2011-21453. Commision Information Collection Activities [FERC-588]; Comment Request; Submitted for OMB Review

AGENCY:

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

In compliance with the requirements of section 3507 of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 3507, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission or FERC) has submitted the information collection described below 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 (76 FR 30928, 05/27/2011) requesting public comments. FERC received no comments on the FERC-588 and has made this notation in its submission to OMB.

DATES:

Comments in consideration of the collection of information are due September 22, 2011.

ADDRESSES:

Comments may be filed either electronically (eFiled) or in paper format, and should refer to Docket No. IC11-588-001. Documents must be prepared in an acceptable filing format and in compliance with Commission submission guidelines at: http://www.ferc.gov/​help/​submission-guide.asp. eFiling instructions are available at: http://www.ferc.gov/​docs-filing/​efiling.asp. First time users must follow eRegister instructions at: http://www.ferc.gov/​docs-filing/​eregistration.asp, to establish a username and password before eFiling. The Commission will send an automatic acknowledgement to the sender's e-mail address upon receipt of eFiled comments. Commenters making an eFiling should not make a paper filing. Commenters that are not able to file electronically must send an original of their comments to: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Secretary of the Commission, 888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426.

Users interested in receiving automatic notification of activity in this docket may do so through eSubscription at http://www.ferc.gov/​docs-filing/​esubscription.asp. In addition, all comments and FERC issuances may be viewed, printed or downloaded remotely through FERC's eLibrary at http://www.ferc.gov/​docs-filing/​elibrary.asp, by searching on Docket No. IC11-588. For user assistance, contact FERC Online Support by e-mail at [e-mail], or by phone at: [phone] (toll-free), or [phone] for TTY.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Ellen Brown may be reached by e-mail at [e-mail], telephone at [phone], and fax at [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The information collected under the requirements of FERC-588, “Emergency Natural Gas Transportation, Sale and Exchange Transactions” (OMB No. 1902-0144), is used by the Commission to implement the statutory provisions of Sections 7(c) of the Natural Gas Act (NGA) (Pub. L. 75-688) (15 USC 717-717w) and provisions of the Natural Gas Policy Act of 1978 (NGPA), 15 USC 3301-3432. Under the NGA, a natural gas company must obtain Commission approval to engage in the transportation, sale or exchange of natural gas in interstate commerce. However, Section 7(c) exempts from certificate requirements “temporary acts or operations for which the issuance of a certificate will not be required in the public interest.” The NGPA also provides for non-certificated interstate transactions involving intrastate pipelines and local distribution companies.

A temporary operation, or emergency, is defined as any situation in which an actual or expected shortage of gas supply would require an interstate pipeline company, intrastate pipeline, or local distribution company, or Hinshaw pipeline to curtail deliveries of gas or provide less than the projected level of service to the customer. The natural gas companies which provide the temporary assistance to the companies which are having the “emergency” must file the necessary information described in Part 284, Subpart I of the Commission's Regulations with the Commission so that it may determine if their assisting transaction/operation qualifies for exemption. The assisting company may or may not be under the Commission's jurisdiction and if their assisting actions qualify for the exemption, they will not become subject to the Commission's jurisdiction for such actions.

A report within forty-eight hours of the commencement of the transportation, sale or exchange, a request to extend the sixty-day term of the emergency transportation, if needed, and a termination report are required. The data required to be filed for the forty-eight hour report is specified by 18 CFR 284.270.

Action: The Commission is requesting a three-year approval of the collection of data. This is a mandatory information collection requirement.

Burden Statement: Public reporting burden for this collection is estimated as follows:

Number of respondents annually (1)	Number of responses per respondent (2)	Average burden hours per response (3)	Total annual burden hours (1) × (2) × (3)
8	1	8	64

The estimated total cost to respondents is $4,381 (64 hours divided by 2,080 hours per employee per year times $142,372 per year average salary per employee = $4,381 (rounded)). The estimated annual cost per respondent is $548 (rounded).

The above hour and cost estimates are different than what was in the public notice published May 27, 2011. In that notice, the Commission erroneously used an average burden hours per response of 10 hours instead of 8 hours that is used here. By using the correct burden hour figure, the Commission notes that total annual burden and cost are less by 16 hours less and $1,095 as compared to the numbers in the May, 2011 notice. The corrected estimates are consistent with the burden estimates in the last submission to OMB.

The reporting burden includes the total time, effort, or financial resources expended to generate, maintain, retain, disclose, or provide the information including: (1) Reviewing instructions; (2) developing, acquiring, installing, and utilizing technology and systems for the purposes of collecting, validating, verifying, processing, maintaining, disclosing and providing information; (3) adjusting the existing ways to comply with any previously applicable instructions and requirements; (4) training personnel to respond to a collection of information; (5) searching data sources; (6) completing and reviewing the collection of information; and (7) transmitting, or otherwise disclosing the information.

The estimate of cost for respondents is based upon salaries for professional and clerical support, as well as direct and indirect overhead costs. Direct costs include all costs directly attributable to providing this information, such as administrative costs and the cost for information technology. Indirect or overhead costs are costs incurred by an organization in support of its mission. These costs apply to activities which benefit the whole organization rather than any one particular function or activity.

Comments are invited on: (1) Whether the proposed 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 of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the information to be collected; and (4) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology e.g. permitting electronic submission of responses.

Dated: August 16, 2011.

Kimberly D. Bose,

Secretary.