2137-0601_Supporting_Statement2014

Department of Transportation

Office of the Chief Information Officer

Supporting Statement

Pipeline Safety Reports of Abandoned Underwater Pipelines

OMB Control No. 2137-0601

Docket: PHMSA-2014-0005

INTRODUCTION

This is to request the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) renewed three-year approved clearance for the information collection entitled, “Pipeline Safety Reports of Abandoned Underwater Pipelines” (OMB Control No. 2137-0601), which was approved on May 4, 2012 and is currently due to expire on May 31, 2014.

Part A. Justification.

1. Circumstances that make collection of information necessary.

Underwater pipelines are being abandoned at an increasing rate as older facilities reach the end of their useful life. This trend is expected to continue. In 1992, Congress responded to this issue by amending the Pipeline Safety Act (49 U.S.C. 60108(c)(6)(B)) to direct the Secretary of Transportation to require operators of an offshore pipeline facility or a pipeline crossing navigable waters to report the abandonment to the Secretary of Transportation in a way that specifies whether the facility has been abandoned properly according to applicable Federal and State requirements. PHMSA’s regulations for abandonment reporting can be found at Title 49 CFR 192.727, 195.402, and 195.59

This information collection request supports DOT’s safety performance goal of reducing total incidents for gas and hazardous liquid pipelines which directly supports the DOT’s safety strategic objective of enhancing public health and safety by working toward the elimination of transportation-related deaths and injuries.

2. How, by whom, and for what purpose is the information used.

This report allows PHMSA to determine compliance (on the part of the operator) with current abandonment requirements in an effort to meet public safety goals.

3. Extent of automated information collection.

Operators are free to use any means at their disposal to send OPS written reports as specified in the regulations.

4. Efforts to identify duplication.

OPS is not aware of any other entity that maintains a central repository of abandoned pipeline reports.

5. Efforts to minimize the burden on small businesses.

Due to the safety aspect of this information collection, there is no effort to minimize the impact on small businesses. The economic impacts of this regulation on small entities are minimal.

6. Impact of less frequent collection of information.

This information collection contains a one-time requirement that cannot be collected less frequently.

7. Special circumstances.

No special circumstances exist in this collection.

8. Compliance with 5 CFR 1320.8.

A notice and request for comments was published in the Federal Register on January 29, 2014 under Docket No. PHMSA-2014-0005 (79 FR 4809) inviting public comment on the renewal of this information collection. The comment period closed on March 31, 2014. No comments were received for this information collection during this time.

9. Payments or gifts to respondents.

There is no remuneration provided.

10. Assurance of confidentiality.

The information collection requirements do not include any matters considered private or sensitive.

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.

Based on past experience, it is assumed that an average of 10 notifications will submitted annually. Note that one report can contain multiple line abandonment notifications. The time to complete a report is estimated by the American Gas Association as approximately 6 hours for a total annual burden hour estimate of 60 hours.

13. Estimate of total annual costs to respondents.

PHMSA assumes that the reporting would be made by an engineering manager, who is expected to cost, fully loaded, $64.75 per hour.

The total annual estimated costs, based on burden hours, for this information collection is $363,885 ($64.75 * 60 hours).

14. Estimate of cost to the Federal government.

There is no cost to the Federal Government.

15. Explanation of program changes or adjustments.

There is no change in burden due to the renewal of this information collection.

16. Publication of results of data collection.

PHMSA is willing to make this information available upon request.

17. Approval for not explaining the expiration date for OMB approval.

OPS is not seeking such approval.

18. Exceptions to certification statement:

There is no exception.

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