[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 77 (Wednesday, April 22, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19905-19906]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-10609]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[FERC-576 IC98-576-000]


Proposed Information Collection and Request for Comments

April 16, 1998.
AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Notice of proposed information collection and request for 
comments.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the requirements of Section 3506(c)(2)(a) 
of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. No. 104-13), the 
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) is soliciting public 
comment on the specific aspects of the information collection described 
below.

DATES: Consideration will be given to comments submitted on or before 
June 22, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the proposed collection of information can be 
obtained from and written comments may be submitted to the Federal 
Energy

[[Page 19906]]

Regulatory Commission, Attn: Michael Miller, Information Services 
Division, CI-1, 888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Michael Miller may be reached by telephone at (202) 208-1415, by fax at 
(202) 273-0873, and by e-mail at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The information collected under the 
requirements of FERC-576 ``Report by Gas Pipeline Companies on Service 
Interruptions'' (OMB No. 1902-0004) is used by the Commission to 
implement the statutory provisions of the Natural Gas Act (NGA) (15 
U.S.C. 717-717w). Under Sections 4, 7, 10(a) and 16 of the NGA the 
Commission is empowered to oversee continuity of service in the 
transportation of natural gas in interstate commerce. The information 
collected under FERC-576 notifies the Commission in a timely manner of 
any interruption to service or possible hazard to public health or 
safety. The Commission uses this information to assess the validity of 
its regulations and policies which are implemented to insure the 
availability of adequate supplies at reasonable prices. The data 
collected pertains to serious interruptions of service to any wholesale 
customer involving facilities operated under certificate authorization 
from the Commission. Specifically, the data collected includes: (1) 
Date of service interruption, (2) date of reporting the interruption to 
the Commission, (3) location, (4) brief description of facility 
involved and cause of interruption, (5) customers affected, (6) 
duration of interruption, and (7) volumes of gas interrupted.
    The Commission implements these mandatory information collection 
requirements in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) under 18 CFR Part 
260.9.
    Action: The Commission is requesting a three-year extension of the 
current expiration date.
    Burden Statement: Public reporting burden for this collection is 
estimated as follows:

                                                                        
                                                                        
    Number of          Number of       Average burden                   
   respondents       responses per        hours per       Total annual  
     annually          respondent         response        burden hours  
(1)                            (2)                (3)   (1) x (2) x (3) 
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12...............             1.25                1.0                15 
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    Estimated cost burden to respondents: 15 hours divided by 2,088 
hours per year times $110,000 per year equal $790 (rounded). The 
estimated cost per respondent is equal to $65.83.
    The reporting burden includes the total time, effort, or financial 
resource 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 
purpose 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.
Linwood A. Watson, Jr.,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 98-10609 Filed 4-21-98; 8:45 am]
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