1625-0099_SS_r0_2018

1625-0099

Supporting Statement

for

Requirements for the Use for Liquefied Petroleum Gas and
Compressed Natural Gas as Cooking Fuel on Passenger Vessels

OMB No.: 1625-0099

COLLECTION INSTRUMENTS: Instruction

A. Justification.

1. Circumstances that make the collection of information necessary.

Title 46 U.S.C. 3306(a)(5) provides for the regulation of the use of vessel stores and other supplies of a dangerous nature. The Coast Guard allows the use of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and compressed natural gas (CNG) cooking appliances on passenger-carrying vessels provided certain requirements are met. These requirements¹ primarily consist of existing industry standards. One section of these standards requires the posting of two placards that contain operating instructions and safety precautions for the gas cooking appliance and the gas system.

This information collection supports the following strategic goals:

Department of Homeland Security

• Prevention

Coast Guard

• Marine Safety

Prevention Policy & Response Policy Directorates (CG-5P & CG-5R)

• Safety: Eliminate deaths, injuries, and property damage associated with commercial maritime operations.

2. Purpose of the information collection.

The information provided by the placards is to be used by any person operating cooking appliances to ensure it is operated in a safe manner.

3. Consideration of the use of improved information technology.

The owner/operator of a passenger vessel—with a cooking appliance that use liquefied petroleum gas or compressed natural gas—must post placards that contain safety and operating instructions for the gas cooking system.

4. Efforts to identify duplication.

There is no duplication involved with the requirement. There is no other information already available which can be used or modified for use.

5. Methods to minimize the burdens to small business if involved.

This information collection does not have an impact on small businesses or other small entities.

6. Consequences to the Federal program if collection were conducted less frequently.

This information collection burden entails installing two placards; any decrease in the frequency of information collection would be not to install the placards at all. This would degrade the operational safety of the gas cooking appliances on passenger-carrying vessels and therefore not be consistent with Coast Guard policy regarding the safety of vessels.

7. Special collection circumstances.

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

8. Consultation.

A 60-Day Notice (See [USCG-2018-1043], November 19, 2018, 83 FR 58269) and 30-day Notice (March 1, 2019, 84 FR 7091) were published in the Federal Register to obtain public comment on his collection. The Coast Guard has not received any comments on this information collection.

9. Provide any payment or gift to respondents.

There is no offer of monetary or material value for this information collection.

10. Describe any assurance of confidentiality provided to respondents.

There are no assurances of confidentiality provided to the respondents for this information collection. This information collection request is covered by the Marine Information for Safety and Law Enforcement (MISLE) Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) and System of Records Notice (SORN). Links to the MISLE PIA and SORN are provided below:

• https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/privacy_pia_uscg_misle.pdf

• https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2009-06-25/html/E9-14906.htm

11. Additional justification for any questions of a sensitive nature.

There are no questions of sensitive language.

12. Estimate of annual hour and cost burdens to respondents.

• The estimated number of annual respondents is 6,758.

• The estimated number of annual responses is 13,516.

• The estimated hour burden is 6,758 hours.

• The estimated labor cost burden is $283,836.

The burden to respondents is provided in Appendix A. We estimate that 25% of passenger-carrying vessels install gas cooking appliances. Additionally, we estimate it will take vessel personnel about 0.5 hours to install each required safety placard. There are 2 required placards per vessel (i.e., 2 responses per respondent), at a 100% replacement rate per year. The position of vessel personal is analogous to a GS-05. The wage rate used is in accordance with the current edition of COMDTINST 7310.1(series) for “Out-Government” personnel.

13. Estimates of annualized capital and start-up costs.

The estimated annual capital cost is $94,612 (see Appendix A). We estimate that placards will be replaced annually. Additionally, we estimate that placards will cost $7.00 each which means a total of $14.00 per vessel.

14. Estimates of annualized cost to the Federal Government.

The estimated annual Federal Government cost is $20,574 (see Appendix B). The cost is based on Coast Guard personnel examine safety placards during periodic inspections, random boardings, and post-casualty investigations. We estimate 75% of all vessels with gas cooking appliances (and safety placards) will be examined per year, conducted by a Lieutenant (LT, O-3) at 3 minutes (0.05 hours) per exam. The wage rate used is in accordance with the current edition of COMDTINST 7310.1(series) for “In-Government” personnel.

15. Reasons for change in burden.

The change in burden hours is an ADJUSTMENT due to a change (i.e., increase) in the estimated annual number of respondents. There is no proposed change to the recordkeeping requirements of this collection. The recordkeeping requirements, and the methodology for calculating burden, remain unchanged.

16. Plans for tabulation, statistical analysis and publication.

This information collection will not be published for statistical purposes.

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

The Coast Guard will display the expiration date for OMB approval of this information collection.

18. Explain each exception to the certification statement.

The Coast Guard does not request an exception to the certification of this information collection.

B. Collection of Information Employing Statistical Methods.

This information collection does not employ statistical methods.

1 For inspected passenger vessels see 46 CFR 121.240 & 184.240, and for uninspected passenger vessels see 46 CFR 25.45-2.

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