25212 Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 98 / Monday, May 20, 1996 / Notices

between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern time,

Monday through Friday.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section

3506 (c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork

Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C.

Chapter 3506 (c)(2)(A) requires that the

Director of OMB provide interested

Federal agencies and the public an early

opportunity to comment on information

collection requests. The Office of

Management and Budget (OMB) may

amend or waive the requirement for

public consultation to the extent that

public participation in the approval

process would defeat the purpose of the

information collection, violate State or

Federal law, or substantially interfere

with any agency’s ability to perform its

statutory obligations. The Director of the

Information Resources Group, publishes

this notice containing proposed

information collection requests at the

beginning of the Departmental review of

the information collection. Each

proposed information collection,

grouped by office, contains the

following: (1) Type of review requested,

e.g., new, revision, extension, existing

or reinstatement; (2) Title; (3) Summary

of the collection; (4) Description of the

need for, and proposed use of, the

information; (5) Respondents and

frequency of collection; and (6)

Reporting and/or Recordkeeping

burden. ED invites public comment at

the address specified above. Copies of

the requests are available from Patrick J.

Sherrill at the address specified above.

The Department of Education is

especially interested in public comment

addressing the following issues: (1) is

this collection necessary to the proper

functions of the Department, (2) will

this information be processed and used

in a timely manner, (3) is the estimate

of burden accurate, (4) how might the

Department enhance the quality, utility,

and clarity of the information to be

collected, and (5) how might the

Department minimize the burden of this

collection on the respondents, including

through the use of information

technology.

Dated: May 14, 1996.

Gloria Parker,

Director, Information Resources Group.

Office of Elementary and Secondary

Education

Type of Review: Emergency.

Title: Goals 2000 Comprehensive

Local Reform Assistance.

Abstract: The Secretary proposes

application requirements and selection

criteria for Goals 2000 Comprehensive

Local Reform Assistance grants. These

grants assist local education agencies in

the development and implementation of

comprehensive local improvement

plans directed at enabling all children to

reach challenging academic standards.

Additional Information: The

Department of Education analyzes these

applications to determine which

applicants are best qualified to receive

Federal funds under the law. Without

the information supplied in this

application, that judgment could not be

objectively made and these appropriated

funds could not be awarded.

Frequency: One-time.

Affected Public: State, local or Tribal

Government, SEAs or LEAs.

Reporting and Recordkeeping Hour

Burden:

Responses: 100.

Burden Hours: 5,000.

[FR Doc. 96–12529 Filed 5–17–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4000–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Energy Information Administration

Proposed Collection; Comment

Request

AGENCY: Energy Information

Administration, Department of Energy.

ACTION: Proposed collection; comment

request.

SUMMARY: The Energy Information

Administration (EIA) is soliciting

comments concerning the proposed new

Form EIA–901, ‘‘Monthly Report of

Natural Gas Marketers’’; extension

without changes to the Standby Form

EIA–191S, ‘‘Weekly Underground Gas

Storage Report’’, and Standby Form

EIA–857S, ‘‘Weekly Report of Natural

Gas Purchases and Deliveries to

Consumers’’; extension with changes to

Forms EIA–176, ‘‘Annual Report of

Natural and Supplemental Gas Supply

and Disposition’’, EIA–191, ‘‘Monthly

Underground Gas Storage Report’’, EIA–

857, ‘‘Monthly Report of Natural Gas

Purchases and Deliveries to

Consumers’’, and EIA–895, ‘‘Monthly

Quantity and Value of Natural Gas

Report’’; and discontinuation of the

Form EIA–627, ‘‘Annual Quantity and

Value of Natural Gas Report’’.

DATES: Written comments must be

submitted on or before July 19, 1996. If

you anticipate that you will be

submitting comments, but find it

difficult to do so within the period of

time allowed by this notice, you should

advise the contact listed below of your

intention to do so as soon as possible.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to Margaret

Natof, Reserves and Natural Gas

Division, EI–441, Office of Oil and Gas,

Energy Information Administration,

U.S. Department of Energy, 1000

Independence Avenue SW.,

Washington, DC 20585, 202–586–6303,

or E-mail to mnatof@eia.doe.gov, or FAX

at 202–586–1076.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Requests for

additional information or copies of the

forms and instructions should be

directed to Margaret Natof at the address

listed above.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

II. Current Actions

III. Request for Comments—General Issues

and Specific Issues

I. Background

In order to fulfill its responsibilities

under the Federal Energy

Administration Act of 1974 (Pub. L. No.

93–275) and the Department of Energy

Organization Act (Pub. L. No. 95–91),

the Energy Information Administration

is obliged to carry out a central,

comprehensive, and unified energy data

and information program. As part of this

program, EIA collects, evaluates,

assembles, analyzes, and disseminates

data and information related to energy

resource reserves, production, demand,

and technology, and related economic

and statistical information relevant to

the adequacy of energy resources to

meet demands in the near and longer

term future for the Nation’s economic

and social needs.

The Energy Information

Administration, as part of its continuing

effort to reduce paperwork and

respondent burden (required by the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub.

L. 104–13)), conducts a presurvey

consultation program to provide the

general public and other Federal

agencies with an opportunity to

comment on proposed and/or

continuing reporting forms. This

program helps to ensure that requested

data can be provided in the desired

format, reporting burden is minimized,

reporting forms are clearly understood,

and the impact of collection

requirements on respondents can be

properly assessed.

Following is background information

on each form in the clearance package:

Form EIA–176, ‘‘Annual Report of

Natural and Supplemental Gas Supply

and Disposition’’

The Form EIA–176 provides the EIA

with the major elements of information

required to combine and merge with

data collected in other EIA surveys to

develop natural gas supply and

disposition balances and relevant gas
Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 98 / Monday, May 20, 1996 / Notices 25213

cost, price, and related information at

the State level.

The information collected on the

Form EIA–176 is needed and used by

the DOE for the following purposes:

(1) to develop and make available to

the Congress, the States, and the public

an accurate assessment of the supply of

natural and supplemental gas available

to each of the States from all sources,

both internal and external, and the

manner in which such supply was

utilized or otherwise disposed of;

(2) to determine the quantity of

natural gas and supplemental gaseous

fuels consumed within each of the

States by market sector, the average

price for such gas, and the changes in

consumption and price patterns over

time;

(3) to provide natural gas data to EIA

publications including the Annual

Energy Review, Annual Energy Outlook,

and other EIA publications which are

distributed to the Congress, government,

industry, and the public; and

(4) to provide natural gas data for the

Natural Gas Annual.

EIA–191, ‘‘Monthly Underground Gas

Storage Report’’

Form EIA–191 requests monthly data

on the location, ownership, capacity,

and operations of all active

underground natural gas storage fields.

Storage data are a critical link in

understanding the deliverability of the

natural gas system and overall system

operations.

Information collected on the Form

EIA–191 is used by the EIA in the

following ways:

(1) to provide State level data on

underground natural gas storage with

respect to injections, withdrawals,

inventories, type of storage facility,

location, and capacity for the EIA’s

Natural Gas Monthly. This monthly data

collection also provides reliable

baseline data on storage operations

necessary for analyses, modeling, and

comparison with normal industry

operations in case of severe weather,

natural disasters, or other extreme

circumstances;

(2) to provide data on underground

natural gas operations for EIA’s Monthly

Energy Review, Annual Energy Review,

Annual Energy Outlook, and Short Term

Energy Outlook;

(3) to provide data on underground

natural gas storage inventories monthly

for various analyses and publications;

and

(4) to provide data on all aspects of

underground natural gas storage to

enable EIA and other elements of DOE

to identify and assess supplies of

natural gas in storage by geographic

location on a timely basis.

EIA–857, ‘‘Monthly Report of Natural

Gas Purchases and Deliveries to

Consumers’’

Monthly State level data collected on

Form EIA–857 are aggregated by EIA

and used to develop information on the

average cost of gas purchased by natural

gas distribution companies at their

citygates, consumption of natural gas by

sector, and average price of gas by

sector. These data are necessary to

provide timely information needed to

measure the combined impact of

government, industry, and consumer

actions; geographic location; interfuel

competition; climatic conditions; and

other factors upon the natural gas

industry and natural gas consumers.

Aggregate monthly data are published

in EIA’s Natural Gas Monthly and

Monthly Energy Review, and are made

available to the Congress, State

governments, industry, and the public.

EIA–895, ‘‘Monthly Quantity of Natural

Gas Report’’

Form EIA–895 collects monthly data

from the appropriate State agencies

concerning natural gas production. It

provides details on gross withdrawals

from gas and oil wells, on volumes

vented and flared, volumes used for

repressuring, volumes of

nonhydrocarbon gases removed,

volumes used as fuel on leases, and the

amount of natural gas available for

market. These data are routinely

collected by the States for taxation and

statistical purposes.

The aggregate data are published in

the Natural Gas Monthly, Natural Gas

Annual, Monthly Energy Review, and

Annual Energy Review.

Form EIA–901, ‘‘Monthly Survey of

Natural Gas Marketers’’

The proposed Form EIA–901 will

provide EIA with information which

will be used to estimate the average

price of natural gas delivered to end

users by State, month, and consuming

sector.

The information collected on the EIA–

901 will be compiled, combined with

data from the Form EIA–857, and used

by EIA to estimate monthly volumeweighted average prices of natural gas

delivered to end users by sector in each

of the States and the total for the United

States. Data summaries will be

published in the Natural Gas Monthly

and Monthly Energy Review and will be

made available to DOE, Congress, State

governments, industry, and the public.

The data collected from this survey will

also be used by the DOE as baseline

information for State and regional

studies and forecasts of natural gas

prices. (EIA is currently conducting a

pretest of the EIA–901.)

Standby Forms EIA–857S, ‘‘Weekly

Report of Natural Gas Supplies and

Deliveries to Consumers,’’ and EIA–

191S, ‘‘Weekly Underground Gas

Storage Report’’

The standby Forms EIA–857S and

EIA–191S are designed to fill gaps in the

natural gas data collections where

monthly data do not provide sufficient

information for responses to natural

disasters, severe weather, or other

catastrophic events. The data would

permit EIA to monitor the impact of

regional disruptions on a weekly basis

when the EIA Administrator determines

that conditions or events warrant more

frequent data collection.

Data elements on the forms are

identical to those on the ‘‘parent’’ forms

EIA–857 and EIA–191 except the

weekly forms are simplified to the

maximum extent possible. The standby

forms are intended only for use as

determined necessary in extreme

situations. EIA would notify OMB of the

intent to use the form(s), the region(s)

affected, and the estimated burden.

II. Current Actions

This notice includes a new data

collection, the EIA–901; an extension of

current data collections without change,

the EIA–191S, and EIA–857S; and

extension of current data collections

with changes, the EIA–176, EIA–191,

EIA–857, and EIA–895. EIA proposes

to discontinue the Form EIA–627. Later

this year, a request will be made of the

Office of Management and Budget to

approve the proposed forms as the

Natural Gas Program Package with an

expiration date of December 31, 1999.

EIA–901, ‘‘Monthly Report of Natural

Gas Marketers’’

EIA’s current data collection system is

based on the concept of ‘‘bundled’’

natural gas sales and transportation

arrangements. Prior to FERC Order 636,

data on bundled natural gas deliveries

were readily available from those

companies that delivered to end use

customers (principally local distribution

companies and pipelines). Since the

companies making the deliveries had

both custody and ownership of the gas,

EIA could also collect price data from

those companies making deliveries.

With the current system of unbundled

sales and transportation, EIA still

obtains complete reporting of volumes

delivered to end users. Since third

parties can now arrange for the sale of

natural gas, EIA has lost coverage of the
25214 Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 98 / Monday, May 20, 1996 / Notices

prices paid by many consumers,

particularly in the industrial sector.

In meetings with EIA data providers

and data users, the importance of the

consumer price data were given high

priority. Those prices are important

indicators of the overall structure and

functioning of the natural gas

marketplace. The data are needed and

used by the business community for

planning purposes and as benchmark

and baseline data.

EIA is proposing to collect data from

natural gas marketers who are the new

participants in the industry since the

implementation of Order 636. The data

collection would ask marketers to

provide monthly reports of volumes,

revenues, and distribution costs for

natural gas delivered to customers f.o.b.

(free on board) the end users’ burnertip

or f.o.b. the citygate. (EIA is currently

pretesting the EIA–901.)

The data would be combined with

data collected from both the revised

Form EIA–176 and the revised Form

EIA–857 to construct end-use prices for

each consuming sector.

EIA–176, ‘‘Annual Report of Natural

and Supplemental Gas Supply and

Disposition’’

EIA is proposing to change the EIA–

176 to collect the revenues on deliveries

of natural gas transported for the

account of others in Part V, lines 7.1

through 7.4.6.2 of the form. This

information will supplement data

proposed to be collected on the Form

EIA–901, ‘‘Monthly Report of Natural

Gas Marketers.’’ The proposed changes

are expected to place a small increased

burden on respondents.

EIA–191, ‘‘Monthly Underground Gas

Storage Report’’

EIA is not proposing any format

changes to the Form. However, EIA has

received requests for release of the Form

EIA–191 data. Therefore, EIA is asking

respondents to reconsider and to

demonstrate the extent to which their

information constitutes trade secrets or

commercial and financial information

whose release would cause substantial

harm to their company’s competitive

position.

EIA–627, ‘‘Annual Quantity and Value

of Natural Gas Report’’

EIA is proposing the discontinuation

of this voluntary form. A proposed

change to the EIA–895 would request

monthly data on value of natural gas at

the wellhead and eliminate the need for

a separate annual data collection on the

EIA–627.

EIA–857, ‘‘Monthly Report of Natural

Gas Purchases and Deliveries to

Consumers’’

EIA proposes only one change to the

EIA–857, to collect revenue data on

lines 13 through 18 of the form. The

purpose of gathering transportation

revenue data is to supplement data

gathered on the proposed Form EIA–901

in the development of end-user price

data. A small change in burden to

respondents is anticipated.

EIA–895, ‘‘Monthly Quantity and Value

of Natural Gas Report’’

Proposed changes to the EIA–895

include adding a column to the form to

collect data on the value of each volume

item on the form. The title of the Form

would be changed to ‘‘Monthly Quantity

and Value of Natural Gas Report.’’ This

voluntary report is filed by State

agencies of each of the natural gas

producing States. The reporting burden

for the EIA–895 would be expected to

increase from 30 minutes to 45 minutes

per response.

Standby Forms EIA–191S, ‘‘Weekly

Underground Gas Storage Report,’’ and

EIA–857S, ‘‘Weekly Report of Natural

Gas Purchases and Deliveries to

Consumers’’

No changes are requested to these

standby forms. EIA has not previously

invoked the use of the forms in

emergency situations, but would like to

retain the ability to do so should

circumstances warrant.

III. Request for Comments

Prospective respondents and other

interested parties should comment on

the actions discussed in item II. The

following guidelines are provided to

assist in the preparation of responses.

Since this notice covers more than one

form, please indicate to which form(s)

your comments apply.

General Issues

EIA is interested in receiving

comments from persons regarding:

A. Whether the proposed collections

of information are necessary for the

proper performance of the functions of

the agency, including whether the

information will have practical utility.

Practical utility is the actual usefulness

of information to or for an agency,

taking into account its accuracy,

adequacy, reliability, timeliness, and the

agency’s ability to process the

information it collects.

B. What enhancements can EIA make

to the quality, utility, and clarity of the

information to be collected?

As a Potential Respondent

A. Are the instructions and

definitions clear and sufficient? If not,

which instructions require clarification?

B. Can data be submitted in

accordance with the due date specified

in the instructions?

C. Public reporting burden for the

proposed forms is estimated to average

4 hours per month for the EIA–901, 20.9

hours annually for the EIA–176, 3.6

hours per month for the EIA–191, 4

hours per month for the EIA–857, and

50 minutes per month for the EIA–895

per response. The burden estimate for

the EIA–191S is 4 hours per response

and the EIA–857S is 4 hours per

response on a weekly basis. Burden

includes the total time, effort, or

financial resources expended to

generate, maintain, retain, or 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.

Please comment on (1) the accuracy of

our estimate and (2) how the agency

could minimize the burden of the

collection of information, including the

use of automated collection techniques

or other forms of information

technology.

D. What are the estimated (1) total

dollar amount annualized for capital

and start-up costs, and (2) recurring

annual dollar amount of operation and

maintenance and purchase of services

costs associated with these data

collections? The estimates should take

into account the costs associated with

generating, maintaining, and disclosing

or providing the information. Estimates

should not include purchases of

equipment or services made as part of

customary and usual business practices,

or the cost of any burden hours for

completing the forms. EIA estimates that

there are no additional costs other than

those that the respondent incurs in

keeping the information for its own

uses.

E. Do you know of any other Federal,

State, or local agency that collects

similar data? If you do, specify the

agency, the data element(s), and the

methods of collection.
Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 98 / Monday, May 20, 1996 / Notices 25215

As a Potential User

A. Can you use data at the levels of

detail indicated on the forms?

B. For what purposes would you use

the data? Be specific.

C. Are there alternate sources of data

and do you use them? If so, what are

their deficiencies and/or strengths?

D. For the most part, information is

published by EIA in U.S. customary

units, e.g., cubic feet of natural gas.

Would you prefer to see EIA publish

more information in metric units, e.g.,

cubic meters? If yes, please specify what

information (e.g., natural gas

consumption), the metric unit(s) of

measurement preferred, and in which

EIA publication(s) you would like to see

such information.

Specific Issues

EIA is seeking comments on the

following specific issues related to the

forms covered by this Notice:

Confidentiality of Data on the EIA–191

EIA has received numerous requests

for company-level information filed on

the EIA–191. Since these data were

collected under a pledge of

confidentiality, those requests have

been denied. However, in light of the

fact that many respondents routinely

provide their data to the trade press and

others, this issue is being reexamined.

A. Should EIA continue to preserve

the confidentiality of EIA–191 data?

B. What would be the impact on your

company of the release of its filings of

the EIA–191?

C. What would be the impact on your

company if the EIA were to aggregate

your filings from the field level to the

company level and release only the

company-level aggregate data?

D. How are field-level or companylevel natural gas storage data useful to

you?

Tax Revenue Information Reported on

the EIA–176 and EIA–857

Currently taxes are included in the

revenues collected on the EIA–176 and

EIA–857. Can your company provide

separate data, either as a rate or in

dollars, on the taxes collected from its

deliveries of natural gas to consumers?

Firm and Interruptible Deliveries (EIA–

176)

EIA has been collecting information

on EIA–176 on deliveries of natural gas

to end users divided into the categories

‘‘firm’’ and ‘‘interruptible’’. Because

natural gas purchases and contracting

practices have changed significantly

since the advent of Order 636, we are

requesting your comments on the

desirability of continuing to collect

these data at this level of detail.

A. For Responding Companies: Is

your company able to provide reliable

data in response to these data items?

B. For Data Users: Are the data on

firm and interruptible deliveries of

natural gas to end users useful to you?

Deliveries of Natural Gas to Nonutility

Power Producers (Forms EIA–176 and

EIA–857)

A. For Data Providers: Is your

company able to provide reliable data

on deliveries to nonutility power

producers?

B. For Data Providers and Users: Are

the data on deliveries of natural gas to

nonutility power producers useful?

Gas Used for Agriculture (Forms EIA–

176 and EIA–857)

Natural gas consumed in agriculture

operations has always been classified as

part of the commercial sector. For all

other fuels on which EIA collects data,

agriculture use is considered part of the

industrial sector.

A. For Respondent Companies: Is

your company able to separate natural

gas deliveries to agricultural users and

report them as part of the industrial

sector?

B. For Data Users: Transferring

agricultural use to the industrial sector

would allow more meaningful

comparisons with other fuels. It would

also mean a break in series because EIA

has no precise measure of agricultural

use with which to adjust previously

published data. Should EIA request this

change of sector definition?

Electronic or Other Filing Options

EIA is continually seeking ways to

improve the convenience of reporting

for respondents. Electronic methods of

filing EIA forms provide respondents

with options that many find easier and

less time-consuming than the traditional

paper forms. Also, because some editing

is performed as data are entered, filing

electronically often produces higher

quality reports and respondents are

subject to fewer follow-up contacts from

EIA staff to resolve questions. Electronic

filing is preferred by EIA but is not

mandatory. Currently the EIA–176 offers

an electronic filing option provided on

a personal computer diskette

programmed with software that can be

used on most IBM compatible

computers. The EIA–191 offers an

electronic filing option which allows

users to transmit data directly to the EIA

mainframe computer.

A. Does your company have any

questions or concerns about the

electronic filing options offered by EIA?

B. What other electronic filing options

could be offered that your company

would like to use?

Revenue Data on the EIA–176 and EIA–

857

A. Can respondent companies provide

the revenue data for gas transported for

the account of others requested on the

EIA–176 and the EIA–857?

B. What revenues are included in the

data that respondents are asked to

provide in response to these new data

items?

Comments submitted in response to

this notice will be summarized and/or

included in the request for OMB

approval of the form. They also will

become a matter of public record.

Statutory Authority: Section 3506 (c)(2)(A)

of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995

(Pub. L. No. 104–13).

Issued in Washington, D.C., May 13, 1996.

Yvonne M. Bishop,

Director, Office of Statistical Standards,

Energy Information Administration.

[FR Doc. 96–12593 Filed 5–17–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P

Federal Energy Regulatory

Commission

[Docket No. CP96–500–000]

Northwest Pipeline Corporation; Notice

of Application for Authorization To

Abandon and Replace Facilities

May 14, 1996.

Take notice that, on May 6, 1996,

Northwest Pipeline Corporation

(Northwest), 295 Chipeta Way, Salt Lake

City, UT 84108, filed an abbreviated

application in Docket No. CP96–500–

000: (1) for authorization, pursuant to

section 7(b) of the Natural Gas Act, to

abandon and remove approximately 200

feet of existing 22-inch pipeline on

Northwest’s Ignacio to Sumas mainline

at a railroad crossing near Soda Springs,

in Caribou County, Idaho; and (2) for

authorization, pursuant to section 7(c)

of the Natural Gas Act and part 157 of

the Commission’s regulations, to replace

that 200-foot segment with new 22-inch

replacement pipeline and

appurtenances, all as more fully set

forth in the application, which is on file

with the Commission and open to

public inspection.

Northwest states that the cathodic

protection system for the existing 22-

inch pipeline segment has been

compromised, leading to the potential

for future pipeline damage. Northwest

asserts that the proposed replacement is

required by the present and future

public convenience and necessity