Request for Public Comments and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Approval of an Existing Information Collection (2137-0600)

AGENCY:

Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), Department of Transportation (DOT).

SUMMARY:

This notice requests public participation in the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval process for the renewal of an existing PHMSA information collection. In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces that the Information Collection Request (ICR) described below has been forwarded to OMB for extension of the currently approved collection. The ICR describes the nature of the information collection and the expected burden. PHMSA published a Federal Register Notice soliciting comments on the following collection of information and received none. The purpose of this notice is to allow the public an additional 30 days from the date of this notice to submit comments.

DATES:

Comments must be submitted on or before November 23, 2005.

ADDRESSES:

Send comments to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, 725-17th Street, NW., Washington, DC 20503, Attention DOT Desk Officer.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

William Fuentevilla, (202) 366-6199, by e-mail at William.Fuentevilla@dot.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Comments are invited on whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Department, including whether the information will have practical utility; the accuracy of the Department's estimate of the burden of the proposed information collections; ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques of other forms of information technology. PHMSA published a Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period for this ICR on August 11, 2005 (70 FR 46914).

Congress expressed concern with unskilled pipeline personnel in the Pipeline Safety and Reauthorization Act of 1988 (Pub. L. 100-561). This Act authorized the Secretary of Transportation to require all individuals responsible for the operation and maintenance of pipeline facilities to be properly qualified to safely perform their tasks. The operator qualification requirements are described in the pipeline safety regulations at 49 CFR part 192, subpart N and 49 CFR part 195, subpart G.

This information collection supports the DOT strategic goal of safety by reducing the number of fatalities, injuries, and amount of property damage.

As used in this notice, “information collection” includes all work related to preparing and disseminating information related to this recordkeeping requirement including completing paperwork, gathering information and conducting telephone calls.

Type of Information Collection Request: Renewal of Existing Collection.

Title of Information Collection: Operator Qualification of Pipeline Personnel.

Respondents: Gas and hazardous liquid pipeline operators.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 22,300.

Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 1.

Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 466,667 hours.