2137-0620 ICMeterProversRenewal 2017

Department of Transportation

Office of the Chief Information Officer

Supporting Statement

Inspection and Testing of Meter Provers

OMB Control No. 2137-0620

(Expiration Date: September 30, 2017)

Introduction

This is to request the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) renewed 3-year approved clearance for the information collection titled, “Inspection and Testing of Meter Provers,” OMB Control No. 2137-0620 that is currently due to expire September 30, 2017. This information collection was originally initiated as result of a January 24, 2005 rulemaking [70 FR 3302] titled, “Hazardous Materials; Incorporation of Exemptions Into Regulations” under Docket No. RSPA–03–16370 (HM-233), which amended the Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR Parts 171-180) by incorporating the provisions of certain widely-used exemptions that have established a history of safety and that may be converted into regulations for general use. One of the provisions contained in this rulemaking was for the transportation of mechanical displacement meter provers.

Part A. Justification

1. Circumstances that make collection of information necessary.

This is a request for an extension without change of a current information collection and recordkeeping burden under OMB No. 2137-0620, “Inspection and Testing of Meter Provers.” This information collection is the result of efforts to incorporate the use, inspection, and maintenance of mechanical displacement meter provers (meter provers) used to check the accurate flow of liquid hazardous materials into bulk packagings, such as portable tanks and cargo tank motor vehicles, under the HMR. This information collection supports the Departmental Strategic Goal for Safety. The HMR are promulgated in accordance with the Federal hazardous materials transportation law (U.S.C. 5110).

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

Meter provers are used to ensure that the proper amount of liquid hazardous materials is being loaded and/or unloaded into bulk packagings, such as cargo tanks and portable tanks. These meter provers consist of a gauge and several pipes that always contain small amounts of the liquid hazardous material in the pipes as residual material. Therefore, they must be inspected and maintained in accordance with the HMR to ensure they are in proper calibration and good working order. These meter provers are not subject to the specification testing and inspection requirements in Part 178. However, they must be visually inspected annually and pressure tested every 5 years in order to ensure they are properly working as specified in § 173.5a of the HMR.

The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) has authorized the transportation of meter provers under special permits for several years with a safe and satisfactory transportation experience. Meter provers are excepted from the specification packaging requirements when they: (1) have a capacity not over 1,000 gallons; (2) are permanently mounted on a truck chassis or a trailer; and (3) contain only the residue of a Class 3 or Division 2.1 material. The meter prover must be designed and constructed in accordance with American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Standard B31.4 and is subject to periodic visual inspection and hydrostatic retesting. This information collection is necessary in order to ascertain whether meter provers are manufactured, inspected, and maintained in accordance with the HMR. The information is used to verify that meter provers meet required performance standards prior to being authorized for use with bulk packagings used in the transportation of liquid hazardous materials. In addition, the HMR require that meter provers be visually inspected annually and hydrostatically (pressure) tested every 5 years.

A. Annual visual inspection.

Each meter prover must undergo and pass an external visual inspection annually to ensure that the meter provers used in the flow of liquid hazardous materials into bulk packagings are accurate and in conformance with the performance standards in the HMR.

B. Hydrostatic pressure test.

Each meter prover must undergo and pass a hydrostatic pressure test at least every 5 years to ensure that the meter provers used in the flow of liquid hazardous materials into bulk packagings are accurate and in conformance with the performance standards in the HMR.

As required in the HMR, meter provers must be visually inspected once a year; and pressure-tested once every 5 years at not less than 75% of design pressure. Each meter prover successfully completing the test and inspection must be marked in accordance with § 173.5a(b)(7). The marking must be on the side of a tank or the largest piping component in letters 1.25 inches high on a contrasting background. All required markings must be maintained in a legible manner. The owner must retain a record of the most recent visual inspection and pressure test until the meter prover is requalified.

The test or inspection report must include the following:

(a) Serial number or other meter prover identifier;

(b) Type of test or inspection performed;

(c) Test date (month/year);

(d) Location of defects found and method used to repair each defect;

(e) Name and address of person performing the test or inspection; and

(f) Disposition statement, such as “Meter Prover returned to service” or “Meter Prover

removed from service.”

These records must be available for inspection by a representative of the Department of Transportation (DOT) upon request. These records are used by owners and DOT enforcement personnel to determine whether the meter provers have been properly repaired or maintained.

3. Extent of automated information collection.

The information required is particular and unique. Industry is encouraged to use any type of technology to meet the information collection and recordkeeping requirements, provided the required information can be retrieved when necessary. The Government Paperwork Elimination Act directs agencies to allow the option of electronic filing and recordkeeping by October 2003, when practicable. Electronic filing and recordkeeping is authorized. However, we do not require any information to be submitted to PHMSA, so this is not applicable.

4. Efforts to identify duplication.

There is no duplication as the information requested is not required by any other source. Each response is unique and information derived from one may not be inferred to another.

5. Efforts to minimize the burden on small businesses.

Because this information is unique, similar information is unavailable. However, the collection of this information is reviewed periodically to ensure that the requirements involving safety in the transportation of hazardous materials are kept to the necessary standards to protect all involved.

6. Impact of less frequent collection of information.

Due to the hazards involved, if collection of information and recordkeeping was required less frequently, the hazards to public safety would increase due to the probability of incidents during transportation.

7. Special circumstances.

This collection of information is generally conducted in a manner consistent with the guidelines in 5 CFR 1320.5(d)(2).

8. Compliance with 5 CFR 1320.8.

PHMSA published a 60-Day Notice and Request for Comments [81 FR 15785] in the Federal Register March 24, 2016, under Docket No. PHMSA–2016-0027 (Notice No. 2016-2). No comments pertaining to this information collection were received.

PHMSA published a 30-Day Notice and Request for Comments [81 FR 39326] in the Federal Register June 16, 2016, under Docket No. PHMSA-2016-0027 (Notice No. 2016-9). No comments pertaining to this information collection were received.

9. Payments or gift to respondents.

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

10. Assurance of confidentiality.

None of the data collected contain personally identifiable information (PII) or business confidential information. Therefore, no guarantees of confidentiality are provided to applicants.

11. Justification for collection of sensitive information.

Not applicable. Information is not of a sensitive nature.

12. Estimate of burden hours for information requested.

This information collection is the result of efforts to incorporate the use, inspection, and maintenance of meter provers used to check the accurate flow of liquid hazardous materials into bulk packagings, such as portable tanks and cargo tank motor vehicles, under the HMR. This information collection and recordkeeping burden request is the result of the requirement in the HMR for meter provers to be visually inspected annually and hydrostatically pressure-tested every 5 years.

PHMSA estimates that there are approximately 250 meter provers currently in use, with approximately 50 owners/users having approximately 5 meter provers each.

Annual Burden Hour Estimate: 175 hours (125 + 50).

The total annual burden hours for information collection and recordkeeping is estimated to be 175 total burden hours.

Annual Burden Cost Estimate: $ 9,500.00 ($6,250.00 + $ 3,250.00).

The total annual cost burden for information collection and recordkeeping annual for the visual inspection and hydrostatic pressure test (every 5 years) is estimated to be approximately $ 9,500.00.

PHMSA estimates the total information collection and recordkeeping burden for the inspection and maintenance of meter provers as follows:

(A) Annual Visual Inspection:

Approximately 250 meter provers are currently in use and will require an annual visual inspection. The annual visual inspection will take approximately 30 minutes per meter prover, which includes completion of the inspection reports and marking. The annual information collection and recordkeeping burden for completing the visual inspection is approximately 125 burden hours.

250 meter provers x 30 min/inspection = 7,500 minutes / 60 min/hr = 125 hours.

The total annual burden cost for the visual inspection is estimated at $6,250.

250 x $50.00 average hourly wage per inspection x ½ hour = $6,250.

(B) Hydrostatic pressure test (every 5 years):

Approximately 250 meter provers are currently in use and will require a hydrostatic pressure test every 5 years. The pressure test will take approximately 1 hour per meter prover, which includes completion of the inspection reports and marking. The annual information collection and recordkeeping burden for completing the hydrostatic pressure test is approximately 50 burden hours.

250 meter provers x 1 hour = 250 hours / 5 years = 50 hours.

The total annual burden cost for the hydrostatic pressure test is estimated at $3,250.

250 x $65 average hourly wage = $16,250 / 5 years = $3,250.

Total burden cost for the annual visual inspection and hydrostatic pressure test (every 5 years) is $ 9,500.00.

Estimate of Total Annual Burden:

Current total annual number of respondents: 50

Current total annual responses: 250

Current total annual burden hours: 175

Current total annual burden costs: $9,500

13. Estimate of total annual costs to respondents.

The total annual cost to respondents is $9,500.

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 resulting from the renewal of this information collection.

16. Publication of results of data collection.

There is no publication for statistical use and no statistical techniques are involved.

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

This information collection OMB Control number is prominently displayed in the HMR, specifically under § 171.6, and titled, “Control Numbers under the Paperwork Reduction Act.”

18. Exceptions to certification statement.

There is no exception to PHMSA’s certification of this request for information collection approval.

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