[Federal Register: January 14, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 9)]
[Notices]
[Page 2232-2233]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr14ja08-46]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. IC08-73-000; FERC Form 73]
Commission Information Collection Activities, Proposed
Collection; Comment Request; Extension
January 4, 2008.
AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Notice.
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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: Comments on the collection of information are due by March 10,
2008.
ADDRESSES: Copies of sample filings can be obtained from the
Commission's Web site: (http://elibrary.ferc.gov/idmws/search/fercgensearch.asp
) by entering, in the Docket Number block, the prefix
``DO'' together with the fiscal year of the filing, followed by an
asterisk (for example: DO07*), or from the Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission, Attn: Michael Miller, Office of the Executive Director, ED-
34, 888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426. Comments may be filed
either in paper format or electronically. Those parties filing
electronically do not need to make a paper filing. For paper filings,
the original and 14 copies of such comments should be submitted to the
Office of the Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888
First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426 and refer to Docket No. IC08-
73-000.
Documents filed electronically via the Internet must be prepared in
WordPerfect, MS Word, Portable Document Format or ASCII format. To file
the document, access the Commission's Web site at http://www.ferc.gov
and choose the Documents and Filings tab, click on E-filing, then
follow the instructions given. First time users will need to establish
a user name and password. The Commission will send an automatic
acknowledgement to the sender's e-mail address upon receipt of
comments.
All comments may be viewed, printed or downloaded remotely via the
Internet through FERC's homepage using the eLibrary link. For user
assistance, contact ferconlinesupport@ferc.gov or 202-502-6652 (toll
free at 1-866-208-3676). E-mail the Public Reference Room at
public.referenceroom@ferc.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael Miller may be reached by
telephone at (202) 502-8415, by fax at (202) 273-0873, and by e-mail at
michael.miller@ferc.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The information collected under the
requirements of FERC Form 73 ``Oil Pipelines Service Life Data'' (OMB
No. 1902-0019) is used by the Commission to establish oil pipeline
property depreciation rates based on the physical properties of a
pipeline's equipment. Congress gave the Commission jurisdiction over
oil pipeline rates, charges and valuations in Pub. L. 103-272, sec.
60502 (1994).\1\ The Commission's regulations governing FERC Form No.
73 can be found in 18 CFR Sec. 357.3. The filing instructions are
available online at http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/hard-fil.asp, under
the Oil tab.
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\1\ To Revise, Codify and Enact Without Substantive Change
Certain General and Permanent Laws, Related to Transportation, as
Subtitles II, III, and V-X of Title 49, U.S.C., ``Transportation'',
and to Make Other Technical Improvements in the Code, 49 U.S.C.
60502 (July 5, 1994). This Act repealed the Department of Energy Act
sections 306 and 402 under which the Interstate Commerce Commission
transferred to, and vested, in the Commission all functions and
authority over rates or charges for the transportation of oil by
pipeline including the establishment of valuations of any such
pipeline, Pub. L. 95-91 (August 4, 1977).
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Depreciation rates are a factor in a pipeline's transportation cost
of service. As such, companies are required to submit Form No. 73 when
requesting Commission approval of: (1) The establishment of
depreciation rates for new pipeline equipment or (2) revision of
previously approved depreciation rates, when the depreciation is based
on the physical properties of the pipeline company's equipment. The
Commission may also request an oil pipeline to submit a Form No. 73
during a rate investigation.
On May 27, 2005, in Order No. 656, the Commission amended the Form
No. 73 instructions to allow for filing on a diskette in a spreadsheet
file format, eliminated the filing requirement for utility codes, which
were no longer used by the Commission, and updated the filing
instructions to delete references to outdated filing formats.\2\
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\2\ Revision of FERC Form No. 73, Oil Pipeline Data Filing
Instructions, Order No. 656, 70 FR 34343 (June 14, 2005), FERC
Statutes and Regulations, Regulations Preambles 2001-2005 ]
31,183(2005).
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Action: The Commission is requesting approval and three-year
extension of the current expiration date. There are no changes to the
information that is collected on Form 73. This is a mandatory
information collection requirement.
[[Page 2233]]
Burden Statement: Public reporting burden for this collection is
estimated as follows:
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Number of Number of Average burden
respondents responses per hours per Total annual
annually respondent response burden hours
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(1) (2) (3) (1) x (2) x (3)
2 1 40 80
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The estimated total cost to respondents is $4,861 (80 hours divided
by 2,080 hours per employee \3\ per year times $126,384 \4\ per year
average salary per employee equals $4,861 (rounded)). The estimated
cost of filing Form 73 per respondent is $2,431.
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\3\ Number of hours an employee works per year.
\4\ Average annual salary per employee.
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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.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E8-402 Filed 1-11-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P