Commission Information Collection Activities (Ferc-603); Comment Request; Submitted for OMB Review, 35872-35873 [2011-14900]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
• Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 118 (Monday, June 20, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35872-35873]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-14900]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. IC11-603-001]


Commission Information Collection Activities (Ferc-603); Comment 
Request; Submitted for OMB Review

AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, DOE.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the requirements of section 3507 of the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 3507, the Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission (Commission or FERC) has submitted the 
information collection described below to the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) for review of the information collection requirements. Any 
interested person may file comments directly with OMB and should 
address a copy of those comments to the Commission as explained below. 
The Commission issued a Notice in the Federal Register (76 FR 18743, 4/
5/2011) requesting public comments. FERC received no comments on the 
FERC-603 and has made this notation in its submission to OMB.

DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due by July 20, 
2011.

ADDRESSES: Address comments on the collection of information to the 
Office of Management and Budget, Office of Information and Regulatory 
Affairs, Attention: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Desk Officer. 
Comments to Created by OMB should be filed electronically, c/o oira__submission@omb.eop.gov and include OMB Control Number 1902-0197 for 
reference. The Desk Officer may be reached by telephone at 202-395-
4638.
    A copy of the comments should also be sent to the Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission and should refer to Docket No. IC11-603-001. 
Comments may be filed either electronically or in paper format. Those 
persons filing electronically do not need to make a paper filing. 
Documents filed electronically via the Internet must be prepared in an 
acceptable filing format and in compliance with the Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission submission guidelines. Complete filing 
instructions and acceptable filing formats are available at https://www.ferc.gov/help/submission-guide.asp. To file the document 
electronically, access the Commission's Web site and click on Documents 
& Filing, E-Filing (https://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling.asp), and 
then follow the instructions for each screen. First time users will 
have to establish a user name and password. The Commission will send an 
automatic acknowledgement to the sender's e-mail address upon receipt 
of comments.
    For paper filings, the comments should be submitted to the Federal 
Energy Regulatory Commission, Secretary of the Commission, 888 First 
Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426, and should refer to Docket No. IC11-
603-001.
    Users interested in receiving automatic notification of activity in 
FERC Docket Number IC11-603 may do so through eSubscription at https://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/esubscription.asp. All comments may be viewed, 
printed or downloaded remotely via the Internet through FERC's homepage 
using the ``eLibrary'' link. For user assistance, contact 
ferconlinesupport@ferc.gov or toll-free at (866) 208-3676, or for TTY, 
contact (202) 502-8659.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ellen Brown may be reached by e-mail 
at DataClearance@FERC.gov, by telephone at (202) 502-8663, and by fax 
at (202) 273-0873.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The information collected under the

[[Page 35873]]

requirements of FERC-603 ``Critical Energy Infrastructure Information'' 
(OMB No. 1902-0197) is used by the Commission to implement procedures 
for gaining access to critical energy infrastructure information (CEII) 
that would not otherwise be available under the Freedom of Information 
Act (5 U.S.C. 552). On February 21, 2003, the Commission issued Order 
No. 630 (66 FR 52917) to address the appropriate treatment of CEII in 
the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and to 
restrict unrestrained general access due to the ongoing terrorism 
threat. These steps enable the Commission to keep sensitive 
infrastructure information out of the public domain, decreasing the 
likelihood that such information could be used to plan or execute 
terrorist attacks. The process adopted in Order No. 630 is a more 
efficient alternative for handling requests for previously public 
documents than FOIA. The Commission has defined CEII to include 
information about ``existing or proposed critical infrastructure that 
(i) Relates to the production, generation, transportation, 
transmission, or distribution of energy; (ii) could be useful to a 
person planning an attack on critical infrastructure; (iii) is exempt 
from mandatory disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act, and 
(iv) does not simply give the location of the critical infrastructure. 
Critical infrastructure means existing and proposed systems and assets, 
whether physical or virtual, the incapacity or destruction of which 
would negatively affect security, economic security, public health or 
safety, or any combination of those matters. A person seeking access to 
CEII may file a request for that information by providing information 
about their identity and reason as to the need for the information. 
Through this process, the Commission is able to review the requester's 
need for the information against the sensitivity of the information. 
The compliance with these requirements is mandatory.
    Action: The Commission is requesting a three-year extension of the 
current expiration date, with no changes to the existing collection of 
data.
    Burden Statement: Public reporting burden for this collection is 
estimated as:

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                                          Number of          Number of        Average burden
           Data collection               respondents       responses per        hours per         Total annual
                                       annually \1\ (1)    respondent (2)      response (3)       burden hours
                                                   (1)                (2)                (3)    (1) x (2) x (3)
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FERC-603............................               200                  1                 .3                 60
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\1\ The number of respondents corresponds to the number of requests received annually while recognizing that
  some CEII requests are filed by multiple parties.

    The estimated total cost to respondents is $4,080. The cost per 
respondent = $20.40. (60 hours @ $68 hourly rate). The reporting burden 
includes the total time, effort, or financial resources expended to 
generate, maintain, retain, disclose, or provide the information 
including: (1) Reviewing instructions; (2) developing, acquiring, 
installing, and utilizing technology and systems for the purposes of 
collecting, validating, verifying, processing, maintaining, disclosing 
and providing information; (3) adjusting the existing ways to comply 
with any previously applicable instructions and requirements; (4) 
training personnel to respond to a collection of information; (5) 
searching data sources; (6) completing and reviewing the collection of 
information; and (7) transmitting, or otherwise disclosing the 
information.
    The estimate of cost for respondents is based upon salaries for 
professional and clerical support, as well as direct and indirect 
overhead costs. Direct costs include all costs directly attributable to 
providing this information, such as administrative costs and the cost 
for information technology. Indirect or overhead costs are costs 
incurred by an organization in support of its mission. These costs 
apply to activities which benefit the whole organization rather than 
any one particular function or activity.
    Comments are invited on: (1) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the Commission, including whether the information will have practical 
utility; (2) the accuracy of the agency's estimates of the burden of 
the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used; (3) ways to enhance the quality, 
utility and clarity of the information to be collected; and (4) ways to 
minimize the burden of the collections of information on those who are 
to respond, including the use of appropriate automated, electronic, 
mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms 
of information technology, e.g. permitting electronic submission of 
responses.

    Dated: June 9, 2011.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2011-14900 Filed 6-17-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P