Department of Transportation
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
Office of Pipeline Safety
SUPPORTING STATEMENT
Hazardous Liquid Pipeline Operator Annual Reports 2137-0614
RENEWAL
INTRODUCTION
The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) requests approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to renew a currently approved collection entitled, “Hazardous Liquid Pipeline Operator Annual Reports” (OMB Control No. 2137-0614). This request does not include any revisions to the information collection.
Part A. Justification
1. Circumstances that make collection of information necessary.
PHMSA shares responsibility for inspecting and overseeing the safety of hazardous liquid and carbon dioxide pipelines with many state pipeline safety offices. Pipeline operators are currently required to document safety incidents and report them to PHMSA. The expiring regulation mandates that operators include inventory and safety related data to PHMSA in annual reports. In past years, Congress and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) tasked PHMSA to improve the quality of pipeline accident data and data analyses. The hazardous liquid annual reports support this goal.
The requirements for reporting incidents are found in 49 CFR Part 195. Authority for 49 CFR Part 195 includes 49 U.S.C. 5103, 60102, 60104, 60108, 60109, 60118; and 49 CFR 1.53.
2. How, by whom, and for what purpose is the information used.
State agencies and the Federal government use this information to identify pipeline systems or operators that have repeated issues with safety. Additionally, PHMSA uses the information to compile a national pipeline inventory, identify and determine the cope of safety problems, and target inspections.
3. Extent of automated information collection.
PHMSA encourages operators to utilize on-line tools for data reporting. PHMSA expects the proportion of electronic vs. paper filings continues to increase.
4. Efforts to identify duplication.
Operators of hazardous liquid and carbon dioxide pipelines are only required to complete one annual report per pipeline system. Before the expiring regulation was implemented, individual safety incidents may have been reported on multiple occasions. The annual report compiles the entire year’s data in a single source.
5. Efforts to minimize the burden on small businesses.
PHMSA expects impacted operators to be large and small businesses and therefore the requirement may impact small businesses. For PHMSA to be able to effectively carry out its legislative mandate and monitor natural gas pipeline safety, it is essential that both large and small operators of pipelines provide annual reports.
6. Impact of less frequent collection of information.
PHMSA would not be able to appropriately and properly assess accidents and the integrity of the pipeline system without the annual reports. Less frequent information collection could compromise the safety and economic viability of the U.S. pipeline system.
7. Special circumstances.
The proposed information collection annual report is a renewal of an existing regulation and is the only required annual report for hazardous liquid. Duplication would occur if accidents or incidents occur during the year. The incidents or accidents would be reported initially in a notification report to PHMSA and again in the annual report. Operators, through their safety measures and vigilance, can avoid such circumstances. As such, PHMSA is not mandating information collection occur twice within a single quarter.
8. Compliance with 5 CFR 1320.8.
The 60-day notice was published on March 23, 2010 (75 FR 13807) and the comment period ended May 24, 2010. PHMSA received no comments. PHMSA published the 30-day notice on May 28, 2010 (75 FR 30099).
9. Payments or gifts to respondents.
There are no payments or gifts to respondents associated with this information collection.
10. Assurance of confidentiality.
Confidentiality will be considered on a case-by-case basis using the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) as guidance.
11. Justification for collection of sensitive information.
The information collection requirements do not involve questions of a sensitive nature.
12. Estimate of burden hours for information requested.
Individual operators need an estimated 12 hours to complete the annual report. Currently, PHMSA estimates that 447 Hazardous Liquid Annual Reports are filed on annual basis by approximately 300 unique operators. The estimated number of reports exceeds the number of unique operators because some operators oversee multiple pipeline systems. The estimated burden hours for this information collection are estimated at 5,364 hours (447*12).
It is expected that a senior engineer will complete the form. PHMSA estimates the engineer’s hourly wages at $64.75 per hour (fully loaded). This will result in a cost estimate $347,319.
13. Estimate of total annual costs to respondents.
It is expected that a senior engineer will complete the form. PHMSA estimates the engineer’s hourly wages at $64.75 per hour (fully loaded). This will result in a cost estimate $347,319 (64.75*5,364).
14. Estimate of cost to the Federal Government.
PHMSA will continue to review the annual reports from the pipeline operators, and does not expect any additional administrative costs associated with this regulation.
15. Explanation of program changes or adjustments.
This renewal does not incorporate any changes or adjustments to this information collection.
16. Publication of results of data collection.
Annual reports summaries for hazardous liquid pipelines are available at the PHMSA DMS website.
17. Approval for not displaying the expiration date for OMB approval.
PHMSA does not seek approval to not display expiration date.
18. Exceptions to certification statement.
There are no exceptions to the certification statement.
ATTACHMENTS:
There is one attachment for the Annual Hazardous Liquid Report (See Rocis).
Part B. Collections of Information Employing Statistical Methods.
This information collection does not employ statistical methods.
1. Describe potential respondent universe and any sampling selection method to be used.
There is no potential respondent universe or any sampling selection method being used.
2. Describe procedures for collecting information, including statistical methodology for stratification and sample selection, estimation procedures, degree of accuracy needed, and less than annual periodic data cycles.
There are no procedures for collecting information, including statistical methodology for stratification and sample selection, estimation procedures, degree of accuracy needed, and less than annual periodic data cycles.
3. Describe methods to maximize response rate.
There are no methods to maximize the response rate.
4. Describe tests of procedures or methods.
There are no tests of procedures or methods.
5. Provide name and telephone number of individuals who were consulted on statistical aspects of the information collection and who will actually collect and/or analyze the information.
There were no individuals consulted on statistical aspects of this information collection.
| File Type | application/msword |
| File Title | Paperwork Reduction Act |
| Author | Adam Klauber |
| Last Modified By | Cameron Satterthwaite |
| File Modified | 2010-06-02 |
| File Created | 2010-06-01 |