The Natural Gas Distribution Infrastructure Safety and Modernization Grant Program

Forms and Documents

Document	Type	Status	Availability
NGDISM Grant Program Supporting Statement4.1.22.docx	Supporting Statement A	Uploaded 2022-04-01	Repair queued
PHMSA BIL Emergency Clearance Request Justification.pdf	Supplementary Document	Uploaded 2022-04-01	Repair queued
PLAW-117publ58 (1).pdf	Supplementary Document	Uploaded 2022-04-01	Repair queued

IC Document Collections

IC ID	Collection	Type	Status	Form
252583	Post Grant Reporting		New
252582	Grant Application		New

ICR Details

OMB Control No:	ICR Reference No: 202204-2137-001
Status: Received in OIRA	Previous ICR Reference No:
Agency/Subagency: DOT/PHMSA	Agency Tracking No: BIL Grant Emergency
Title: The Natural Gas Distribution Infrastructure Safety and Modernization Grant Program
Type of Information Collection: New collection (Request for a new OMB Control Number)	Common Form ICR:  No
Type of Review Request: Emergency	Approval Requested By: 05/02/2022
Date Submitted to OIRA: 04/01/2022

	Requested	Previously Approved
Expiration Date	6 Months From Approved
Responses	200	0
Time Burden (Hours)	7,000	0
Cost Burden (Dollars)	0	0

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Abstract: 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 “Natural Gas Distribution Infrastructure Safety and Modernization Grant Program.” 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).

Emergency Justfication: 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 Transportation’s 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 Nation’s infrastructure in more than half a century. The Act includes funding for PHMSA’s 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 “Department of Transportation -- Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration -- Natural Gas Distribution Infrastructure Safety and Modernization Grant Program” 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 applicant’s 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 PHMSA’s 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

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Authorizing Statute(s): PL: Pub.L. 117 - 58 Division J Title VIII Name of Law: Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act
  

Citations for New Statutory Requirements: None

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Associated Rulemaking Information
RIN:	Stage of Rulemaking:	Federal Register Citation:	Date:
	Not associated with rulemaking

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Federal Register Notices & Comments

Did the Agency receive public comments on this ICR? No

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Number of Information Collection (IC) in this ICR: 2

IC Title	Form No.	Form Name
Grant Application
Post Grant Reporting

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ICR Summary of Burden

	Total Request	Previously Approved	Change Due to New Statute	Change Due to Agency Discretion	Change Due to Adjustment in Estimate	Change Due to Potential Violation of the PRA
Annual Number of Responses	200	0	0	200	0	0
Annual Time Burden (Hours)	7,000	0	0	7,000	0	0
Annual Cost Burden (Dollars)	0	0	0	0	0	0

Burden increases because of Program Change due to Agency Discretion: Yes

Burden Increase Due to: Miscellaneous Actions

Burden decreases because of Program Change due to Agency Discretion: No

Burden Reduction Due to:

Short Statement: The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (H.R. 3684, Public Law 117 - 58) required PHMSA to create the “Natural Gas Distribution Infrastructure Safety and Modernization Grant Program.” The statutory requirements of the Natural Gas Distribution Infrastructure Safety and Modernization Grant are found under the heading “Department of Transportation -- Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration -- Natural Gas Distribution Infrastructure Safety and Modernization Grant Program” 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.

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Annual Cost to Federal Government: $198,000

Does this IC contain surveys, censuses, or employ statistical methods? No

Does this ICR request any personally identifiable information (see OMB Circular No. A-130 for an explanation of this term)? Please consult with your agency's privacy program when making this determination.     No

Does this ICR include a form that requires a Privacy Act Statement (see 5 U.S.C. §552a(e)(3))? Please consult with your agency's privacy program when making this determination.     No

Is this ICR related to the Affordable Care Act [Pub. L. 111-148 & 111-152]? No

Is this ICR related to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, [Pub. L. 111-203]? No

Is this ICR related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA)? No

Is this ICR related to the Pandemic Response? No

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Common Form ICR:  No

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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:

(a) It is necessary for the proper performance of agency functions;

(b) It avoids unnecessary duplication;

(c) It reduces burden on small entities;

(d) It uses plain, coherent, and unambiguous language that is understandable to respondents;

(e) Its implementation will be consistent and compatible with current reporting and recordkeeping practices;

(f) It indicates the retention periods for recordkeeping requirements;

(g) It informs respondents of the information called for under 5 CFR 1320.8 (b)(3) about:

(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;

(h) It was developed by an office that has planned and allocated resources for the efficient and effective management and use of the information to be collected.

(i) It uses effective and efficient statistical survey methodology (if applicable); and

(j) It makes appropriate use of information technology.

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.

Certification Date: 04/01/2022

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