Pipeline Safety: Information Collection Activities

AGENCY:

Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), DOT.

ACTION:

Notice and request for comments.

SUMMARY:

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this notice announces that the information collection request abstracted below is being forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment.

PHMSA will request an extension with no change for the information collection identified by OMB control number 2137-0631, which is due to expire on March 31, 2020. A Federal Register notice soliciting comments on this information collection was published on July 30, 2019, (84 FR 37004). PHMSA did not receive any comments pertaining to the renewal of this information collection.

DATES:

Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before November 7, 2019.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Angela Hill by telephone at 202-366-1246, by email at angela.hill@dot.gov, or by mail at DOT, PHMSA, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, PHP-30, Washington, DC 20590-0001.

ADDRESSES:

Submit comments regarding the burden estimate, including suggestions for reducing the burden, to OMB, Attention: Desk Officer for the Office of the Secretary of Transportation, 725 17th Street NW, Washington, DC 20503.

Confidential Business Information

Confidential Business Information (CBI) is commercial or financial information that is both customarily and actually treated as private by its owner. Under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) (5 U.S.C. 552), CBI is exempt from public disclosure. If your comments responsive to this notice contain commercial or financial information that is customarily treated as private, that you actually treat as private, and that is relevant or responsive to this notice, it is important that you clearly designate the submitted comments as CBI. Pursuant to 49 CFR 190.343, you may ask PHMSA to give confidential treatment to information you give to the agency by taking the following steps: (1) Mark each page of the original document submission containing CBI as “Confidential”; (2) send PHMSA, along with the original document, a second copy of the original document with the CBI deleted; and (3) explain why the information you are submitting is CBI. Unless you are notified otherwise, PHMSA will treat such marked submissions as confidential under the Freedom of Information Act, and they will not be placed in the public docket of this notice. Submissions containing CBI should be sent to Angela Hill at DOT, PHMSA, PHP-30, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, PHP-30, Washington, DC 20590-0001.

Any commentary PHMSA receives that is not specifically designated as CBI will be placed in the public docket for this matter.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Section 1320.8(d), Title 5, Code of Federal Regulations, requires PHMSA to provide interested members of the public and affected agencies an opportunity to comment on information collection and recordkeeping requests. In accordance with this regulation, on February 11, 2019, (84 FR 3278) PHMSA published a Federal Register notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments on the information collection. In response, PHMSA received no comments.

The following information is provided for this information collection: (1) Title of the information collection; (2) OMB control number; (3) Current expiration date; (4) Type of request; (5) Abstract of the information collection activity; (6) Description of affected public; (7) Estimate of total annual reporting and recordkeeping burden; and (8) Frequency of collection. PHMSA will request a three-year term of approval for this information collection activity.

1. Title: Customer Notifications for Installation of Excess Flow Valves.

OMB Control Number: 2137-0631.

Current Expiration Date: 3/31/2020.

Type of Request: Renewal without change.

Abstract: This information collection will cover the reporting and recordkeeping requirements for gas pipeline operators associated with the requirement of operators to notify customers of their right to request the installation of excess flow valves.

Affected Public: Gas pipeline operators.

Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Burden:

Estimated number of responses: 4,381.

Estimated annual burden hours: 4,381.

Frequency of Collection: On occasion.

Comments to OMB are invited on:

(a) The need for the proposed information, including whether the information will have practical utility in helping the agency to achieve its pipeline safety goals;

(b) The accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection;

(c) Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and

(d) Ways to minimize the burden on those who are to respond, including the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques.

Authority: The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995; 44 U.S.C. Chapter 35, as amended; and 49 CFR 1.48.