The Natural Gas Distribution Infrastructure Safety and Modernization Grant Program
New collection (Request for a new OMB Control Number)
No
Emergency
05/02/2022
04/01/2022
table that charts list comparision
Requested
Previously Approved
6 Months From Approved
200
0
7,000
0
0
0
This information collection covers the collection of applicant data from municipality and community-owned utilities that are interested in applying to receive funds from the âNatural Gas Distribution Infrastructure Safety and Modernization Grant Program.â Solicitation for grants under the Natural Gas Distribution Infrastructure Safety and Modernization Grant Program is voluntary. No eligible entity is required to apply. To be eligible, however, municipality and community-owned utilities must meet all the requirements set forth in the law. Therefore, DOT must collect certain information from applicants to determine eligibility and evaluate applications. DOT must also verify the accuracy of grant requests from approved applicants, in accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and other laws and regulations governing Federal financial assistance programs, including (but not limited to) the Anti Deficiency Act, the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA), the Payment Integrity Information Act of 2019, and 2 CFR part 200, among others. This information collection also covers the collection of data from grant recipients. PHMSA expects to receive approximately 100 applications from potential grantees. PHMSA estimates that it will take the 100 applicants approximately 65 hours to compile and submit the forms required to complete the application process for an annual burden of 6,500 hours. PHMSA estimates that 100 grant recipients will spend 5 hours, annually, submitting post-award reports for an annual burden of 500 hours. Therefore, PHMSA estimates that there will be a total of 200 responses (100 applicants + 100 grant recipients) for an aggregate total annual burden for the information collection of 7,000 hours (6,500 hours for applications + 500 hours for post-award reports).
PHMSA requests the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval of an emergency clearance for a new information collection request (ICR) to enable the Department of Transportationâs Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) to implement the Natural Gas Distribution Infrastructure Safety and Modernization (NGDISM) Grant Program. This program was authorized in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Act) (Pub. L. 117-58), enacted on November 15, 2021. As you are aware, this Act is the most significant investment in our Nationâs infrastructure in more than half a century. The Act includes funding for PHMSAâs first ever infrastructure grant program.
The NGDISM Grant Program is crucial to enabling eligible municipality and community owned utilities (not including for-profit entities) to repair, rehabilitate, or replace legacy natural gas distribution pipeline systems, or portions thereof, or to acquire equipment to reduce incidents and fatalities, and to avoid economic loss.
The statutory requirements of the NGDISM Grant Program are found under the heading âDepartment of Transportation -- Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration -- Natural Gas Distribution Infrastructure Safety and Modernization Grant Programâ in title VIII of division J of Public Law 117-58 (see enclosure). Those statutory requirements necessitate swift issuance of a notification of funding opportunity (NOFO) and a tight deadline to issue awards. Specifically, PHMSA is statutorily required to issue a NOFO no later than 180 days from the date the funds were made available and to make awards to eligible municipality and community owned utilities no later than 270 days after publication of the NOFO. the Act was enacted on November 15, 2021; therefore, it is the date that the funds were made available. Accordingly, PHMSA is required to issue the NOFO no later than May 15, 2022.
Considerations to make funds available under the Act include but are not limited to: (1) the risk profile of the applicantâs existing pipeline system, including the presence of pipe prone to leakage; (2) the potential of the pipeline project for creating jobs; (3) the potential of the pipeline project for benefiting disadvantaged rural and urban communities; and (4) the economic impact or growth resulting from pipeline projects.
The statutory requirements for PHMSAâs implementation of the NGDISM Grant Program are mandatory, and PHMSA is clearly expected to implement the program as swiftly as possible to reduce incidents, fatalities, and adverse impacts to the public and/or the environment, particularly in disadvantaged communities. This is a completely new program and, as such, there are currently no existing ICRs that will cover the collection of the required information. The use of normal clearance procedures for ICR approval will prevent PHMSA from meeting the statutory deadlines. If PHMSA does not receive emergency approval for this ICR by May 10, 2022, implementation of the NGDISM Grant Program will be delayed and we will not meet the statutory deadlines.
Due to the urgency of executing the newly authorized grant program, the unforeseen requirements of the Act and its tight deadlines, and the associated urgency to protect the public and environment, PHMSA respectfully requests that OMB issue emergency approval of the ICR
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (H.R. 3684, Public Law 117 - 58) required PHMSA to create the âNatural Gas Distribution Infrastructure Safety and Modernization Grant Program.â The statutory requirements of the Natural Gas Distribution Infrastructure Safety and Modernization Grant are found under the heading âDepartment of Transportation -- Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration -- Natural Gas Distribution Infrastructure Safety and Modernization Grant Programâ in title VIII of division J of Public Law 117-58 Those statutory requirements necessitate swift issuance of a notification of funding opportunity (NOFO) and a tight deadline to issue the awards. Specifically, PHMSA is statutorily required to issue a NOFO no later than 180 days from the date the funds were made available and to make awards to eligible municipality and community owned utilities no later than 270 days after publication of the NOFO.
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that the collection of information encompassed by this request complies with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR 1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding the proposed collection of information, that the certification covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.
NGDISM Grant Program Supporting Statement4.1.22.docx
PHMSA BIL Emergency Clearance Request Justification.pdf
Post Grant Reporting