Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 159 / Thursday, August 16, 2018 / Notices 40759 

The Draft WIR Evaluation is available 

on the internet at: https://

www.hanford.gov/page.cfm/Waste

ManagementAreaC and is also publicly 

available for review at the following 

locations: U.S. DOE Public Reading 

Room, 1000 Independence Avenue SW, 

Washington, DC 20585, phone: (202) 

586–5955, or fax: (202) 586–0575; and 

U.S. DOE Public Reading Room located 

at 2770 University Drive, Consolidated 

Information Center (CIC), Room 101L, 

Richland, WA 99354, phone: (509) 372– 

7303. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. 

Jan Bovier by email at Jan_B_Bovier@

orp.doe.gov, by mail at U.S. Department 

of Energy, Office of River Protection, 

P.O. Box 450, MSIN H6–60, Richland, 

WA 99354, or by phone at (509) 376– 

9630. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On June 4, 

2018, DOE published in the Federal 

Register a notice of availability of the 

Draft WIR Evaluation for comment by 

States, Tribal Nations, and the public 

(83 FR 25657). The original public 

comment period was from June 4, 2018 

through September 7, 2018. 

In response to several requests, DOE 

is extending the public comment period 

by 60 days, through November 7, 2018. 

DOE will consider comments received 

after that date to the extent practical. 

DOE will consider comments from 

States, Tribal Nations and the public, as 

well as NRC consultative 

recommendations, prior to finalizing 

DOE’s analyses and prior to issuing a 

final WIR Evaluation. Based on the final 

WIR Evaluation, DOE may determine (in 

a WIR determination) whether the 

stabilized tanks, residuals and ancillary 

structures in WMA C at closure meet the 

criteria in Section II.B.(2)(a) of DOE M. 

435.1–1, Radioactive Waste 

Management Manual, are not high-level 

radioactive waste, and are to be 

managed as low-level radioactive waste. 

Signed in Washington, DC, on August 10, 

2018. 

Anne Marie White, 

Assistant Secretary for Environmental 

Management. 

[FR Doc. 2018–17687 Filed 8–15–18; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

Federal Energy Regulatory 

Commission 

[Docket No. IC18–18–000] 

Commission Information Collection 

Activities (FERC–545 and FERC–549c); 

Consolidated Comment Request; 

Extension 

AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory 

Commission, Department of Energy. 

ACTION: Notice of information 

collections and request for comments. 

SUMMARY: In compliance with the 

requirements of the Paperwork 

Reduction Act of 1995, the Federal 

Energy Regulatory Commission 

(Commission or FERC) is soliciting 

public comment on the requirements 

and burden of the information 

collections described below. 

DATES: Comments on the collections of 

information are due October 15, 2018. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

(identified by Docket No. IC18–18–000) 

by either of the following methods: 

• eFiling at Commission’s Website: 

http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/ 

efiling.asp. 

• Mail/Hand Delivery/Courier: 

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 

Secretary of the Commission, 888 First 

Street NE, Washington, DC 20426. 

Please reference the specific 

collection number and/or title in your 

comments. 

Instructions: All submissions must be 

formatted and filed in accordance with 

submission guidelines at: http://

www.ferc.gov/help/submissionguide.asp. For user assistance contact 

FERC Online Support by email at 

ferconlinesupport@ferc.gov, or by phone 

at: (866) 208–3676 (toll-free), or (202) 

502–8659 for TTY. 

Docket: Users interested in receiving 

automatic notification of activity in this 

docket or in viewing/downloading 

comments and issuances in this docket 

may do so at http://www.ferc.gov/docsfiling/docs-filing.asp. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Ellen Brown may be reached by email 

at DataClearance@FERC.gov, telephone 

at (202) 502–8663, and fax at (202) 273– 

0873. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Type of Request: Three-year extension 

of the information collection 

requirements for all collections 

described below with no changes to the 

current reporting requirements. Please 

note the two collections are distinct. 

Comments: Comments are invited on: 

(1) Whether the collections of 

information are 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 and cost of the 

collections of information, including the 

validity of the methodology and 

assumptions used; (3) ways to enhance 

the quality, utility and clarity of the 

information collections; and (4) ways to 

minimize the burden of the collections 

of information on those who are to 

respond, including the use of automated 

collection techniques or other forms of 

information technology. 

FERC–545, Gas Pipeline Rates: Rate 

Change (Non-Formal) 

Title: FERC–545, Gas Pipeline Rates: 

Rate Change (Non-formal). 

OMB Control No.: 1902–0154. 

Type of Request: Three-year extension 

of the FERC–545 information collection 

requirements with no changes to the 

current reporting requirements. 

Abstract: FERC–545 is required to 

implement sections 4, 5, and 16 of the 

Natural Gas Act (NGA), (15 U.S.C. 717c– 

717o, PL 75 688, 52 Stat. 822 and 830). 

NGA sections 4, 5, and 16 authorize the 

Commission to inquire into rate 

structures and methodologies and to set 

rates at a just and reasonable level. 

Specifically, a natural gas company 

must obtain Commission authorization 

for all rates and charges made, 

demanded, or received in connection 

with the transportation or sale of natural 

gas in interstate commerce. 

Under the NGA, a natural gas 

company’s rates must be just and 

reasonable and not unduly 

discriminatory or preferential. The 

Commission may act under different 

sections of the NGA to effect a change 

in a natural gas company’s rates. When 

the Commission reviews rate increases 

that a natural gas company has 

proposed, it is subject to the 

requirement of section 4(e) of the NGA. 

Under section 4(e), the natural gas 

company bears the burden of proving 

that its proposed rates are just and 

reasonable. On the other hand, when the 

Commission seeks to impose its own 

rate determination, it must do so in 

compliance with section 5(a) of the 

NGA. Under section 5, the Commission 

must first establish that its alternative 

rate proposal is both just and 

reasonable. 

Section 16 of the NGA states that the 

Commission ‘‘shall have the power to 

perform any and all acts, and to 

prescribe, issue, make, amend, and 

rescind such orders, rules, and 

regulations as it may find necessary or 

appropriate to carry out provisions of 


sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES
40760 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 159 / Thursday, August 16, 2018 / Notices 

1The Commission defines burden as the total 

time, effort, or financial resources expended by 

persons to generate, maintain, retain, or disclose or 

provide information to or for a Federal agency. For 

further explanation of what is included in the 

information collection burden, reference 5 Code of 

Federal Regulations 1320.3. 

2The estimated hourly cost (salary plus benefits) 

provided in this section is based on the salary 

figures for May 2017 posted by the Bureau of Labor 

Statistics for the Utilities sector (available at http:// 

www.bls.gov/oes/current/naics2_22.htm#13-0000) 

and scaled to reflect benefits using the relative 

importance of employer costs in employee 

compensation from May 2017 (available at https:// 

www.bls.gov/oes/current/naics2_22.htm). The 

hourly estimates for salary plus benefits are: 

Computer and Mathematical (Occupation Code: 

15–0000), $63.25. 

Economist (Occupation Code: 19–3011), $71.98. 

Legal (Occupation Code: 23–0000), $143.68. 

Accountants and Auditors: 13–2011), $56.59. 

The average hourly cost (salary plus benefits) is 

calculated weighting each of the aforementioned 

wage categories as follows: $63.25 (0.05) + $71.98 

(0.3) + $143.68 (0.6) + $56.59 (0.05) = $113.79. The 

Commission rounds it to $114/hour. 

3 15 U.S.C. 717c–717w. 

4 15 U.S.C. 3301–3432. 

5This series of orders began with the 

Commission’s issuance of Standards for Business 

Practices of Interstate Natural Gas Pipelines, Order 

No. 587, FERC Stats. & Regs. ¶ 31,038 (1996). 

6An accredited standards organization under the 

auspices of the American National Standards 

Institute (ANSI). 

[the NGA].’’ In other words, section 16 

of the NGA grants the Commission the 

power to define accounting, technical 

and trade terms, prescribe forms, 

statements, declarations or reports, and 

to prescribe rules and regulations. 

Pipelines adjust their tariffs to meet 

market and customer needs. The 

Commission’s review of these proposed 

changes is required to ensure rates 

remain just and reasonable and that 

services are not provided in an unduly 

or preferential manner. The 

Commission’s regulations in 18 CFR 

part 154 specify what changes are 

allowed and the procedures for 

requesting Commission approval. 

The Commission uses information in 

FERC–545 to examine rates, services, 

and tariff provisions related to natural 

gas transportation and storage services. 

The following filing categories are 

subject to FERC–545: (1) Tariff Filings— 

filings regarding proposed changes to a 

pipeline’s tariff (including Cost 

Recovery Mechanisms for 

Modernization of Natural Gas Facilities 

filings in Docket No. PL15–1) and any 

related compliance filings; (2) Rate 

Filings—rate-related filings under NGA 

sections 4 and 5 and any related 

compliance filings and settlements; (3) 

Informational Reports; (4) Negotiated 

Rate and Non-Conforming Agreement 

Filings; and (6) Market-Based Rates for 

Storage Filings (Part 284.501–505). Onetime compliance filings mandated in 

Order No. 587–W (Docket Nos. RM96– 

1–038 and RM14–2–003) and Order No. 

801 (Docket No. RM14–21–000) are 

excluded from this data collection 

renewal. 

Type of Respondents: Natural gas 

pipelines under the jurisdiction of NGA. 

Estimate of Annual Burden: 1 The 

Commission estimates the annual public 

reporting burden for the information 

collection as: 

FERC–545: GAS PIPELINE RATES: RATE CHANGE (NON-FORMAL) 

Number of 

respondents 

Average 

number of 

responses 

per 

respondent 

Total number 

of responses 

Average burden and cost 

per response 2

Total annual burden hours 

and total annual cost 

Cost per 

respondent 

($) 

(1) (2) (1) * (2) = (3) (4) (3) * (4 ) = (5) (5) ÷ (1) 

Tariff Filings ............................................. 124 2.597 322 211 hrs.; $24,054 ................. 67,947 hrs.; $7,745,958 ....... $62,467 

Rate Filings .............................................. 17 1.412 24 354 hrs.; $40,356 ................. 8,497 hrs.; $968,658 ............ 56,980 

Informational Reports .............................. 101 2.347 237 235 hrs.; $26,790 ................. 55,706 hrs.; $6,350,484 ....... 62,876 

Negotiated Rates & Non-Conforming 

Agreement Filings.

65 9.923 645 233 hrs.; $26,562 ................. 150,285 hrs.; $17,132,490 ... 263,577 

Market-Base Rates for Storage Filings ... 4 1 4 230 hrs.; $26,220 ................. 920 hrs.; $104,880 ............... 26,220 

Total .................................................. .................... .................... 1,232 ............................................... 283,355 hrs.; $32,302,470 ... ....................

FERC–549C, Standards for Business 

Practices of Interstate Natural Gas 

Pipelines 

OMB Control No.: 1902–0174. 

Abstract: The business practice 

standards under FERC–549C are 

required to carry out the Commission’s 

policies in accordance with the general 

authority in sections 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 14, 

16, and 20 of the Natural Gas Act 

(NGA),3 and sections 311, 501, and 504 

of the Natural Gas Policy Act of 1978 

(NGPA).4 The Commission adopted 

these business practice standards in 

order to update and standardize the 

natural gas industry’s business practices 

and procedures in addition to 

improving the efficiency of the gas 

market and the means by which the gas 

industry conducts business across the 

interstate pipeline grid. 

In various orders since 1996, the 

Commission has adopted regulations to 

standardize the business practices and 

communication methodologies of 

interstate natural gas pipelines proposed 

by the North American Energy 

Standards Board (NAESB) in order to 

create a more integrated and efficient 

pipeline industry.5 Generally, when and 

if NAESB-proposed standards (e.g., 

consensus standards developed by the 

Wholesale Gas Quadrant (WGQ) 6) are 

approved by the Commission, the 

Commission incorporates them by 

reference into its approval. The process 

of standardizing business practices in 

the natural gas industry began with a 

Commission initiative to standardize 

electronic communication of capacity 

release transactions. The outgrowth of 

the initial Commission standardization 

efforts produced working groups 

composed of all segments of the natural 

gas industry and, ultimately, the Gas 

Industry Standards Board (GISB), a 

consensus organization open to all 

members of the gas industry was 

created. GISB was succeeded by 

NAESB. 

NAESB is a voluntary non-profit 

organization comprised of members 

from the retail and wholesale natural 

gas and electric industries. NAESB’s 

mission is to take the lead in developing 

standards across these industries to 

simplify and expand electronic 

communication and to streamline 

business practices. NAESB’s core 

objective is to facilitate a seamless North 

American marketplace for natural gas, 

as recognized by its customers, the 

business community, industry 

participants, and regulatory bodies. 

NAESB has divided its efforts among 

four quadrants including two retail 

quadrants, a wholesale electric 

quadrant, and the WGQ. The NAESB 

WGQ standards are a product of this 


sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 159 / Thursday, August 16, 2018 / Notices 40761 

7The estimated hourly cost (salary plus benefits) 

provided in this section is based on the salary 

figures for May 2017 posted by the Bureau of Labor 

Statistics for the Utilities sector (available at http:// 

www.bls.gov/oes/current/naics2_22.htm#13-0000) 

and scaled to reflect benefits using the relative 

importance of employer costs in employee 

compensation from May 2017 (available at https:// 

www.bls.gov/oes/current/naics2_22.htm). The 

hourly estimates for salary plus benefits are: 

Petroleum Engineer (Occupation Code: 17–2051), 

$71.62. 

Computer Systems Analysts (Occupation Code: 

15–1120), $46.26. 

Legal (Occupation Code: 23–0000), $143.68. 

Economist (Occupation Code: 19–3011), $71.98. 

The average hourly cost (salary plus benefits) is 

calculated weighting each of the aforementioned 

wage categories as follows: $71.62 (0.3) + $143.68 

(0.3) + $46.26 (0.15) + $71.98 (0.25) = $89.52. The 

Commission rounds it to $90/hour. 

effort. Industry participants seeking 

additional or amended standards (to 

include principles, definitions, 

standards, data elements, process 

descriptions, and technical 

implementation instructions) must 

submit a request to the NAESB office, 

detailing the change, so that the 

appropriate process may take place to 

amend the standards. 

Failure to collect the FERC–549C data 

would prevent the Commission from 

monitoring and properly evaluating 

pipeline transactions and/or meeting 

statutory obligations under both the 

NGA and NGPA. 

Type of Respondent: Natural gas 

pipelines under the jurisdictions of 

NGA and NGPA. 

Estimate of Annual Burden: The 

Commission estimates the annual public 

reporting burden for the information 

collection as: 

FERC–549C: STANDARDS FOR BUSINESS PRACTICES OF INTERSTATE NATURAL GAS PIPELINES

Number of 

respondents 

Average 

number of 

responses 

per 

respondent 

Total number 

of responses 

Average burden and cost 

per response 7

Total annual burden hours 

and total annual cost 

Cost per 

respondent 

($) 

(1) (2) (1) * (2) = (3) (4) (3) * (4) = (5) (5) ÷ (1) 

Standards for Business Practices of 

Interstate Natural Gas Pipelines.

165 2.96 490 96 hrs.; $8,640 ..................... 47,040 hrs.; $4,233,600 ....... $25,658 

Dated: August 10, 2018. 

Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr., 

Deputy Secretary. 

[FR Doc. 2018–17656 Filed 8–15–18; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6717–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

Federal Energy Regulatory 

Commission 

Combined Notice of Filings #1 

Take notice that the Commission 

received the following electric corporate 

filings: 

Docket Numbers: EC18–133–000. 

Applicants: Union Electric Company, 

TG High Prairie, LLC. 

Description: Joint Application for 

Authorization Under Section 203 of the 

Federal Power Act of Union Electric 

Company, Inc., et al. 

Filed Date: 8/9/18. 

Accession Number: 20180809–5035. 

Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 8/30/18. 

Docket Numbers: EC18–134–000. 

Applicants: Boulder Solar III, LLC. 

Description: Application for 

Authorization Under Section 203 of the 

Federal Power Act of Boulder Solar III, 

LLC. 

Filed Date: 8/9/18. 

Accession Number: 20180809–5140. 

Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 8/30/18. 

Docket Numbers: EC18–135–000. 

Applicants: 64KT 8me LLC. 

Description: Application for 

Authorization under Section 203 of the 

Federal Power Act, et al. of 64KT 8me 

LLC. 

Filed Date: 8/9/18. 

Accession Number: 20180809–5146. 

Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 8/30/18. 

Docket Numbers: EC18–136–000. 

Applicants: JERA Power Compass, 

LLC, Dighton Power, LLC, Marco DM 

Holdings, L.L.C., Marcus Hook Energy, 

L.P., Marcus Hook 50, L.P., Milford 

Power, LLC. 

Description: Joint Application for 

Authorization under Section 203 of the 

Federal Power Act, et al. of JERA Power 

Compass, LLC, et al. 

Filed Date: 8/9/18. 

Accession Number: 20180809–5148. 

Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 8/30/18. 

Take notice that the Commission 

received the following electric rate 

filings: 

Docket Numbers: ER18–2194–000. 

Applicants: Fox Creek Farm Solar, 

LLC. 

Description: Baseline eTariff Filing: 

Baseline new to be effective 9/7/2018. 

Filed Date: 8/10/18. 

Accession Number: 20180810–5003. 

Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 8/31/18. 

Docket Numbers: ER18–2195–000. 

Applicants: South Carolina Electric & 

Gas Company. 

Description: § 205(d) Rate Filing: 

SCPSA Interconnection Agreement to be 

effective 8/10/2018. 

Filed Date: 8/10/18. 

Accession Number: 20180810–5053. 

Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 8/31/18. 

Docket Numbers: ER18–2196–000. 

Applicants: The Potomac Edison 

Company, PJM Interconnection, L.L.C. 

Description: § 205(d) Rate Filing: 

Potomac Edison submits a Construction 

Agreement, Service Agreement No. 4799 

to be effective 10/10/2018. 

Filed Date: 8/10/18. 

Accession Number: 20180810–5060. 

Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 8/31/18. 

Docket Numbers: ER18–2197–000. 

Applicants: PJM Interconnection, 

L.L.C. 

Description: § 205(d) Rate Filing: 

Clean-up to OATT, Schedule 12— 

Appendix A (PSEG) to be effective 1/1/ 

2017. 

Filed Date: 8/10/18. 

Accession Number: 20180810–5087. 

Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 8/31/18. 

Docket Numbers: ER18–2198–000. 

Applicants: Midcontinent 

Independent System Operator, Inc., 

ALLETE, Inc. 

Description: § 205(d) Rate Filing: 

2018–08–10_SA 3146 Minnesota PowerGRE (Knife Falls) T–L Interconnection 

Agrmt to be effective 9/1/2018. 

Filed Date: 8/10/18. 

Accession Number: 20180810–5091. 

Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 8/31/18. 

Take notice that the Commission 

received the following electric securities 

filings: 

Docket Numbers: ES18–55–000. 

Applicants: Citizens SycamorePenasquitos Transmission LLC. 

Description: Application for 

Authorization under Section 204 of the 

Federal Power Act of Citizens 

Sycamore-Penasquitos Transmission 

LLC. 

Filed Date: 8/9/18. 

Accession Number: 20180809–5145. 

Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 8/30/18. 

The filings are accessible in the 

Commission’s eLibrary system by 


sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES