2137_0522_OQ_Supporting_StatementA

Department of Transportation

Office of the Chief Information Officer

Supporting Statement

“Incident and Annual Reports for Gas Pipeline Operators”

OMB Control No. 2137-0522

Docket No. PHMSA-2013-0163

INTRODUCTION

The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) requests approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for a revision of an information collection entitled, “Incident and Annual Reports for Gas Pipeline Operators” The revision of this information collection is necessary due to the following PHMSA action that will trigger components of the Paperwork Reduction Act:

• Docket No. PHMSA-2013-0163 - Pipeline Safety: Operator Qualification, Cost Recovery, Accident and Incident Notification, and Other Pipeline Safety Proposed Changes.

  • This collection will add 300 Annual Responses and 10 Annual Burden Hours for the reporting of confirmed discovery incident data on the following forms: Gas Distribution Incident report (PHMSA F. 7100.1) the Gas Transmission Incident report (PHMSA F. 7100.2) and the LNG Incident report (PHMSA F.7100.3).

Part A. Justification

1. Circumstances that make collection of information necessary.

49 CFR 195.50 of the Pipeline Safety regulations require gas distribution, gas transmission, and liquefied natural gas pipeline operators to report accidents. Section 9 of the Pipeline Safety, Regulatory Certainty, and Job Creation Act of 2011 required PHMSA to establish time limits, not later than 1 hour following the confirmed discovery of an incident, for pipeline operators to make telephonic or electronic notifications of such events. The NPRM “Pipeline Safety: Operator Qualification, Cost Recovery, Accident and Incident Notification, and Other Pipeline Safety Proposed Changes” would amend 49 CFR 1.97(a) to add the definition of “confirmed discovery” and 49 CFR Part 191.5 to require the immediate notification of certain accidents and to require operators to indicate the date and time of confirmed discovery when reporting a natural gas incident. This information collection is designed to account for the burden it will take operators to comply with this reporting requirement. Specifically, this information is designed to account for revisions being made to the Gas Distribution Incident report form (PHMSA Form 7000-1), The Gas Transmission Incident report form (PHMSA F.7100.2) and the LNG Incident report form (PHMSA F.7100.3) which are currently under this collection (2137-0522).

The requirements for annual reporting and incidents are in 49 CFR Part 191. The PHMSA delegation of authority is found in 49 CFR 1.97 which allows for PHMSA to exercise the authority vested in the Secretary in under Chapter 601 of title 49, U.S.C.

The specific legislative authority cites for the requirements in 49 CFR Part 191 include49 U.S.C. 60102, 60103, 60104, 60108, 60117, 60118, 60124 and the recently revised 60139.

This information collection promotes the US DOT’s Safety Strategic Goals. The reports contained within this information collection support the Department of Transportation’s strategic goal of safety. Gas pipeline releases can cause human injuries, fatalities, economic losses, and environmental damage. Rapid reporting, detailed incident reports, and annual summary reports all help to inform PHMSA and the public of release incident risks and trends. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Office of the Inspector General, and the General Accounting Office all urged PHMSA to collect this information. The information is an essential part of PHMSA’s overall effort to minimize natural gas transmission, gathering, and distribution pipeline failures.

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

PHMSA uses this information to gather incident, and failure information from gas pipeline operators. The term “gas pipeline operators” includes Gas Transmission operators, Gas Distribution operators, and LNG pipeline facility operators.

The information from incident reports are used for identifying existing or potential pipeline safety problems, to develop statistical and data/safety reports, and to develop benefit-cost analyses pertaining to pipeline safety.

3. Extent of automated information collection.

PHMSA requires operators to submit all required reports electronically with an exception for those operators to whom electronic submissions would pose an undue burden and hardship. Pipeline operators are encouraged to file the incident and annual reports on-line at www.opsweb.phmsa.dot.gov.

4. Efforts to identify duplication.

PHMSA is the only federal agency that collects information related to distribution pipeline failures. No similar information is requested by the government or industry on distribution pipeline failures that occur between the point-of-sale to a distribution company and a customer’s meter.

The information collection on gas transmission and gathering pipelines is extremely limited in terms of scope and population of gas pipeline operators covered. The Department of Interior (DOI) collects information that is in some ways similar to that collected by PHMSA, but the information DOI collects does not cover all gas transportation or gathering pipelines.

5. Efforts to minimize the effects on small business.

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 incident and annual reports.

6. Impact of less frequent collection of information.

A. Incident Reporting: PHMSA would not be able to assess the rate and locations of incidents to the gas distribution/transmission and gathering pipelines without this information collection.

7. Special circumstances.

There are no special circumstances within this request.

8. Compliance with 5 CFR 1320.8.

PHMSA issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on July 10, 2015 (80 FR 39916). The comment period ends on September 8, 2015.

9. Payments or gifts to respondents.

There is no payment or gift provided to respondents associated with this collection of information.

10. Assurance of confidentiality.

PHMSA does not have the authority to guarantee confidentiality.

11. Justification for collection of sensitive information.

This information collection does not involve questions of a sensitive nature.

12. Estimate of burden hours for information requested.

Estimate of annual burden hours:

12,164 Total Annual Responses

92,331 hours Total Annual Burden Hours (92,231 currently approved + 10 burden hours to account for the reporting of confirmed discovery data)

PHMSA estimates that 300 natural gas operators file incident reports (responses) each year using various incident report forms. As a result of the proposed rule, PHMSA will revise these reporting forms, along with their associated instructions, to allow operators to enter the date and time they confirm the discovery of an incident. PHMSA estimates that it will take operators one (1) additional minute to read the revision to the instructions for these forms and another minute to enter the date and time of a confirmed discovery. The two additional minutes equate to .0333hours. This results in an overall burden estimate of 10 hours (300 responses *.0333hours)

13. Estimate of total annual costs to respondents.

There are no additional monetary costs to the respondents to comply with this data request.

14. Estimate of cost to the Federal Government.

There is no additional cost to the Federal Government associated with this information collection.

15. Explanation of program changes or adjustments.

The Pipeline Safety: Operator Qualification, Cost Recovery, Accident and Incident Notification, and Other Pipeline Safety Proposed Changes NPRM proposes to amend 49 CFR Part 191.5 to require the immediate notification of certain accidents and to require operators to indicate the date and time of confirmed discovery when reporting a natural gas incident. This information collection is designed to account for the burden it will take operators to comply with this reporting requirement.

16. Publication of results of data collection.

Information collected regarding confirmed discovery will not be published for statistical purposes. PHMSA will summarize the incident and annual reports post the results on PHMSA’s website.

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

PHMSA is not seeking such approval.

18. Exceptions to certification statement.

There are no exceptions to the certification statement.

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