Rockville, MD 20852.
Instructions: All submissions must be formatted and filed in
accordance with submission guidelines at: https://www.ferc.gov. For
user assistance, contact FERC Online Support by email at
[email protected], or by phone at (866) 208-3676 (toll-free).
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 https://www.ferc.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jean Sonneman may be reached by email
at [email protected], telephone at (202) 502-6362.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: FERC-576, Report of Service Interruptions or Damage to
Facilities.
OMB Control No.: 1902-0004.
Type of Request: Three-year extension of the FERC-576 information
collection requirements with no changes to the current reporting
requirements.
Abstract: Per 18 CFR 260.9, natural gas pipeline companies must
report (i) damage to any jurisdictional natural gas facilities other
than liquefied natural gas facilities caused by a hurricane, earthquake
or other natural disaster or terrorist activity that results in a loss
of or reduction in pipeline throughput or storage deliverability; and
(ii) serious interruptions of service to any shipper involving
jurisdictional natural gas facilities other than liquefied natural gas
facilities.
The notifications, made to the Director, Division of Pipeline
[[Page 15570]]
Certificates via email or fax as soon as feasibly possible, must 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
information provided by these notifications are kept by the Commission
and are not made part of the public record.
In addition, if the Department of Transportation requires an
incident report \1\ under the Natural Gas Pipeline Safety Act (49
U.S.C. 60101 through 60143), 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. Natural gas companies must
also send a copy of submitted incident reports to each state commission
for the state(s) in which the reported service interruption
occurred.\2\ If the Commission did not collect this information, it
would lose a data point that assists in the monitoring of transactions,
operations, and reliability of interstate pipelines.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ The Department of Transportation defines ``incident'' at 49
CFR 191.3. The regulatory thresholds for an ``incident report''
include (1) A death, or personal injury necessitating in-patient
hospitalization; (2) Estimated property damage of $122,000 or more;
(3) Unintentional estimated gas loss of three million cubic feet or
more; (4) Emergency shutdown of a facility; or (5) An event that is
significant in the judgment of the operator.
\2\ See 18 CFR 260.9(d) and 260.9(e).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type of Respondents: Natural gas companies experiencing service
interruptions or damage to facilities.
Estimate of Annual Burden: The Commission estimates the average
annual burden and cost \3\ for this information collection as follows.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ The Commission staff estimates that the average respondent
for FERC-576 is similarly situated to the Commission, in terms of
salary plus benefits. Based on FERC's current annual average of
$207,786 (for salary plus benefits), the average hourly cost is
$100/hour.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Annual number
Number of of responses Total number Average burden hours and Total annual burden hours and Cost per
respondents per respondent of responses cost ($) per response total annual cost respondent ($)
(1) (2) (1) * (2) = (4)....................... (3) * (4) = (5)............... (5) / (1)
(3)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Notification of Incident-- 50 1 50 1 hr.; $100.00............ 50 hrs.; $5,000.00............ $100.00
Service Interruption.
Notification of Incident-- 22 1 22 0.25 hrs.; $25.00......... 5.5 hrs.; $550.00............. 25.00
Damage.
Submittal of DOT Incident 10 1 10 0.25 hrs.; $25.00......... 2.5 hrs.; $250.00............. 25.00
Report.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total................... 82 .............. .............. .......................... 58 hrs.; $5,800............... ..............
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Comments: Comments are invited on: (1) whether the collections 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 \4\
and cost of the collections of information, including the validity of
the methodology and assumptions used; (3) ways to enhance the quality,
utility and clarity of the information collections; and (4) ways to
minimize the burden of the collections of information on those who are
to respond, including the use of automated collection techniques or
other forms of information technology.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\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
collections burden, reference 5 Code of Federal Regulations 1320.3.
Dated: February 26, 2024.
Debbie-Anne A. Reese,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2024-04412 Filed 3-1-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P