Notices. Notice

2,281 words·~10 min read·/register/2004/05/24/04-11670·

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BILLING CODE 6717-01-P DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. RM93-11-000] Revisions to Oil Pipeline Regulations Pursuant to the Energy Policy Act of 1992; Notice of Annual Change in the Producer Price Index for Finished Goods May 14, 2004. The Commission's regulations include a methodology for oil pipelines to change their rates through use of an index system that establishes ceiling levels for such rates. The Commission bases the index system, found at 18 CFR 342.3, on the annual change in the Producer Price Index for Finished Goods (PPI-FG).

This rule provides that pipelines should use PPI-FG minus 1 percent as the oil pricing index factor, 18 CFR 342.3(d)(2). However, on February 24, 2003, the Commission issued its Order on Remand of its Five-Year Review of Oil Pricing Index (Remand Order) in Docket Nos. RM00-11-000 and -001. In the Remand Order the Commission redetermined that the PPI-FG without the minus 1 percent is the appropriate oil pricing index factor for pipelines to use. 1 The regulations provide that the Commission will publish annually, an index figure reflecting the final change in the PPI-FG, after the Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes the final PPG-FG in May of each calendar year.

The annual average PPI-FG index figure for 2002 was 138.9. The annual average PPI-FG index figure for 2003 was 143.3. 2 1 102 FERC ¶ 61,195 at P 1 (2003). 2 Bureau of Labor Statistics

(BLS)publishes the final figure in mid-May of each year. This figure is publicly available from the Division of Industrial Prices and Price Indexes of the BLS, at

(202)691-7705, and in print in August in Table 1 of the annual data supplement to the BLS publication Producer Price Indexes via the Internet at *http://www.bls.gov/ppi* . To obtain the BLS data, click on “Get Detailed PPI Statistics,” and then under the heading “Most Requested Statistics” click on “Commodity Data.” At the next screen, under the heading “Producer Price Index—Commodity,” select the first box, “Finished goods—WPUSOP3000”, then scroll all the way to the bottom of this screen and click on Retrieve data. Thus, the percent change (expressed as a decimal) in the annual average PPI-FG from 2002 to 2003 is positive .031677. 3 Oil pipelines must multiply their July 1, 2003, through June 30, 2004, index ceiling levels by positive 1.031677 4 to compute their index ceiling levels for July 1, 2004, through June 30, 2005, in accordance with 18 CFR 342.3(d). For guidance in calculating the ceiling levels for each 12 month period beginning January 1, l995, 5 *see* Explorer Pipeline Company, 71 FERC 61,416 at n.6 (1995). 3 [143.3−138.9] / 138.9 = 0.031677 4 1 + 0.031677 = 1.031677 5 For a listing of all prior multipliers issued by the Commission, *see* the Commission's Web site, *http://www.ferc.gov* . The table of multipliers can be found under the headings “Oil” and “Index”. In addition to publishing the full text of this Notice in the **Federal Register** , the Commission provides all interested persons an opportunity to view and/or print this Notice via the Internet through FERC's Home Page ( *http://www.ferc.gov* ) and in FERC's Public Reference Room during normal business hours (8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern time) at 888 First Street, NE., Room 2A, Washington, DC 20426. The full text of this Notice is available on FERC's home page at the eLibrary link. To access this document in eLibrary, type the docket number excluding the last three digits of this document in the docket number field and follow other directions on the search page. User assistance is available for eLibrary and other aspects of FERC's Web site during normal business hours. For assistance, contact FERC Online Support at *FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov* or toll free at

(866)208-3676, or for TTY, contact

(202)502-8659. Magalie R. Salas, Secretary. [FR Doc. E4-1200 Filed 5-21-04; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6717-01-P DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. AD04-6-000] Notice of Availability of Consequence Assessment Methods for Incidents Involving Releases From Liquefied Natural Gas Carriers May 14, 2004. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or Commission) has contracted ABSG Consulting Inc.

(ABSG)to research and review methodologies for modeling liquefied natural gas

(LNG)spills on water. The final report, entitled *Consequence Assessment Methods for Incidents Involving Releases from Liquefied Natural Gas Carriers* , is available in PDF format from the FERC Web site ( *http://www.ferc.gov/industries/gas/indus-act.asp* ). Copies of the study have also been mailed to interested parties and government agencies. The report recommends methods for estimating: Spill rates; pool spread and vapor generation for unconfined LNG spills on water; thermal radiation from pool fires on water; and dispersion of flammable vapors. An overview of data relating to the effects of thermal radiation on people and structures is also included. Example calculations are included for spills from 1- and 5-meter-diameter hull breaches to examine the model sensitivities and to illustrate the various methods. The methods recommended by ABSG will be used by FERC staff to calculate site-specific flammable vapor and thermal radiation hazards in the National Environmental Policy Act review for each import facility application before the Commission. Any person wishing to comment on the study may do so. Please carefully follow these instructions to ensure that your comments are received and properly recorded: • Send an original and two copies of your comments to: Magalie R. Salas, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First St., NE., Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426; • Label one copy of the comments for the attention of the LNG Engineering Branch, PJ-11.4. • Reference Docket No. AD04-6-000 and • Mail your comments so that they will be received in Washington, DC on or before May 28, 2004. Please note that we are continuing to experience delays in mail deliveries from the U.S. Postal Service. The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing of any comments on this report. See the instructions on the Commission's Web site at *http://www.ferc.gov* under the “e-Filing” link and the link to the User's Guide. Before you can file comments you will need to create a free account which can be created by clicking on “Sign-up.” Magalie R. Salas, Secretary. [FR Doc. E4-1201 Filed 5-21-04; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6717-01-P ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [OW-2003-0073; FRL-7666-3] Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for Review and Approval; Comment Request; National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Compliance Assessment/Certification Information (Renewal), EPA ICR Number 1427.07, OMB Control Number 2040-0110 AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 *et seq.* ), this document announces that an Information Collection Request

(ICR)has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget

(OMB)for review and approval. This is a request to renew an existing approved collection. This ICR is scheduled to expire on 5/31/2004. Under OMB regulations, the Agency may continue to conduct or sponsor the collection of information while this submission is pending at OMB. This ICR describes the nature of the information collection and its estimated burden and cost. DATES: Additional comments may be submitted on or before June 23, 2004. ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing docket ID number OW-2003-0073, to

(1)EPA online using EDOCKET (our preferred method), by e-mail to *OW-Docket@epa.gov,* or by mail to: EPA Docket Center, Environmental Protection Agency, Water Docket, Mail Code 4101T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460, and

(2)OMB at: Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Attention: Desk Officer for EPA, 725 17th Street, NW., Washington, DC 20503. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jack Faulk, Environmental Protection Agency, Mail Code 4203M, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: 202-564-0768; fax number: 202-564-6431; e-mail address: *faulk.jack@epa.gov.* SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: EPA has submitted the following ICR to OMB for review and approval according to the procedures prescribed in 5 CFR 1320.12. On December 9, 2003 (68 FR 68618), EPA sought comments on this ICR pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.8(d). EPA received no comments. EPA has established a public docket for this ICR under Docket ID No. OW-2003-0073, which is available for public viewing at the Water Docket in the EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC), EPA West, Room B102, 1301 Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC. The EPA Docket Center Public Reading Room is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The telephone number for the Reading Room is

(202)566-1744, and the telephone number for the Water Docket is

(202)566-2426. An electronic version of the public docket is available through EPA Dockets (EDOCKET) at *http://www.epa.gov/edocket* . Use EDOCKET to submit or view public comments, access the index listing of the contents of the public docket, and to access those documents in the public docket that are available electronically. Once in the system, select “search,” then key in the docket ID number identified above. Any comments related to this ICR should be submitted to EPA and OMB within 30 days of this notice. EPA's policy is that public comments, whether submitted electronically or in paper, will be made available for public viewing in EDOCKET as EPA receives them and without change, unless the comment contains copyrighted material, CBI, or other information whose public disclosure is restricted by statute. When EPA identifies a comment containing copyrighted material, EPA will provide a reference to that material in the version of the comment that is placed in EDOCKET. The entire printed comment, including the copyrighted material, will be available in the public docket. Although identified as an item in the official docket, information claimed as CBI, or whose disclosure is otherwise restricted by statute, is not included in the official public docket, and will not be available for public viewing in EDOCKET. For further information about the electronic docket, see EPA's **Federal Register** notice describing the electronic docket at 67 FR 38102 (May 31, 2002), or go to *www.epa.gov/edocket.* *Title:* National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Compliance Assessment/Certification Information (Renewal). *Abstract:* This ICR updates the burden and costs associated with the data requirements necessary for a permitting authority to determine whether an existing NPDES or sewage sludge permittee is in compliance with the conditions of its permit for the discharge of pollutants to waters of the United States or for the use or disposal of sewage sludge. Most compliance assessment data is generated by permittees and submitted to the appropriate permitting authority. The permitting authority uses the information to determine compliance with permit conditions and if any noncompliance poses a threat to human health or the environment. If noncompliance is detected, the permitting authority will take the appropriate enforcement action based on the frequency and the degree of seriousness of the violation. This ICR calculates the burden associated with compliance assessment information (other than discharge monitoring reports) required by parts 122 and 501 and certification or alternative requirements contained in the effluent limitations guidelines and standards regulations for various point source categories. This ICR adds burden and costs previously collected under OMB ICR No. 2040-0230, Best Management Practices, Alternatives, Effluent Limitations Guidelines and Standards, Oil and Gas Extraction Point Source Category (40 CFR part 435). These requirements include routine submittals, such as annual certifications and reports submitted when a compliance schedule milestone is reached; non-routine submittals, such as an unanticipated bypass; and certifications for exemptions of monitoring requirements for certain industrial categories. Where information submitted contains trade secrets or similar confidential business information, the respondent has the authority to request that this information be treated as confidential business information. All data so designated will be handled pursuant to 40 CFR part 2. Pursuant to section 308(b) of the Clean Water Act, effluent data may not be treated as confidential. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. The OMB control numbers for EPA's regulations in 40 CFR are listed in 40 CFR part 9 and are identified on the form and/or instrument, if applicable. *Burden Statement:* The annual public reporting and recordkeeping burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 4 hours per response. Burden means 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. This includes the time needed to review instructions; develop, acquire, install, and utilize technology and systems for the purposes of collecting, validating, and verifying information, processing and maintaining information, and disclosing and providing information; adjust the existing ways to comply with any previously applicable instructions and requirements; train personnel to be able to respond to a collection of information; search data sources; complete and review the collection of information; and transmit or otherwise disclose the information. *Respondents/Affected Entities:* State and local governments, tribes, private industry, and public and private entities covered under an NPDES discharge permit (or required to oversee NPDES permit implementation). *Estimated Number of Respondents:* 416,964. *Frequency of Response:* Varies. *Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden:* 1,809,580. *Estimated Total Annual Cost:* $69,446,000, includes $0 annualized capital, $0 annual O&M and $69,446,000 annual labor costs. *Changes in the Estimates:* There is an increase of 434,168 hours in the total estimated burden currently identified in the OMB Inventory of Approved ICR Burdens. This increase in burden is due to the incorporation of ICR 2040-0230 into ICR 2040-0110, and is the result of an increase in the universe of permittees covered by storm water general permits and their applicable burden for recordkeeping and reporting compliance activities. Other aspects of this ICR are essentially unchanged (or changed minimally) from the previous ICR. Dated: May 12, 2004. Oscar Morales, Director, Collection Strategies Division. [FR Doc. 04-11670 Filed 5-21-04; 8:45 am]

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